The Hurley Pro Sunset Beach presented by SHISEIDO, the second stop on the World Surf League (WSL) 2022 Championship Tour (CT) will open the waiting period on Friday, February 11. After an epic start of the historic 2022 CT season at Banzai Pipeline, the world’s best surfers are heading to the iconic open-ocean Hawaiian break to continue their fight to make the mid-season cut.
For the first time ever, the women and men have a fully combined schedule in a fully redesigned Tours and Competition framework, with the introduction of the all-new mid-season cut. Surfers need to perform well in the first five events of the season in order to make the WSL Final 5.
The class of 2022 already started proving its worth in Hawaii during the Billabong Pro Pipeline, the first stop of the Tour. 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) earned his 56th CT victory at the world-renowned Banzai Pipeline and is heading to Sunset Beach as World No. 1, while event wildcard Moana Jones Wong (HAW, above) won her first-ever CT event, became the women’s World No. 1 and earned a wildcard spot at the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach presented by SHISEIDO.
The men’s wildcard will go to Maui big-wave heroes Kai Lenny and Billy Kemper.
Meanwhile, three-time WSL Champion Gabriel Medina has withdrawn from the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach and will be replaced by Brazil’s Caio Ibelli, who’s coming off of a Semifinal finish at Pipe.
World No. 6 Caroline Marks has withdrawn from the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach siting medical reasons. She will be replaced by Australia’s Bronte Macaulay.
Brazil’s Yago Dora continues his recovery from his injury ahead of the season and will be replaced by South Africa’s Matthew McGillivray.
2022 Rookies Liam O’Brien and Carlos Munoz both sustained injuries at Pipeline and continue their recoveries. They will be replaced by Jordan Lawler and Barron Mamiya.
This will be the first time in 13 years that Sunset will host a Championship Tour competition. In the last CT held at Sunset, five-time WSL Champion Carissa Moore (HAW) took the win at the World Cup Sunset Beach against Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS, above), seven-time WSL champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), and Alana Blanchard (HAW). Sunset Beach is also known for playing host to other high-level competitions. For many years it has served as the final major event of the men’s Qualifying Series schedule, as a stage to several women’s Pro Junior events.
Some of the 2022 CT rookies have plenty of experience at the famous Hawaiian reef. Gabriela Bryan (HAW) won back-to-back Pro Junior events in 2018 and 2019, and North Shore locals, Luana Silva and Bettylou Sakura Johnson (above), have also spent a fair proportion of their surfing lives free surfing and competing at Sunset Beach. Johnson made the Final in the Pro Junior in 2020 at the age of 15, while Silva made it to the Semifinals at the same event.
The holding period for the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach presented by SHISEIDO, the second stop of the 2022 Championship Tour, runs from February 11 to February 23, 2022. The competition will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and WSL’s YouTube channel, as well as the free WSL app. Check local listings for coverage from the WSL’s broadcast partners. For fans watching in Brazil, coverage of the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach presented by SHISEIDO Quarterfinals and beyond will continue exclusively on worldsurfleague.com and SporTV.
The Hurley Pro Sunset Beach presented by SHISEIDO is proudly supported by partners Hurley, SHISEIDO, Red Bull, Oakley, Hydro, Flask, Havaianas, Expedia, Flying Embers, Pura Vida, Spectrum Hawaii, 805, and Da Fin.
