2023 WSL Championship Tour preview: Full schedule and stars to watch

Paris 2024

Here's everything you need to know about the 2023 WSL Championship Tour which is surfing's top qualification route for Paris 2024 Olympic Games. 

6 minBy Ash Tulloch
Inside the iconic wave of Teahupo'o Tahiti

(2019 World Surf League)

There is no doubt the 2023 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) is going to deliver a thrilling year of surfing.

The season has all the ingredients to cook up a sensational competition with Paris 2024 Olympics qualification on the line, six rookies joining the tour and your favourite superstars vying for the honour of being crowned men's and women's 2023 world champions.

The world's best surfers have an added incentive to perform well this season as the 2023 CT is the top qualification pathway to Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

18 athletes (8 women and 10 men) will earn their spot to compete at the iconic Olympic venue - Teahupo'o, Tahiti.

For the second year in a row, the WSL have an entirely joint men's and women's calendar - 10 regular-season competitions in seven countries with the same venues, and equal prize money.

The end of April represents the halfway point, where the mid-season cut comes into effect and the fields will be dramatically reduced. The competition will end with a single-day showdown at the WSL Finals where the world titles will be won.

If 2022 is anything to go by, the season kicking off in Hawaii on January 29, 2023, is going to give us a good taste of what's to come throughout the year.

Athletes: 2023 WSL Championship Tour

Women's 2023 Championship Tour (* = Rookie surfer - first year on tour)

Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
Carissa Moore (USA/HAW)
Johanne Defay (FRA)
Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA)
Brisa Hennessey (CRC)
Lakey Peterson (USA)
Courtney Conlogue (USA)
Tyler Wright (AUS)
Gabriela Bryan (USA/HAW)
Isabella Nichols (AUS)
Bettylou Sakura Johnson (USA/HAW)
Macy Callaghan (AUS)
Molly Picklum (AUS)
*Caitlin Simmers (USA)
*Sophie McCulloch (AUS)
Caroline Marks (USA) - WSL season wildcard
Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) - WSL season wildcard

Teresa Bonvalot of Portugal is the women's injury replacement and wil lstep in for any CT woman who is unable to compete due to injury or illness.

Men's 2023 Championship Tour(* = Rookie surfer - first year on tour)

Filipe Toledo (BRA)
Italo Ferreira (BRA)
Jack Robinson (AUS)
Ethan Ewing (AUS)
Kanoa Igarashi (JPN)
Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Griffin Colapinto (USA)
Caio Ibelli (BRA)
Connor O'Leary (AUS)
Callum Robson (AUS)
Samuel Pupo (BRA)
John John Florence (USA/HAW)
Matthew McGillivray (RSA)
Jordy Smith (RSA)
Kelly Slater (USA)
Barron Mamiya (USA/HAW)
Nat Young (USA)
Jake Marshall (USA)
Kolohe Andino (USA)
Jadson Andre (BRA)
Seth Moniz (USA/HAW)
Jackson Baker (AUS)
Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
Ryan Callinan (AUS)
*Rio Waida (INA)
*Maxime Huscenot (FRA)
*Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR)
Michael Rodrigues (BRA)
*Ian Gentil (USA/HAW)
Joao Chianca (BRA)
Liam O'Brien (AUS)
Ezekiel Lau (USA/HAW)
Gabriel Medina (BRA) - WSL season wildcard
Yago Dora (BRA) - WSL season wildcard

Carlos Munoz of Costa Rica has the men's replacement spot meaning he is on standby if any men pull out through injury or illness.

2023 WSL Championship Tour: Stars to watch

Each year an exciting number of new faces join the world's elite surfing tour.

In 2023, six rookies will make their debut. Two of the most exciting newcomers will be Indonesian Olympian Rio Waida and USA's Caitlin Simmers.

Waida is undoubtedly one to watch after a stunning 2022 season with victories in Australia and Bali. Simmers on the other hand is just 17 years old and qualified for the CT in 2022 but chose to opt-out. The wait is almost over in terms of seeing her in consistent action against the world's very best.

Beyond Olympic qualification and the new names looking to shake things up, there are many other key storylines to watch out for this season.

Stephanie Gilmore has long been the queen of cool and a surfing icon, but the Aussie cemented herself as the most decorated women's surfer in history with an eighth world title last year.

Olympic champion Carissa Moore is hungry to add a sixth world title while Brazil's Tatiana Weston-Webb will be eager to clinch her first. Take note of the Australian and USA women's contingent on tour this year. Seven Aussie women and seven American women are looking to cause havoc.

In the men's comp, several stars are back from injury including three-time world champion Gabriel Medina and two-time winner John John Florence. Will Filipe Toledo be able to back up his 2022 title victory or will Olympic champion Italo Ferreira bounce back from his 2019 title win? Jack Robinson, Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Kanoa Igarashi and Miguel Pupo are sure to shine too.

Eyes will also be on 11-time world champion and surfing legend Kelly Slater who won the Pipe Masters in February of 2022, less than a week before his 50th birthday. What can't he do?

Ramzi Boukhiam will also make history as the first Moroccan to compete on the CT.

Beware of the Brazilian and USA storm that be out in force with both nations having 10 men on tour while Australia has seven.

2023 Championship Tour priority qualification route for surfing at Paris 2024

The Paris 2024 surfing qualification system is clear. 

The 2023 WSL CT is the number one route for the world's best to make the Games. Here 10 men and 8 women will earn their tickets to Teahupo'o, Tahiti.

Throughout the season athletes will accumulate points. These points will help determine which athletes will earn 18 spots (out of 48 total) for the Paris 2024 Games.

2023 WSL Championship Tour: Full schedule:

  • Billabong Pro Pipeline (Hawaii): January 29 - February 10
  • Hurley Pro Sunset Beach (Hawaii): February 12 - 23
  • MEO Rip Curl Portugal Pro (Portugal): March 8 - 16
  • Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach (Victoria, Australia): April 4 - 14
  • Margaret River Pro (Western Australia, Australia): April 20 - 30

Mid-season cut: The field of 36 men and 18 women will be reduced to just 24 men and 12 women fields. This is the second year the cut takes place.

  • Surf Ranch Pro (USA): May 27 - 28
  • Surf City El Salvador Pro presented by Corona (El Salvador): June 9 - 18
  • Rio Pro presented by Corona (Brazil): June 23 - July 1
  • Corona Open J-Bay (South Africa): July 13 - 22
  • SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro (French Polynesia): August 11 - 20

WSL Final 5 athletes decided for a showdown of men's and women's 2023 world title crowns.

  • Rip Curl WSL Finals (Lower Trestles, USA): September 7 - 15
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