Over the past few days, I’ve watched a bit of the Challenger Series event going on at Saquarema. I prophesied a bland viewing. To my pleasant surprise, I fancied the time spent. Never before have I taken note of how amusing that wave looks. It’s a shaken up, mixed grab bag of everything you could want – barrels, turns, air sections, backwash, cutbacks; nothing off limits – it’s like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get.
One thing in question; is Saquarema the only wave that has a stop on both the CT and on the Challenger Series? Indeed it is. This same location also holds a 5,000 point QS event – the Saquarema Surf Festival. The only other wave to hold more than 1 event this year is Sunset Beach, Hawaii. Certainly the Wizzle believes this beachbreak truly is a World Class Wave.
6 days later, and, after every surfable condition you can imagine, to absolutely nobody’s surprise, Gabriel Medina came out on top. Yes, that’s right folks, he’s back. Not including Medina, there were 4 current CT surfers in this event. Alongside the present World Tour surfers were 20* other surfers who were previously hailed as ‘World’s Best’. An absolute stacked field without a doubt, and who comes out on top? This next year on tour should be a cracker between he and Filipe. Maybe Italo will get off the Gram and throw his name back in the hat – his backhand surfing is just about his biggest weapon (no lefts on tour).
*It’s actually 22 surfers that showed up who were previously on the CT. I left out LOB and Carlos Munoz because neither of them finished a full event.
In other news, a few surfers who are trying their hearts out to qualify were snubbed by Medina. The list of guys who fell to the hands of the Neymar Jr’s best friend is nothing short of illustrious: Crosby Colapinto, Taichi Wakita (CS rank 29 before this), Kei Kobayashi, Miggy Pupo, Maxime Huscenot, Joao Chianca, and, finally, Ramzi Boukhiam.
I know that all 2022 CT surfers had to surf in at least one CS event this year, but I am not sure if that list included Medina? He was given the wildcard for the back half of the year before injuring himself. Was this a requirement for him to surf on tour next year, or was this strictly him sending a warning shot to the world? Either way, I was pretty fired up to watch him compete. He got into that all-so-familiar mode of momentum swinging his way; you could just tell he wasn’t going to be stopped.
One more event remains on the Challenger Series for the year, and here’s what we know as of now:
- 3 Surfers are qualified so far – LeoFio, currently leading the rankings. Rio Waida, Indonesia’s first ever qualifier. And Ryan Callinan, rejoining the big leagues after having an injury plagued 2022.
- A LOT can and will happen at Haleiwa. A total of 46 surfers still have a mathematical shot to land one of the remaining qualifying slots on the CS.
- That total is whittled down to 43, after accounting for Callum Robson and Gabe Medina both already having slots on the CT, as well as Willian “The Panda” Cardoso officially retiring after the Saquarema contest.
- That’s it. 43 guys, 7 slots, one contest.
- A breakdown of who-needs-what is coming soon.
As winter is starting to rear her precarious little head, a prediction and deep dive into the upcoming Hawaii season will be posted by the weeks end. Until then, thank you for the time.
Cheers,
hwilsin