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Sally Fitzgibbons has officially qualified for the 2024 Championship Tour with a fifth-place result at the EDP Vissla Ericeira Pro in Portugal. After falling victim to the dreaded mid-season cut in the 2023 CT season, she has finally fought her way back to a spot on the tour.
Fitzgibbons has been a top five surfer on the CT for most of her career, including three second place finishes for the world title. However, a loss to Caroline Marks in the quarter finals of the Margaret River Pro placed her on the chopping block for the mid-season cut for the second year in a row. Forced to duke it out in the Challenger Series, she proved to be a dominant presence, finishing fifth in Ericeira and Ballito, third on the Gold Coast and runner-up in Sydney and the US Open.
“It’s mixed emotions, this year is so long,” Fitzgibbons told the WSL. “But when you put it into perspective, these women are so good, and it’s so hard to win a heat. It’s such an honor to be in this position, come with this class and move on to 2024. I have so many goals, I want to return and better my performances at the tour locations, some of the best waves in the world, that just really excites me. The support from everyone back home is so meaningful to me, to show up and give my best, if that means I head back on tour, then everyone’s contributed to that.”
As to the rest of the competition, Alyssa Spencer and Deivid Silva won the men’s and women’s events with outstanding performances. Spencer posted seven excellent scores (above eight points), including three consecutive heat totals above 16 points in the quarters, semis and final. Silva had a 19.03 heat total in the semis and eight excellent scores throughout. Both surfers are now in the top five of their respective rankings, ahead of the final CS event at the Corona Saquarema Pro.
