World Surfing League 2023: full schedule and first stage clashes

There is no doubt that the 2023 World Surfing League (WSL) Championship Tour season is going to be an exciting year for surfing.

The season has all the ingredients to prepare for a sensational competition with qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on the line, six rookies joining the tour and favorite superstars competing for the honor of winning the 2023 men’s and women’s titles.

The best surfers in the world have an added incentive to perform well this season, as the competition is the main way for surfing to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games .

Eighteen athletes (8 women and 10 men) will earn their places to compete in the iconic venue of Olympic competition: Teahupo’o, Tahiti.

For the second consecutive year, the WSL has a joint men’s and women’s schedule – 10 regular season competitions in seven countries at the same venues and the same prize money.

The end of April represents the halfway point, where the mid-season cutback takes effect and spaces will be drastically reduced. The competition will conclude with a one-day showdown in the WSL Finals, where the titles will be determined.

If 2022 is any example, the season that begins in Hawaii on January 29, 2023 will give us a good taste of what’s to come throughout the year.

Check out the Brazilians present at the 2023 World Surfing League

Female

Tatiana Weston-Webb

Masculine

Filipe Toledo (BRA)
Ítalo Ferreira (BRA)
Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Caio Ibelli (BRA)
Samuel Pupo (BRA)
Jadson Andre (BRA)
Michael Rodrigues (BRA)
João Chianca (BRA)
Gabriel Medina (BRA) – WSL invitation
Yago Dora (BRA) – WSL invitation

Check out the debut of the Brazilians in the first stage

The 11 Brazilians are already dueling for the title in the first stage of the season, at the Billabong Pro Pipeline, in Hawaii. Meet the opponents in the opening round:

Female

Heat 1: Tatiana Weston-Webb , Caroline Marks (USA) and Teresa Bonvalot (Portugal)

Masculine

Heat 1: Miguel Pupo , Nat Young (USA) and Ian Gentil (Hawaii)

Heat 2: Kanoa Igarashi (Japan), Jake Marshall (USA) and João Chianca

Heat 4: Jack Robinson (Australia), Jadson Andre and Ezekiel Lau (Hawaii)

Heat 5: Ítalo Ferreira , Seth Moniz (Hawaii) and Imaikalani deVault (Hawaii)

Heat 6: Filipe Toledo , Jackson Baker (Australia) and Joshua Moniz (Hawaii)

Heat 7: Griffin Colapinto (USA), Barron Mamiya (Hawaii) and Michael Rodrigues

Heat 8: Caio Ibelli , Kelly Slater (USA) and Ramzi Boukhiam (Morocco)

Heat 10: Samuel Pupo , Matthew McGillivray (South Africa) and Rio Waida (Indonesia)

Heat 11: Callum Robson (Australia), Yago Dora and Ryan Callinan (Australia)

Heat 12: John John Florence (Hawaii), Gabriel Medina and Leonardo Fioravanti

World Surf League 2023: stars to watch

In addition to the Olympic rankings and the new names that emerge, there are other important stories to watch this season.

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

Olympic champion Carissa Moore is eager to claim her sixth trophy, while Brazil’s Tatiana Weston-Webb is looking to claim her first title.

In the men’s competition, several stars returned to the circuit, such as the Brazilian three-time champion Gabriel Medina and the two-time champion John John Florence . Will Filipe Toledo be able to repeat his 2022 title or will Olympic champion Ítalo Ferreira regain the trophy he won in 2019? Kanoa Igarashi , silver medalist at Tokyo 2020 , and fellow Brazilian Miguel Pupo will certainly also shine.

Eyes will also be on Kelly Slater , 11-time WSL Champion and surfing legend, who won the Pipe Masters in February 2020, less than a week shy of her 50th birthday. What can he not do?

Watch out for the Brazilian Storm, which has 10 athletes on the tour – the same number as the United States, while Australia has seven.

World Surfing League 2023 is Paris 2024 qualifying route

The ranking system for surfing in Paris 2024 is clear.

The 2023 WSL season is the premier path for the world’s best athletes to participate in the Games. Ten men and eight women will win their tickets to Teahupo’o, Tahiti.

Throughout the season, athletes will accumulate points. They will help determine which competitors will win the 18 spots (out of 48) to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.