World Surf League changes a boon to Margaret River: Surfing WA boss

The head of Surfing WA says changes to introduce a mid-season cut after the next Margaret River Pro is “stacked with advantages” for the region’s surfers and the local economy. Chief executive Mark Lane cheered last week’s news the World Surf League title battle would become more competitive after organisers announced the mid-season cut plan coinciding with next year’s Pro, slated now for April 24. The 2022 Championship Tour will start with 36 men and 18 women, before being reduced to 22 men and 10 women after Margaret River, which is the fifth stop on the tour. The top-ranked surfers would continue in the second half of the tour, where they will be joined by two men’s and two women’s wild-cards. The surfers who were eliminated will immediately start competing in the Championship Series, where they have the opportunity to earn their spot back on the main tour for the following year. Extreme logistical planning went into this year’s event to prepare for COVID-19 interruptions and the same would be on the cards again, Mr Lane said. “From a tourism perspective, the economic advantages will be greater due to not having to run a reduced field of competitors, hence a shortened event,” he said. “We will get to see the whole field, and whilst probably the top eight will be locked down, the rest will be fighting for their spots, which in my opinion will make for an enthralling event. “Being the last event before the cut is actually the prime position,” Mr Lane told the Times. “So given the variety of surf/size/wave types our event throws up, it’s almost like WA has finally been rewarded with its positioning. “Knowing now there are only five events globally of this calibre, its great we are one of these and even better we are the final one.” WSL organisers believed the mid-season cut would create more compact and exciting events, and allow them to select the very best conditions in each event window. It will also result in more heavyweight match-ups in the early stages of late-season events. “With the new mid-season cut, every event counts,” world No.8 Conner Coffin said. “The fact that someone could lose their place on tour after five events really ups the stakes and is going to push everyone to surf really hard.” For the first time, the Championship Tour and Challenger Series will have a fully-combined men’s and women’s schedule, as well as an equal number of events. In another change, the professional surfing circuit will feature a three-tier competitive format that includes a regional qualifying series, the Challenger Series, and the elite Championship Tour. Like this year, the Championship Tour will finish with a finals series, where the top five male and female surfers will battle it out for the world title.