2021 World Surf League Explained

Event:2020-21 World Surf League
Location:Hawaii, Australia, The United States of America, Mexico
Dates:December 4th 2020 - September 17th 2021
Men: Gabriel Medina
Women: Carissa Moore
Prev:2019
Next:2022

The 2020-21 World Surf League was the 44th season of all iterations of the tour circuit for professional surfers. After the 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, limiting international travel between and within countries namely Australia, Indonesia, Portugal and South Africa. The championships took a break for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.[1] The board changed the tour to a wraparound season of 2020-21, which allowed major changes to the tour schedule, with the Billabong Pipe Masters becoming the first round of the tour.

The season also saw some new events introduced due to COVID-19 outbreaks and restrictions on travel within countries, notably Australia, who required surfers to quarantine in Sydney for 14 days upon arrival.[2] Narrabeen was chosen as a replacement for the Gold Coast, while Newcastle returned to the tour for the first time in 10 years to replace Bells Beach. The women's championship tour will compete in Teahupo'o, French Polynesia for the first time in 15 years, while Mexico was added to the championship for the first time to replace the round left vacant by Jeffrey's Bay, due to the COVID outbreak in South Africa.[3]

For the first time, the season will end at Lower Trestles, in San Clemente, USA, with the top five seeded men and women from the season going head to head to determine the champion at the WSL Finals.[4] [5] This was put in place after the positive response to the men's championship event in 2019, as well as allowing surfers who had to isolate with COVID-19 an opportunity to still win the title.[6]

Carissa Moore and Ítalo Ferreira were the defending champions.

Schedule

The championship series will consist of the following events, subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7] [8]

!Round!Date!Event!Location
1December 8–20 Billabong Pipe MastersBanzai Pipeline, Oahu, Hawaii
2April 1–11 Rip Curl Newcastle CupNewcastle, New South Wales, Australia
3April 16–26 Rip Curl Narrabeen ClassicNarrabeen, New South Wales, Australia
4May 2–12 Boost Mobile Margaret River ProMargaret River, Western Australia, Australia
5May 16–26 Rip Curl Rottnest SearchRottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia
6June 25–27 Jeep Surf Ranch ProLemoore, California, United States
7August 10–20 Corona Open MexicoBarra de la Cruz, Oaxaca, Mexico
8September 9–17 Rip Curl WSL FinalsSan Clemente, California, United States
Events cancelled or moved during the 2021 season!Date!Event!Location!Reason
December 4–20 Maui Pro presented by ROXYHonolua Bay, Maui, HawaiiNearby fatal shark attack. Contest moved to Pipeline with Men's event.[9]
February 2–12 Santa Cruz ProSanta Cruz, California, United StatesCOVID-19 outbreak in Southern California, restrictions on public events.[10] Originally brought in to replace Portugal.
February 18–28 MEO Rip Curl Pro PortugalSupertubos, Peniche, PortugalCOVID-19 outbreak and restrictions on international travel into Europe.
April 1–11 Rip Curl Pro Bells BeachTorquay, Victoria, AustraliaDeal with New South Wales Government to quarantine surfers in Sydney. Event moved to Newcastle.
May 3–13 Corona Open Gold Coast men's event / women's eventGold Coast, Queensland, AustraliaCOVID-19 travel restrictions to Queensland from Sydney.[11] [12] Event moved to Narrabeen.
June 25- July 9 Corona Open J-BayJeffreys Bay, Eastern Cape, South AfricaCOVID-19 outbreak of South African variant. Replaced by Corona Open Mexico.
Scheduled June Quicksilver Pro G-LandAlas Purwo National Park, East Java, IndonesiaCOVID-19 outbreak and travel restrictions within Indonesia.
August 11–16 Oi Rio ProSaquarema, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilCOVID-19[13]
August 24- September 3 Outerknown Tahiti ProTeahupo'o, Tahiti, French Polynesia

Results and Standings

Event Results

!Round!Event!Men's Champion!Men's Runner Up!Women's Champion!Women's Runner Up
1 Billabong Pipeline Masters
2 Rip Curl Newcastle Cup
3 Rip Curl Narrabeen Classic
4 Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro
5 Rip Curl Rottnest Search
6 Jeep Surf Ranch Pro
7 Corona Open Mexico
8 Rip Curl WSL Finals

