World Surf League Adds Two New Stops to Challenger Series Schedule

Originally posted on Outdoors on SI | By Maria Aldrich | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 6:30 PM ET

The World Surf League (WSL) Challenger Series kicked off on June 2 with the Burton Automotive Newcastle Surfest in Australia. The competition is still in the early stages this season, but much excitement is expected on the water during this year's series of competitions.

On June 2, the WSL made a grand announcement regarding the addition of two new stops to the Challenger Series (CS)—Pipeline and Newcastle, which will mark the conclusion of the CS. The addition means that the competition will run from June 2025 to March 2026.

As written in a statement released by the WSL:
"Pipeline is the ultimate proving ground and one of the most perfect yet challenging waves on the planet," said WSL Senior Tour Manager Tarvis Logie. "For the next crop of CT surfers to have the opportunity to compete 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."

The World Surf League (WSL) Announces Two New Events

"To 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 Mereweather will be a huge moment."

The schedule for the 2025-26 Challenger Series will feature several locations, including:

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)
Ericeira, Portugal (September 29 - October 5)
Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (October 11 - 19)
Pipeline, Hawai'i, USA (January 28 - February 8)
Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia (March 8 - 15)

Athletes have a lot riding on the line as they move through the Challenger Series. The top ten men and seven women on the CS rankings list will earn a place on the renowned WSL Championship Tour in 2026. If they want to secure a spot, they will need to have strong performances on the CS.

This article first appeared on Outdoors on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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