<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Following four successful regional Qualifying Series events in 2021 and and a number of events being carried over from the start of 2020, 10 male and 8 female competitors from the Australia Oceania region have booked their spot on the Challenger Series, the ultimate battleground for surfers to showcase their talents for the chance to qualify for the following season of the elite-level Championship Tour (CT).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Australia / Oceania Men’s CS Qualifiers</strong> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">1.<a href="https://www.boardriding.com/riders/matt-banting" target="_blank">Matt Banting</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">2.Reef Heazlewood</div><div style="text-align: justify;">3.Callum Robson </div><div style="text-align: justify;">4.Jacob Willcox</div><div style="text-align: justify;">5.Liam O’Brien</div><div style="text-align: justify;">6.Sheldon Simkus</div><div style="text-align: justify;">7.Kalani Ball </div><div style="text-align: justify;">8.Jackson Baker </div><div style="text-align: justify;">9.Dylan Moffat</div><div style="text-align: justify;">10.Billy Stairmand </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Australia / Oceania Women’s CS Qualifiers</strong> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">1.<a href="https://www.boardriding.com/riders/molly-picklum" target="_blank">Molly Picklum</a> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">2.Sophie McCulloch </div><div style="text-align: justify;">3.Zahli Kelly </div><div style="text-align: justify;">4.Philippa Anderson </div><div style="text-align: justify;">5.Freya Prumm </div><div style="text-align: justify;">6.Kobie Enright </div><div style="text-align: justify;">7.India Robinson </div><div style="text-align: justify;">8.Dimity Stoyle </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fresh off a win at the last event of the regional Qualifying Series The Oakberry Tweed Coast Pro, Central Coast phenom <a href="https://www.boardriding.com/riders/molly-picklum" target="_blank">Molly Picklum</a> is excited for a full tilt assault on the Challenger Series later this year. Picklum will be a favourite from this region to lock in a spot as a representative on the 2022 elite Championship Tour. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“I’m so excited to head off in September and begin my campaign to qualify for the CT.” Picklum said. “I’ve had a great run of results already this season and feel like I’m continuing to build, so my confidence is where it needs to be when competing against all the best up-and-comers in the world. My dream is to be on the Championship Tour competing for world titles and the Challenger Series is the gateway so I'm stoked for the opportunity.” </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Former CT Competitor Matt Banting has been battling to regain his spot on the Championship Tour for almost 5 injury plagued year’s now. After a breakout start to 2020 was backed up with some strong results in 2021, Banting will head into the Challenger Series as a top seed and as one to watch for a spot on the ‘Dream Tour’ for the second time in his young career. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> "I’m super excited about the new format of the Challenger Series,” Banting said. “In the space of 3 months we’ll have 4 huge events alongside the majority of the CT surfers which will be an awesome test. Coming back from this injury and not having surfed for 3 months, I’m currently putting everything I can into my rehab to give myself the best possible chance for these events. I can’t wait to get back in the jersey and give it my all.” </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This year, the Challenger Series will include four stops this condensed season with events in California, Portugal, France and Hawaii. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We’re very excited to bring the Challenger Series to life in 2021,” said WSL CEO, Erik Logan. “These four events will not only provide an enhanced showcase for the up and coming surfers, but will also allow those who fail to re-qualify through the CT the opportunity to perform well and re-qualify for the 2022 Championship Tour.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The 2021 Challenger Series will kick off with the US Open of Surfing from September 20 - 26 in Huntington Beach, California. The WSL, Vans, and IMG look forward to returning the Vans US Open to its regularly scheduled spot in August 2022. Surfers will then head to Europe for the MEO Pro Ericeira, scheduled for October 2 - 10 in Portugal, followed by the Quiksilver and ROXY Pro France, from October 16 - 24 in South West France. The season will wrap in Hawaii, at the Haleiwa Challenger, from November 25 to December 7. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“This new level of competition will provide greater opportunity for CT qualification as well as give visibility to the next generation of surfers,” said Jessi Miley-Dyer, SVP of Tours and Head of Competition. "I can’t wait to see who will qualify for the tour in 2022.