Men's Standings

Points are awarded using the following structure:

Position+/-SurferWCT 1WCT 2WCT 3WCT 4WCT 5WCT 6WCT 7FinalsPoints
12nd2nd1st9th1st2nd5th1st43,400
2117th3rd9th1st17th1st17th2nd30,735
313rd1st9th5th3rd9th5th3rd31,660
433rd5th2nd17th5th9th5th4th25,355
517th3rd5th17th2nd9th9th5th25,270
617th9th3rd3rd17th3rd17th22,905
75th9th9th2nd9th22,505
85th9th5th9th17th3rd17th22,215
917th9th5th17th5th5th9th20,875
1017th9th3rd9th17th9th5th20,790
111st17th9th5th19,660
129th17th9th17th17th33rd1st19,300
135th17th33rd17th9th9th3rd18,800
1417th5th17th17th17th17th2nd16,535
159th5th17th5th17th17th17th15,470
1533rd5th17th17th9th5th17th15,470
1517th17th5th17th17th5th9th15,470
183th5th9th14,680
199th33rd9th9th33rd17th9th14,610
205th17th17th9th33rd9th14,045
2017th9th17th9th5th-14,045
2017th17th17th5th9th9th17th14,045
209th17th17th17th5th9th17th14,045
249th33rd33rd3rd17th17th17th13,395
259th17th17th9th9th17th12,620
259th17th9th9th17th17th17th12,620
279th17th17th9th33rd17th17th10,630
2817th17th17th17th9th17th8,640
289th17th17th33rd17th17th8,640
2817th9th17th17th17th17th17th8,640
2817th17th33rd17th9th17th33rd8,640
3217th33rd17th33rd9th33rd17th7,575
3333rd17th17th17th17th17th33rd6,650
34----3rd33rd-6,350
35------3rd6,085
3617th33rd17th17th17th5,585
3717th9th5,445
38--9th33rd---3,585
39------9th3,320
40---17th17th--2,660
4117th------1,330
4117th------1,330
41-17th-----1,330
41-17th-----1,330
41--17th----1,330
41--17th----1,330
41----17th--1,330
41----17th--1,330
41-----17th-1,330
41-----17th-1,330
41-----17th-1,330
41-----17th-1,330
41-----17th-1,330
41------17th1,330
5533rd------265
55-33rd-----265
55---33rd---265
55----33rd--265
55-----33rd-265
55------33rd265
55------33rd265

Women's Standings

Points are awarded using the following structure:

!Position! +/-!Surfer!WCT 1!WCT 2!WCT 3!WCT 4!WCT 5!WCT 6!WCT 7!Finals!Points
12nd1st3rd3rd3rd2nd3rd1st37,770
23rd9th2nd1st17th3rd5th2nd34,715
33rd9th5th5th1st3rd3rd3rd33,000
419th5th5th5th2nd1st5th4th32,035
515th5th5th2nd9th5th1st5th32,035
69th3rd1st9th9th5th9th26,050
61st9th9th5th3rd9th26,050
89th2nd17th5th5th9th5th24,645
99th5th3rd17th9th5th5th22,930
105th17th9th9th5th9th2nd22,510
1117th5th9th3rd9th9th18,660
1117th3rd5th9th9th9th9th18,660
139th9th9th9th5th9th15,185
135th17th9th9th9th9th9th15,185
159th9th9th9th17th9th9th13,050
159th9th9th9th9th9th13,050
17--9th9th5th17th-11,010
185th9th10,490
19-----5th-4,745
209th------2,610
20-9th-----2,610
20----9th--2,610
20-----9th-2,610
20-----9th-2,610
20------9th2,610
26--17th----1,045
26---17th---1,045
26-----17th-1,045
26------17th1,045
26------17th1,045

