Spencer is finally among the Championship Tour elite. Now, what is she going to do with the opportunity?
Photo: Thiago Diz//World Surf League
Alyssa Spencer has been knocking on the door of the Championship Tour for several years. In 2021, she finished 10th on the Challenger Series and in 2022 she came tantalizingly close with a seventh place finish. And instead of letting those near misses discourage her, she came back stronger than ever in 2023. Solid performances including a win in Ericeira catapulted her into the realm of CT qualification. Now the 20-year-old Californian is ready to prove her worth among the world’s best.
She’s currently in Hawaii getting better acquainted with the notorious waves of Oahu’s North Shore. We had a chat with Alyssa to understand her headspace as she prepares to step into the spotlight – how she’s training, her goals, which tour stop she’s looking forward to, which event will be most challenging, and the million dollar question every surfer will inevitably get asked, her thoughts on the WSL Finals format. It’s time to get acquainted with the goofy-footed pride of San Diego primed to make a splash during the upcoming CT season.
Qualifying for the tour looked like a pretty emotional moment for you, how did you celebrate when you got home from Brazil?
Yeah, it was definitely a really emotional moment. I was so excited to get back home and share that with my friends and family. The whole community got together and threw me and Jake (Marshall) a party at Hansen’s (in Encinitas). We had all of the Encinitas boardriders there, all the people we grew up surfing with, and a lot of my first sponsors like Hanson’s and Dakine. It was pretty cool to celebrate and share that special moment with pretty much everyone who has helped me along the way.
After getting so close to qualifying for the CT in 2021 and 2022, did you ever doubt yourself?
I definitely had a lot of doubts. It was hard to be so close so many years in a row. The third year of being one or two spots away from the qualification was the hardest. I felt like I was so ready and everything was going so well. That year, I won an event, I had the best year of competition so far, and still missed out by a couple of spots. At that point, it was definitely a lot of doubting thoughts going through my mind. I was putting in all this time and effort and felt so ready, yet it still wasn’t quite enough. Pushing through that moment, regaining confidence, and persevering through those doubts was definitely a big challenge. But it was well worth it once I got on the other side.
So you are in Hawaii now, are you going to stay there until Pipe in January?
I’m not staying all the way through to the CT. I’m here till the end of December, then I’m going to go home for Christmas and the holidays. And I’m actually going to compete in the World Juniors. It’s going to be in Oceanside this year. It’s my last year to do it and I’ve never done it before. Then I’m going to come out (to Hawaii) again in mid-early January to start training and getting ready for the comp. Right now it’s kind of like preseason training. I guess you could say I’m just trying to learn the waves over here and just get comfortable surfing all the spots.
Have you altered your training routine to prepare for the CT?
I honestly haven’t changed much. I feel like I’ve always just worked really hard, especially this last year. I have a great program going, just training and working with a mental coach. Also, I’m working with coaches at certain spots to learn the particular waves. I’m trying to get comfortable over here and keep up with everything that I’ve been doing already.
The waves are obviously a lot different on the CT than the QS, that doesn’t change how you focus on the type of surfing needed for those waves?
Those are things that I’m always trying to work on in my surfing – to be more progressive and push my comfort level more and more each time. I’m just going to keep doing that and ramp it up a little bit to try to push myself more each session. The women’s level of surfing is incredible right now. I want to be able to compete well against those girls.
Is there anything in particular that you are focusing on improving?
I’ve been focusing mostly on gaining confidence in heavier and bigger waves. That’s always been a place where I just feel a little uncomfortable, which I’m sure a lot of other people feel as well.
What are some realistic goals for your first year on tour?
My goal is to finish in the top 10, which is to make the cut. Once I get there, I’ll reevaluate. The other goal that I have is to win Rookie of the Year.
Are there any surfers that you try to emulate?
I look at all the girls on tour. Growing up I always watched Stephanie Gilmore – her composure, style, and grace. She carries a lot of power and progressiveness and her surfing is something that I’ve always looked up to. Also, Caroline Marks. She has super powerful backhand surfing, which I’ve studied a lot and got a lot of inspiration from.
Three questions about the tour stops: What wave are you most looking forward to surfing? Which wave will be the most challenging? Are there any spots you haven’t surfed yet?
I’m most looking forward to surfing Fiji. That would be number one on my list for the tour this year. (The most challenging) maybe is West Oz. I’ve heard that that wave is always a big challenge for everyone. It’s just a lot of open-ocean, raw energy and learning the lineup is tricky. And the spots I’ve never surfed are Teahupo’o, West Oz, Peniche, and Cloudbreak.
You’ve never surfed Teahupo’o? Do you have any training trips planned?
I would love to do a trip there before that event comes around if I have the time. That wave is definitely beautiful. It’s powerful. It’s a little bit scary. It’s always been a wave that I’ve dreamed of surfing, but I’ve never been there before. If I can’t make it there before the event then I’ll do some training at some other waves of consequence that are closer to home. Still, the best training would be just to go there and hopefully get a trip in before the event.
The question everyone is dying to know from CT surfers: what are your thoughts on the Final 5 format and ending at Trestles?
I think that it’s a great challenge. I definitely think it’s hard mentally. You have to stay strong throughout the year to make the top five and then once you’re there on that day, there is so much pressure, so much that goes on in your head to win that event. It’s just like a different take that we’ve never had before. I think there’s good and bad things about it, but overall, it’s pretty exciting.
