Have we already talked about how fucking gnarly the Challenger Series is? For example, Jordan Lawler didn’t surf at Snapper, but he won the first event he surfed in – the Sydney Pro. He then got 33rd in Ballito, and now has back-to-back 73rd (dead last) place results. He currently sits in 14th place on the rankings, which isn’t a horrible spot to be in, but he needs to make some heats. Easier said than done.
The entire field is stacked. Seriously, every surfer in the draw – at least on the Men’s side, could win an event, and probably make a few heats on the CT. I sincerely believe that. The talent level is incredible. With that said, however, I do find it interesting that a select few names seem to find their way to the top of the rankings each year. 8 of the top 20 Men have been on the Championship Tour before, and 5 of the top 10 Women. The pick of the litter.
Sammy Pupo just locked in his spot back on the CT. By winning Ericeira, he’s now sitting in the driver’s seat of the Challenger Series, with what has to be his favorite stop (Saquarema) coming up next. Got to like his chances to keep that 1 seed heading into next year. Dude belongs on the CT. I have previously explained how he reminds me of a more complete Filipe; he’ll actually get barreled in serious waves. Could be the last time we see him on the CS.
Along with Ian Gouviea, we’ll see another returner to the CT next year – Alejo Muniz. 2016 was his last full crack at the Majors, and he showed a lot of emotion on the beach in Portugal when he requalified. He was highly touted in the 2010’s. I remember expecting big things when he got the Swoosh on the nose of his boards back then. Now at 34 years old, he’ll be one of the oldest, most experienced guys on Tour next year. If he can get back there, I don’t see why Julian Wilson couldn’t..
So Pupo is in 1st, Gouveia 2nd, and Muniz 3rd, all locked in to next year. That leaves 7 slots to be filled, with Saquarema being the end of the line. Presently holding those spots are:
4 – Miguel Pupo
5 – George Pittar
6 – Edgard Groggia
7 – Jackson Bunch
8 – Michael Rodrigues
9 – Joel Vaughan
10 – Alan Cleland
Miggy has got 9th the last 2 years in the Challenger Series Events out there. A betting man would be wise to place his money on both Pupo Brothers being back on the CT next year.
Pittar lost in the Round of 32 here last year. If he can reach that same result, he should qualify. He does not want to lose early, but he looks to be rather safe already.
Edgard Groggia is a bit of a wildcard. I’m not too sure what to expect of him. If memory serves me correctly, he surfs a bit like Michael Rodrigues. Could be completely wrong. With a rough estimate, Edgard and anyone below him could be moving in or out.
Jackson Bunch is an exciting prospect to watch. I’m always a fan of the Hawaiian surfers on Tour. It’s got to take a certain drive to want to chase the grindy competitive route that is the QS and CS, especially when you live in Paradise. I’ve watched him surf a lot, and he’s got all of the boxes ticked. He can charge, he can surf small waves, can get barreled, and has an air game. The one wonder I do have is if he is undersized. He looks like he could use a few lbs.
I fully expect M.Rod to get the job done. The wily veteran is no stranger to pressure, and that speaks volumes. I’d be surprised to see him fall out early at home in Brazil.
Joel Vaughan is the Great Australian Hope at the moment. Sure Pittar is up there too, but I think everyone knows George will get there at some point regardless of when. Joel’s time is now. He needs to get it done this year, because he’s running out of time.
Last, but of course not in the least, we have Al Cleland Jr. A bit of an industry favorite right now, I think he will find a way to get there as well – so long as he doesn’t have a full on melt. People are psyched on his surfing and his name right now, and that can go a long way in an event. Go back and watch the US Open Final and tell me it doesn’t..
Just outside the Qualifying box we have a few more recognizable guys:
11 – Callum Robson
16 – Deivid Silva
19 – Jacob Wilcox
24 – Morgan Ciblic
25 – Caio Ibelli
31 – Ian Gentil
35 – Maxime Huscenot
37 – Eli Hanneman
38 – Kolohe Andino
A few underground names I will be keeping an eye on:
13 – Marco Mignot
21 – Jarvis Earle
27 – Dimitri Poulos
29 – Alister Reginato
32 – Rafael Texeira
And of course some of the media favorites:
15 – Nolan Rapoza
17 – Hiroto Ohhara
23 – Mateus Herdy
33 – Taro Watanabe
34 – Levi Slawson
The rankings are tight. Without doing any math at all, just browsing at the numbers and rankings, I think Miguel Pupo and George Pittar are virtually safe. That would leave 5 positions completely open.
