Pipeline Added To The Challenger Series
...and the Wozzle restructuring keeps on coming.
This time it's regarding the Challenger Series. Overnight, the WSL announced this year's Challenger will expand from five to seven contests. Excitingly, Pipe is one of those contest: It'll run late January (same dates as the now defunct Pipe Pro) and become the second last contest of the CS.
It will be the first time since 2022 that a wave on the North Shore has counted for Challenger Series points. The change will go some way to alleviating local animosity regarding contest opportunities at Pipeline.
Merewether will appear twice this Challenger Series (WSL)
The last contest, at least for this season, will be Newcastle, meaning it will appear twice on this season's CS. The date will be early to mid-March, arguably a better time frame for a Newy contest.
Some obligatory press release quotes:
"The WSL is super excited to announce that Pipeline and Newcastle will be the last two stops of the Challenger Series this season," said WSL Senior Tour Manager, Travis Logie. "Pipeline is the ultimate proving ground and one of the most perfect yet challenging waves on the planet. For the next crop of CT surfers to get the opportunity to compete out there is a huge step forward for the Challenger Series, not to mention incredibly exciting for our fans to enjoy two major events at Pipe in just a couple of months. To then finish the season and decide our CT qualifiers at the iconic Newcastle SURFEST is amazing. It's an event with so much surf history, and the whole town gets behind it, so to see our CS surfers realize their dreams in front of thousands of fans at Merewether will be a huge moment."
2025-26 WSL Challenger Series Schedule:
- Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia: June 2 - 8, 2025
- Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: June 30 - July 6, 2025
- Huntington Beach, California, USA: July 29 - August 3, 2025 (US Open festival window: July 26 - August 3)
- Ericeira, Portugal: September 29 - October 5, 2025
- Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: October 11 - 19, 2025
- Pipeline, Hawai`i, USA: January 28 - February 8, 2026
- Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia: March 8 - 15, 2026
For this year's CS, qualification will count the top 5 out of 7 events.
The 2026 Challenger Series schedule will be released later this year.
Comments
So good! Finally a proper wave for the CS. And Newcastle straight into the CT if you make it through.
Man, that's a crap line up of locations, except for Pipe of course. And occasionally Newy
So Julian should be a shoe in , good stuff .
I don’t get it? Why Newy twice?
Has to do with future jiggling of the schedule.
Can’t imagine Pipe will be a fixture on the CS.
Anyone speculate as to how the CS going to work in absence of a proper cut?
Newy x2 is because the CT schedule is changing. This year they moved Surfest later to accommodate the CT cutoff, next year it will go back to it's normal time slot. It's a long running event with continued sponsor support so my guess is they'd prefer to run it twice that to skip it for a year or downgrade it just after upgrading.
As for the future CS schedule, it will likely happen from roughly October to March. The purpose of those "postseason" CT events at the end of next year is probably to allow those CT surfers unlikely to requalify to focus on the CS, without having to schedule and space the events out enough so that competitors can do both CS and CT events.
Agree. The recovery is coming in stages.
So we think this 3 tier system is to stay?
Looks like wsl has kept the jan time slot at pipe so yes it will be a regular CS venue.
This new CEO is making good progress. Will take a while to turn the ship but at least he seems to get it.
Newcastle twice is weird. Plenty of time to chance that to another Aussie spot hopefully.
The others are terrible but will take it.
going to be interesting what they do with the girls on the challenger, whether they send them out at pipe or not
It’s on the schedule and they all have 6 months notice so they need to get some practice in. No doubt they will send them out.
I reckon there would be some girls on the challenger that had never been properly barrelled before at a decent wave not just the local beachie. Pipe is a whole different beast.
Pundits on here have raised duty of care workplace safety principles sending CT surfers out to the Box.
If those principles have any merit they will be seriously tested sending out some of the CS women at proper Pipe.
Geez Steve. It’s a two way street mate. I’d back Sierra over Filipe in heaving Pipe. Maybe that’s exactly why we need it
Oh for sure there will be some girls ready for it SL67- but if half or more of the CT roster has only basic skills out there or less, it's hard to see much depth of talent/experience in a 48 person field.
For now.
It's going to be interesting, is what I'm trying to say.
Interesting I guess conditions and size will matter?
