The World Surf League’s Championship Tour will begin at the Billabong Pro Pipeline, with a competition window from Jan. 29 to Feb. 10, 2023. 

What You Need To Know

  • The 2023 Championship Tour will include 10 events in seven countries, starting with the Billabong Pro Pipeline

  • This is only the second year women have been allowed to compete in a full-length CT event at Pipeline

  • The first two CT events are in Hawaii, with the second being the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach

  • The 2023 CT will help determine who qualifies for the Paris 2024 Olympic games

Pipeline is an iconic wave located in the middle of the “Seven-Mile Miracle” on Oahu’s North Shore. It is known for its powerful barrels that break over a shallow reef. Last year, the first-ever full-length women’s Championship Tour event was held at Pipeline. 

The 2023 Championship Tour will include 10 events in seven countries, starting with the Billabong Pro Pipeline. The first two events are in Hawaii, with the second being the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach, which has a competition window from Feb. 12 to 23. A total of 36 men and 18 women will compete in the first five competitions. After the fifth event at Margaret River Pro, the mid-season cut will reduce the competitions to 24 men and 12 women. 

After the Championship Tour’s 10 events are completed, the top 5 men and top 5 women surfers will compete for the World Titles at the 2023 Rip Curl WSL Finals, which will be held in Lower Trestles in San Clemente, Calif.

The 2023 Championship Tour will help determine who qualifies for the Paris 2024 Olympic games. The rankings at the end of 10 events will determine 18 of the 48 spots at the Olympics. 

Two-time World Champion Tyler Wright, who represents Australia, was the first woman ever to win a competition at Pipeline in 2020, when the Maui Pro competition was moved to Pipeline after a fatal shark attack occurred at Honolua Bay on the morning of the final day of the competition. In 2022, Wright finished in third place. This year, she could become the first woman to win twice at Pipeline. She will be competing against 2022 WSL Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), five-time WSL Champion Carissa Moore (HAW), who has twice been in second place at Pipeline, Moana Jones Wong (HAW), who became the “Queen of Pipe” in 2022 when she won the event, and others. 

For the men's competition, Kelly Slater (USA), who has won the Billabong Pro Pipeline eight times, will return to Pipeline to defend his 2022 win. He will be competing against three-time World Champion Gabriel Medina (BRA), two-time World Champion John John Florence (HAW), reigning 2022 WSL Champion Filipe Toledo (BRA) and others. 

Once the event begins, the competition can be streamed from worldsurfleague.com, the WSL’s youtube channel, and the free wsl app. 

Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her ideas and feedback at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.