Page 15 - MidWeek East - May 17, 2023

There’s been plenty of surf for both town and country wave riders recently.
BY GARY KEWLEY
World Surf League’s Challenger Series Begins
Surfers had been complain- ing about how subpar condi- tions have been this spring. Mother Nature knew she had to make up for lost time, so she came through!
• Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro presented by GWM (Queensland, Australia): May 6-13
• Corona Saquarema Pro (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil): Oct. 14-21
On April 27, Slater and Jo- hanne Defay were awarded WSL Season Wildcards for 2023 and 2024. This gives them entry into 2023 Champi- onship Tour events following the mid-year cut and entry into the first half of the 2024 CT season. This is sanctioned by the WSL rule book — world champs can be wild- cards. So, the GOAT still has a chance, and our fingers are crossed that he can reach the top10attheendof2023... and get a shot at the 2024 Par- is Olympics.
In surf contest news, the second tier of the World Surf League’s Challenger Series is underway in Australia’s Snapper Rocks. Eighty men and forty-eight women — in- cluding the 12 men and seven women who didn’t survive last month’s mid-year cut at the Margaret River Pro —
• GWM Sydney Surf Pro presented by Bonsoy (New South Wales, Australia): May 17-24
In the end, only the top 10 men and top five women will make it past the Challenger Series. Among those fighting for a spot are 11-time world champion Kelly Slater and eight-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore. Both are surfing in the Boost Mobile Pro, as is O‘ahu’s Ezekiel “Zeke” Lau.We thought it was over for “da GOAT,” aka Slat- er, as a full-time World Cham-
(Clockwise from top left) Kelly Slater, Johanne Defay, Brisa Hennessy and Miguel Pupo. Slater and Defay were awarded WSL Season Wildcards for 2023/2024. Hennessy and Pupo were awarded 2024 WSL Season Wildcards. PHOTO COURTESY WORLD SURF LEAGUE
will compete in six Challeng- er Series events for a chance to qualify for the 2024 World Championship Tour. Here’s a rundown of the CS events:
• EDP Vissla Pro Ericeira presented by Estrella Galicia (Ericeira, Portugal): Oct. 1-8, 2023
pionship Tour surfer after he didn’t make the mid-season cut at Margaret River. Nope!
• Ballito Pro presented by O’Neill (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa): July 2-9
• U.S. Open of Surfing pre- sented by Pacifico (Hunting- ton Beach, California, USA): July 29-Aug. 6
The surfing segment takes place in Tahiti, a place where he dominates. If he takes home the gold, it would be the
perfect grand finale. GQ, droppin’ in 4 U!
gary@surfnewsnetwork.com
MAY 17, 2023 15
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