They have 6months to figure it out. They all know it’s required at ct level (plus cloud break and chopes). I’m sure the wsl will send them out in smaller conditions to start but that’s ok too. Similar to the ct girls at the box. Now they know there is a possibility they will have to surf it there should be motivation to put in some practice time there.
4 of those 6 months will be consumed surfing mostly shitty beach breaks on the CS then they will have nov/december to head over to the northshore, but good luck to them trying to get waves over the locals and seasoned surfers and knowing WSL luck it will be average for the CT and pumping for the CS, not trying to be a hater but defintely going to be interesting
Not similar to the Box.
Women have never run heats at the Box and there is no expectation they will at least short term.
As Wavie said below- there is very little opportunity to practice there and really no short cuts to it.
Best off finding some hollow left analogous wave and getting reps there to simulate it.
You are right. Figure out the skill set elsewhere and then spend some time out there watching Barron and the rest. Where they take off from waves they pick etc.
it will be interesting for sure.
Back in the day, when the gals went out in overhead waves at many locations like St Leu In Réunion, that used to be the cue to take a toilet break, get something to eat, or if the waves were good; look for a few lineup images as there would be many empty waves with no one surfing.
Different now, but Pipeline is an intimidating wave regardless of your genetalia.
Would be a stupid decision to add Pipe and then when the event is on then make a decision to protect the girls by not sending them out.
Any place can have it's day, but history has the CS as a hard slog.
Hopefully Pipe can sort the wheat from the chaff for those deserving of CT selection.
Apparently Newcastle only event on tour getting govt funding hence WSL happy to take it
Coal city nough said
Pipe getting a few serious crew's qualifying hopes up before being dashed at a pump pump air battle somewhere between Merewether and Pogos
March at Merewether can be onshore nor east crap with big sand build up off the rocks/ ladies where guys and girls have been shredding last 4 days
And contest director due to sheer size of infrastructure will refuse to make contest mobile and go around the corner to Newcastle beach amphitheatre which is often good in march and prevailing nor east winds are side shore a bit like north narra
Sshh....
Took my boy down to Surfest after school this arvo…sorry but a large majority of the CS girls we saw will not handle solid Pipe…guaranteed to be a lot of them sitting wide in the channel not catching too much.
From what I saw many of the blokes wouldn’t handle it too.
Who’s the next surfing ‘superstars’ coming from the CS. I can’t really see any….
……Sierra? She’s out first round.
…….Men - anyone?
Doesn’t seem as though any generational talent coming through?
Tell me I’m wrong, otherwise your Peterson Chrisantos and Sally Fitz are coming to a CT near you.
Dane Henry is the only one that sticks out to me. The evolutions of surfing is a weird one. For such a top heavy field with the older Brazilians I thought there's be an influx of younger ones. How come you don't see any clips of ripping Brazilian groms?
Yep he’s the only one I can think of but he’s not even on the CS yet
Sophie mculloch, Sarah baum, Kirra Pinkerton and I'm sure a few surprises, carnage is also good viewing
Jarvis earle, jett schilling, xavier huxable, oscar berry, bronson meydi and shion crawford rip there is definitely still a lot of generational talent that will come through, they just haven't been able to make it through but those names all have the ability to perform at CT and surf gnarly waves like Pipe
Everyone on the CS rip. I’m talking the next Jordy, next Felipe, Next John
Tya zebrowski won a CS last year at 13 I think and kiara gold and Eden walla are young and super talented . So there are some interesting surfers coming through. But let’s face it. How often does generational talent really come along.
We've probably been spoiled by the last 30 years tbh- maybe even more.
We had the Slater Era, then Occy comeback, then Andy Irons then the next gen Aussies (Taj, Mick, Parko, Dingo etc etc), then Jordy and Dane, then Owen and Julian, then the Brazilians Medina/Toledo/Italo, JJF and Ewing and Jack Robbo.
Thats the mens side.
Thats a helluva turnstile of continuous generational talent coming on line.
Hard to see anyone coming on with anywhere near that talent/star power.
You kind of make my point. Each generation has a new group of freak talents.
I’m not really seeing the current iteration. I’m sure it’ll reveal itself, however I’d argue they’ve been stifled by the CS. The likes of Mateus Herdy comes to mind.