Challenger Series

2021 Men's Challenger Series

!Round!Event!Men's Champion!Men's Runner Up
1 US Open of Surfing Huntington Beach Griffin Colapinto Jake Marshall
2 MEO Vissla Pro Ericeira Ezekiel Lau Jackson Baker
3 Quiksilver Pro France Connor O'Leary Michel Bourez
4 Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold Haleiwa Challenger John John Florence Jack Robinson
Ranking+/-SurferEventsPoints
Carry Over 1 2 3 4
1-3rd25th3rd3rdstyle=19,500
2-9th1st49th5th18,600
35.0005th25th25th7th14,900
4-73rd37th1st9th14,250
57501st--13thstyle=14,150
62.5002nd17th25th9th14,100
75.00025th--2ndstyle=13,750
8-5th9th17th7th13,400
9-73rd9th9th4th13,100
105.00049th3rd49th49th12,100
113.50017th3rd37th49th12,000
122.50017th9th5th33rd11,000
124.00025th 9th9th25th11,000
142.00073rd 2nd49th33rd10,700
15-37th5th5th49th10,650
style=text-align:left 16style=text-align:left -25th 5th9th25th10,300
style=text-align:left 17style=text-align:left ----1st10,000
style=text-align:left 17style=text-align:left 10.000----10,000
style=text-align:left 19style=text-align:left -37th73rd2nd49th9,250
style=text-align:left 19style=text-align:left 75049th17th3rd49th9,250
style=text-align:left 19style=text-align:left 7505th49th9th33rd9,250

LegendNote: The top 12, non-CT men from the 2021 Challengers Series qualified for the 2022 Championship Tour.

Men's CT 2022
Source

2021 Women's Challengers Series

!Round!Event!Women's Champion!Women's Runner Up
1 US Open of Surfing Huntington Beach Caitlin Simmers Gabriela Bryan
2 MEO Vissla Pro Ericeira Luana Silva Gabriela Bryan
3 Roxy Pro France Brisa Hennessy India Robinson
4 Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold Haleiwa Challenger Bettylou Sakura Johnson Gabriela Bryan
Ranking+/-SurferEventsPoints
Carry Over 1 2 3 4
1-2nd2nd33rd2nd24,000
26.50025th5th1st9th21,500
3-5th5th49th1st20,000
4-1st33rd3rd17th18,700
5-25th9th2nd4th17,600
style=text-align:left 6style=text-align:left 10.000---3rd16,500
7 **1.50049th1st33rd13th14,900
style=text-align:left 8style=text-align:left **5.00033rd17th5th7th14,900
style=text-align:left 9style=text-align:left 4.0009th 17th5th7th13,900
style=text-align:left 10style=text-align:left 3.5009th 9th 5th5th13,600
style=text-align:left 11style=text-align:left -5th49th3rd25th13,300

LegendNote: The top 6, non-CT women from the 2021 Challengers Series qualified for the 2022 Championship Tour.

Women's CT 2022

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2020-07-17. World Surf League cancels 2020 season due to coronavirus pandemic. 2021-04-16. For The Win. en-US.
  2. Web site: World Surf League Confirms Championship Tour Events For Australian Leg. 2021-04-15. World Surf League. en.
  3. News: 2020-07-17. Factbox: Surfing-World Championship Tour 2021 schedule. en. Reuters. 2021-04-16.
  4. Web site: Rip Curl WSL Finals. 2021-04-16. www.ripcurl.com. en.
  5. Web site: Australian Associated Press. 2020-04-29. WSL to introduce final-day surf-off for world title from 2021. 2021-04-16. the Guardian. en.
  6. Web site: Weisberg. Zach. Opinion: The WSL Finals Is a Huge Improvement to Pro Surfing. 2021-04-16. The Inertia. en-US.
  7. Web site: Event Schedule. 2021-04-15. World Surf League. en.
  8. Web site: 2021 Championship Tour Schedule. 2021-04-15. World Surf League. en.
  9. Web site: 2020-12-20. Finally, the Women's Championship Tour will hold a historic event at Pipeline. 2021-04-15. For The Win. en-US.
  10. Web site: 2021-02-12. California's COVID-19 surge is receding, but officials still call for holiday caution. live. 2021-04-16. Los Angeles Times. en-US. https://web.archive.org/web/20210212200411/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-02-12/californias-covid-19-surge-recedes-but-officials-still-call-for-holiday-caution . 2021-02-12 .
  11. Web site: 2021-04-01. Here's where you can and can't travel now the Brisbane lockdown has lifted. 2021-04-16. www.abc.net.au. en-AU.
  12. Web site: 2021-01-28. Queensland is changing its border restrictions — here's what you need to know. 2021-04-16. www.abc.net.au. en-AU.
  13. Web site: Updated 2021 Championship Tour Schedule Announced. 2021-06-20. World Surf League. en.

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