The World Surf League (WSL) is the governing body for professional surfers and is dedicated to showcasing the world's best talent in a variety of progressive formats. The World Surf League was originally known as the International Professional Surfing founded by Fred Hemmings and Randy Rarick in 1976. IPS created the first world circuit of pro surfing events. In 1983 the Association of Surfing Pros took over management of the world circuit. In 2013, the ASP was acquired by ZoSea, backed by Paul Speaker, Terry Hardy, and Dirk Ziff. At the start of the 2015 season, the ASP changed its name to the World Surf League. Sophie Goldschmidt was appointed as WSL CEO on 19 July 2017. Paul Speaker had stepped down as CEO on 11 January 2017, and Dirk Ziff acted as the interim WSL CEO until Goldschmidt's appointment.
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is the world governing authority for surfing, SUP racing, SUP surfing, para surfing, bodyboarding and all other wave riding activities. The ISA is recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
Carissa Kainani Moore is an American surfer. She was the first-ever winner of the Olympic gold medal in women's shortboard surfing at the 2020 Summer Olympics. She is also a five-time world champion, winning in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2019 and 2021 on the World Surf League WSL Women's World Tour. Moore was the first surfer in history to win a WSL world title and the Olympic title in the same year.
Gabriel Medina Pinto Ferreira is a Brazilian professional surfer. He won the 2014, 2018 and 2021 WSL World Championships. In two appearances at the Olympic surfing tournament, Medina won a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympic Games.
Filipe Toledo is a Brazilian professional surfer who has competed on the World Surf League Men's World Tour since 2013. He is a second-generation pro who grew up outside of Ubatuba, Brazil on the northeastern coast of the state of São Paulo. His father, and long-time coach, Ricardo, was a two-time national champion. In 2014, as his career took flight, Filipe convinced his entire family to move to San Clemente, California.
Ítalo Ferreira da Costa is a Brazilian professional surfer hailing from a small community of Baía Formosa, in Rio Grande do Norte on the northeastern coast of Brazil. On 9/6/2024 at about 4 p.m. NY time we will know if Italo won 1st or 2nd place in the world at the WSL finals in California.
Johanne Defay is a French professional surfer. She was born in Le Puy-en-Velay in the Auvergne region of France. She qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games where she won bronze.
Tatiana Guimarães Weston-Webb is a Brazilian surfer based in Kauai, Hawaii. She is also both American and English. She was the only rookie on the WCT in 2015. Weston-Webb wears jersey number 9, and her 2016 'CT rank is number 4. She competed in both the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics for Brazil, winning silver in the latter.
Justine Dupont is a French professional surfer.
The 2019 World Surf League was the competition series hosted by the World Surf League, the global championship body for competitive surfing. The 2019 World Surf League consisted of the Championship Tour, the Qualifying Series, Big Wave Tour, Longboard Tour, Junior Tour, and other specialty tours and events such as the Vans Triple Crown.
Anat Lelior is an Israeli Olympic surfer. She represented Israel at the 2020 Summer Olympics, and finished 17th in the shortboard. Lelior represented Israel at the 2024 Paris Olympics in surfing in Women's shortboard, in Teahupo'o reef pass, Tahiti, French Polynesia, and came in ninth.
Kanoa Igarashi is a Japanese-American surfer who has competed professionally worldwide since 2012. In 2016, he was the youngest rookie on the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), and had collected more Round One wins than any other surfer, finished 2nd place at the Pipeline event, and 20th place overall that year. His greatest career performance was in the 2022 WSL CT where he finished top 5 and got to compete on the final event of the year held in Trestles California. He qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games.
Billy Stairmand is a New Zealand surfer who competed in the men's shortboard event at the 2020 Summer Olympics. He qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games.
Jack Robinson is an Australian professional surfer who competes on the World Surf League Men's Championship Tour. He was crowned surfer of the year twice at the Australian Surfing Awards in 2020 and 2021. Robinson is often considered to one of the best barrel riders of the current days. Robinson did his best WSL performance in 2022 where he finished 3rd on the final rankings. He qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games, where he won silver.
The 2022 World Surf League was the 45th season of all iterations of the tour circuit for professional surfers. Billabong Pipe Masters will be the first round of the tour.
The 2023 World Surf League was the 46th season of all iterations of the tour circuit for professional surfers. Billabong Pipe Masters will be the first round of the tour.
Ethan Ewing is an Australian professional surfer. Ewing had his best WSL performance in 2023, when he finished 3rd on the CT after the regular season. In the Rip Curl WSL finals, Ewing defeated Griffin Colapinto before falling to champion Filipe Toledo to finish 2nd in the world. He qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games.
The 2024 World Surf League is the 47th season of all iterations of the tour circuit for professional surfers. Billabong Pipe Masters will be the first round of the tour.
Alan George Cleland Quiñonez is a Mexican surfer. He won a gold medal at the 2023 ISA World Surfing Games and is qualified to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Kauli Vaast is a French professional surfer from French Polynesia. He qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games, where he won the gold medal in the men's competition.