Newy is under contract for that time of year, probably had to deal with some chicanery this year with the schedule shift and want their regular slot back.
Can’t wait to see everyone at Pipe, bring on the bloodbath. You shouldn’t be on the CT if you can’t make the drop into a proper pit.
I agree, it's a weird argument to 'protect them' from pipeline. It's straight up patronizing and stopping the level from being raised, to where it needs to be to justify equal earnings. Fear is felt, and overcome, regardless of gender. Putting in the work to meet a standard is also gender free. There's also plenty of near empty waves around Oz that they can practise on if they really want it, so they don't need to go-to Hawaii and bob up and down in the channel whilst they can't get a wave. The Southern Ocean is every bit as powerful as Hawaii.
These women should be chasing glory and if they're not up to it, move on and go get a normal job. Stop disrespecting surfing and move on. There's thousands of surfers out there WITH normal jobs that will still throw themselves over the ledge.
If I was a pro I'd be cheering that I get to surf pipeline empty! Not too many people get that chance in life.
Men included mate, there were some pretty interesting showings at The Box and Pipe this year. I think it just really annoys the punters as most of us can’t do a proper air-rev but I’d wager a fair few have packed a 6 foot pit before, or at least like to think they have.
I can’t remember the name of the wave in Peru, but they ran a Rip Curl CT there back in the day. Seems like a great spot for a Challenger when they’re already in South America.
Great comments by all above and pretty much agree.
Box and Pipe are different beasts also. You can probably get away with shoulder hopping a few at Pipe and if you're lucky, you'll get through your heat if the oppo is also at that standard.
Box you have to commit and throw yourself over the ledge on every wave. There's no easy way (not really except from backdooring it) to get an entry into the wave.
Having one CS at Pipe is good but having the rest in beachies is stupid, but granted things move slowly in changing the schedule.
Hopefully it's a boost for the Moana and Tahlia Redgards,Harry Bryants and Mason Hos of the surfing world to gain crucial points in Pipe pits to get on the CT.
El Gringo
i won't be happy until Pipe is events 1 through 7.
also... good thing they have Huntington to make Saquarema look relatively decent.
Surely if they were serious about Pipe - and they did say...."Pipeline is the ultimate proving ground and one of the most perfect yet challenging waves on the planet" and they were consistent with the CT then the Pipe scores should also be weighted. They could weight them 1.5 times like the CT or maybe ensure that the Pipe result is part of the calculation - e.g. 4 from 6 events plus your Pipe result. Consistency please WSL. Or maybe Felipe's dad has had a say and this now gives those that do not have the skills the opportunity to miss the event.
Agreed.
Thats an excellent idea Ted.
And would ensure consistency between tours and also make sure anyone qualifying for the CT has basic competency at Pipe.
Why no pool. They should start eliminating from first contest. Whilst the CT is no good. Surely the pool is perfect to whittle down the masses. Then go to one or two heavy waves. Done
Great point
step in the right direction, you know things are/were bad when a world class wave looks out of place in that list, I get it's tradition now but competing at shitington beach shouldn't be an entry point to the tour
For most of the competitors, probably their first proper ever Pipeline wave will be in heat 1 of the contest. No one is going to give them waves outside of the comp. Pro surfing is a strange sport.
You can get waves out there, you just have to put in the time... maybe the youth don't care ?
Does Huntington ever get good? From my quick YT search even the best days out there are like a semi decent day at any Aussie surf beach
I spent about 3 years on and off at Huntington. You can nearly surf it everyday, it is usually 1 to 2 foot slop, weak with a little bit of shape.
I actually reckon the current crop on the mens WCT is on average, as a whole, the lowest talent pool compared to past years that i've ever seen touring.
Feel free to counter that point. But with the injuries, retirements and standard of rookies coming up in the last 24 months, it's probably the worst i've ever seen.
I'd rather see Pipeline as a prestigious event, a reward as such for qualifying. Have a grand slam of Pipe, J-Bay, Chopes & Cloudy, keep them as CT only events. Maybe then include spots like Haleiwa, Sunset & Keramas as QS events, the entree. This allows surfers to get experience in hollow or more powerful waves without diluting the main course, keep pipe like playing the centre court at Wimbledon.
^this