The Wozzle should really buy in to all of this drama. There are careers at stake. A full year back on the QS and CS in comparison to the “Dream Tour” is a stark contrast. These guys and gals want to be in the Major Leagues. Why do you think the NCAA always shows the losing team during March Madness? Of course they show the winners moving on, but you will see them again next week to play. The losers are done. That’s it. Some of those athletes will never play again. The production teams know that emotion creates the best entertainment. You can’t shy away from it. At least you shouldn’t. But, what does the WSL know?
On the Women’s side, Sally Fitzgibbons kind of put a pin in the idea of the CS. Why is she down there? She’s won the last 2 events. On the year she’s got two wins, two 3rd place results, and a 5th. But, on the CT, she hasn’t cracked better than a 5th place result since 2021. So what does that mean? Is she too good for the CS, but not quite elite enough to win at the CT level? She has literally fallen off Tour at the cut the last 3 years, only to reclaim her spot again for next year. Is it a good thing the CS is in place for her to do that? Is the cut just a stupid idea?
I know I am late to this train, but I am just now realizing how the Women’s Tour is much too small. 5 qualifiers is ridiculous. And to look at the results from those just outside of qualification, it’s pretty brutal. I wonder how long until it is expanded.
Below Sally in the rankings, but also already qualified we have Bella Kenworthy and Isabella Nichols. Similar to Sally, Izzy Nichols has fallen off Tour only to requalify the last 2 years. She did win an event on Tour too, Margaret River in 2022, to actually save her from falling off that year as well. She’ll be looking to find a comfort zone on the CT, though it’s tough to do with only 10 spots on Tour.
Bella Kenworthy is going to be a rookie, and I’m not too familiar with her surfing. I know she’s the daughter of longtime industry heavy and photographer Jason Kenworthy. She’s only 17, and last year was her first full crack at the Challenger Series. She had one 3rd, and the rest of her results were basically throwaways (three 9th’s, 25th and 33rd). This year she’s got one throwaway (25th at Snapper), and has been ripping since then – 5th in Sydney, Win in Ballito, Runner Up at US Open, & 5th in Ericeira. Again, I don’t know what she surfs like, but if I had to take a guess, she is probably more on the progressive side vs the power side. We’ll see.
Erin Brooks and Nadia Erostarbe are in the last 2 Qualifying positions, and from what I’ve heard, it’ll be pretty tough for that to shake up. Doing some quick offhand math, if Erin and Nadia get a 25th place, the surfers in contention will need at least a 5th place to have a shot.
Those in pursuit are:
6 – Vahine Fierro
7 – Luana Silva
8 – Alyssa Spencer
9 – Yolanda Hopkins
10 – Bronte Macaulay
I’m honestly not sure if all of these women are able to qualify or not, so apologies for my negligence. Not a great look, I understand. It’s a lot of math though, and it’s time consuming. I can briefly look and tell you that if, say, Kirra Pinkerton (12th) wins the event, netting 10,000 points, she still might not qualify – depending on what Erin Brooks and Erostarbe do. It’s up to them.
This is one of the few events in the year that is worth watching regardless of how the conditions are. The storylines that play out, the stakes on the line, the drama they’ve worked so hard to build, it all unfolds here in the next 2 weeks.
I do have to comment (read: complain) about the lack of a Hawaiian event on the Challenger. It would only feel fitting to have this thing wrap up at Haleiwa, as it used to. I would not even be mad about Sunset Beach, if that was somehow an option. It’s off Tour now, again, so I hope you’re all happy. I’m not. I loved watching events there.
Nonetheless, we will have our 2025 Rookie CT class determined by October 20th. Congratulations to the early graduates:
Samuel Pupo
Ian Gouviea
Alejo Muniz
Sally Fitzgibbons
Bella Kenworthy
Isabella Nichols
The Longboarding Championships are going to fire up any day now, if you’re into that sort of thing. I actually have been messing around on some bigger boards recently to keep myself in the water. If I’m being honest, it’s piqued my interest a bit, so I may tune in here and there. They’re down in El Salvador, which is probably a pretty sick zone for Longboarding. I think it’s the last event of the year? They may be crowning the World Champ in the coming days. Don’t be surprised (or mad) if some Log posts start finding their way to the site.
Until then, break out your rubber. Waters getting cold. Couple waves though, if you can find them.
Cheers,
hwilsin
Drew Stanfield