Newcastle, Australia. Photo: Matt Dunbar//World Surf League
The World Surf League announced its schedule for the 2025 Challenger Series Thursday morning. The series, which serves as a qualification bridge between the regionally focused Qualifying Series and the elite Championship Tour, will kick off once again after the CT’s mid-year cut. Two notable changes to the upcoming CS slate are the drop from six events in 2024 to five in 2025, and the season kickoff in Newcastle, New South Wales as opposed to the season opener at Snapper Rocks in previous years.
“As we head into the 2025 Challenger Series season, the WSL is excited for new changes, including the increase in women’s qualifiers to the CT,” said Travis Logie, WSL Senior Tour Manager, Challenger Series. “We look forward to kicking the season off at the iconic Surfest Newcastle, and to see who will earn their spot in 2026.”
The increase in women’s CS competitors is a product of the WSL’s move to increase the Championship Tour field from 18 women to 24 in 2026. The Challenger Series will now host 48 women vying for CT qualification, the top seven of which will now earn an automatic spot on the following year’s Championship Tour.
“I’m really excited to hear that more women will be able to be on the CT,” said 2023 World Champion and Olympic gold medalist Caroline Marks when the League announced its CT expansion. “My first event win was also the first competition to have equal prize money, which was a huge step forward. It’s cool too to think that, just as I was able to pursue my career without having to worry about equal prize money, future groms will have a much better chance of being able to join the Tour and live their dream knowing that there’s a place for them.”
Meanwhile, a total of 80 men will compete on the five Challenger Series stops. The top 10 in the Challenger Series rankings will automatically qualify for the 2026 Championship Tour.
2025 WSL Challenger Series Schedule:
-Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia: June 2 – 8
-Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: June 30 – July 6
-Huntington Beach, California, USA: July 29 – August 3 (US Open festival window: July 26 – August 3)
-Ericeira, Portugal: September 29 – October 5
-Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: October 11 – 19
