Windsurfing champion crowns Lower Trestles again – Orange County Register

The title of world surfing champion will be decided once again at Lower Trestles, one of the mainland’s top surf resorts, located just south of San Clemente, the World Surfing Federation announced on Thursday. Tuesday, January 18.

It is also the venue where the 2021 champions were crowned after a dramatic day of competition in the new WSL Rip Curl Finals. Last year was the first time that men’s and women’s titles were decided in a one-day surfing competition, rather than by points accumulated over the whole season.

This year’s competitive season is underway, with the top men’s and women’s WSL surfers set to compete at the Billabong Pro Pipeline at the end of the month, now the first stop of the tour instead of the competition. the last event, as it was decades ago.

The Lower Trestles, which is not on the Santa Monica-based World Surfing Federation’s schedule for about five years until the 2021 championships, will return this year as a regular stop on the tour. in June. Instead, the tour will stop in El Salvador at Punta Roca in mid-June.

Rip Curl has a three-year partnership for the WSL Finals, a new format that launched last year as a top five men’s and five women’s all-win.

The waiting period will be from September 8 to 16, with the contest being held on the day with the best prediction during that time. It’s the perfect time of year for the Southern Hemisphere to expand, creating a high-performance arena at the pebbly beach.

“The first edition of the WSL Rip Curl Finals was an incredible success,” WSL CEO Erik Logan said in a statement. “To watch the 5 WSL finals go head-to-head in great waves, and to see the men’s and women’s world titles decided on the same day, underwater for the first time, is special.”

For the surf town next to San Onofre State Beach, it’s a welcome return to the world’s best return to Lower Trestles, with hotels booked and San city officials. Clemente organizes a gathering on the pier with top rivals.

As the competition kicked off, surf fans flocked to the sands to watch the event up close, while others watched from afar on a live webcast.

“This new format has captivated our audience and driven consumption like never before and is the most watched pro surf day with the largest live digital audience in the world,” said Logan. WSL history,” says Logan.

Brazil’s Gabriel Medina and Hawaii’s Carissa Moore won the event and the 2021 WSL world championship title.

“We strongly support the return to Lower Trestles for the WSL Rip Curl Finals 2022,” said Brooke Farris, Rip Curl CEO, in the announcement. “As a world-class, high-performance wave, it’s the perfect canvas for the world’s best surfers to push the boundaries of what’s possible in the water.”

Rip Curl recently moved its North American headquarters to San Clemente, bringing the brand closer to the iconic surf break.

There are several other changes coming to this year’s tour.

WSL officials say for the first time men and women will compete at the same venue with an equal number of competitions and equal prize money.

The new Championship Tour format will also introduce a mid-season stretch before concluding at the WSL Rip Curl Finals in Lower Trestles. The season started with 36 men and 18 women. In half the season, the field will be reduced to 24 men and 12 women for a chance to qualify for the finals. Two male and two female wildcards will also be added.

The WSL Championship Tour 2022 will include 10 regular seasonal events in seven countries, starting with the Billabong Pro Pipeline in January at the world-famous Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii.

The regular season will end in August, at Teahupo’o in Tahiti, one last chance for surfers to make it to the finals of the year.

WSL notes that all tour stops and dates are subject to change due to COVID-19 related restrictions.