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>The 2021 Challenger Series calendar will run as follows*:</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">- <strong>US Open of Surfing</strong> (<a href="https://www.boardriding.com/events/mens-challenger-series-vans-us-open-of-surfing-2021-tentative" target="_blank">Men's</a> & <a href="https://www.boardriding.com/events/womens-challenger-series-vans-us-open-of-surfing-2021-tentative" target="_blank">Women's</a>): Huntington Beach, California, USA</div><div style="text-align: justify;">September 20 - 26, 2021</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">- <strong>MEO Pro Ericeira</strong> (<a href="https://www.boardriding.com/events/mens-challenger-series-edp-pro-ericeira-2021-tentative" target="_blank">Men's</a> & <a href="https://www.boardriding.com/events/womens-challenger-series-edp-pro-ericeira-2021-tentative" target="_blank">Women's</a>): Ericeira, Portugal</div><div style="text-align: justify;">October 2 - 10, 2021</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">- <strong>Quiksilver/ROXY Pro France</strong> (<a href="https://www.boardriding.com/events/mens-challenger-series-quiksilver-pro-france-2021-tentative" target="_blank">Men's</a> & <a href="https://www.boardriding.com/events/womens-challenger-series-roxy-pro-france-2021-tentative" target="_blank">Women's</a>): Capbreton/Hossegor/Seignosse, Landes, France</div><div style="text-align: justify;">October 16 - 24, 2021</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">- <strong>Haleiwa Challenger</strong> (<a href="https://www.boardriding.com/events/mens-challenger-series-haleiwa-challenger-series-2021-tentative" target="_blank">Men's</a> & <a href="https://www.boardriding.com/events/womens-challenger-series-haleiwa-challenger-2021" target="_blank">Women's</a>): Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA</div><div style="text-align: justify;">November 25 - December 7, 2021</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">*All tour stops and dates are subject to change due to applicable COVID-19 related restrictions, including global travel restrictions.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> With the 2021 CS season being condensed and focusing on the Northern Hemisphere, the Piha Pro CS and the Sydney surf Pro events will be postponed for this year but aim to return in 2022.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The Challenger Series field will include 96 men and 64 women, made up of 34 men and 17 women from the CT, 58 men and 44 women that are allocated by the WSL regions, two men’s and women’s World Junior wildcards, and two men’s and one women’s wildcards. Any unused CT spots will become wildcards.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> This season, athletes will be able to roll over points from their best Qualifying Series event in 2020. The 2021 Challenger Series rankings will be comprised of a surfer’s best three results out of five events, the four 2021 events and one 2020 event. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>COVID-19 Protocols</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em> The health and safety of our athletes, staff, and the local community are of the utmost importance and the WSL has a robust set of procedures in place to keep everyone safe. These plans are unique to each event and include measures like testing for athletes and essential staff, masks and strict physical distancing measures, temperature checks, and minimal personnel on-site.</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> For more information, please visit <a href="https://www.worldsurfleague.com/" target="_blank">WorldSurfLeague.com</a>.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>About the WSL</strong> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Established in 1976, the <a href="https://www.boardriding.com/associations/world-surf-league" target="_blank">World Surf League (WSL)</a> is the home of the world's best surfing. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> A global sports, media and entertainment company, the WSL oversees international tours and competitions, a studios division creating over 500+ hours of live and on-demand content, and via affiliate WaveCo, the home of the world's largest high performance, human-made wave. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, the WSL has regional offices in North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and EMEA.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The WSL annually crowns the men’s and women’s surfing World Champions. The global Tours and Competition division oversees and operates more than 180 global contests each year across the Championship Tour, the development tiers, including the Challenger, Qualifying and Junior Series, as well as longboard and big wave properties. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Launched in 2019, WSL Studios is an independent producer of unscripted television projects, including documentaries and series, which provide unprecedented access to athletes, events, and locations around the world. WSL events and content are distributed on linear television in over 743M+ homes worldwide and across digital and social media platforms around the world, including WorldSurfLeague.com. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> WaveCo includes the Surf Ranch Lemoore facility and the utilizing and licensing of the Kelly Slater Wave System.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The WSL is dedicated to changing the world through the inspirational power of surfing by creating authentic events, experiences, and storytelling to inspire a growing, global community to live with purpose, originality, and stoke.</div><div style="text-align: right;">Press Release Source: https://www.worldsurfleague.com/</div>