In a surprising move that left surf fans scratching their heads, the World Surf League (WSL) announced the addition of two new events to its 2024–2025 Challenger Series calendar—one at Hawaii’s infamous Pipeline and another at Australia’s Newcastle, which is already hosting a stop this season.
The news, revealed on June 3, has stirred confusion and amusement in the global surf community, with many questioning whether the scheduling update is real—or some kind of system glitch.
A Double Dose of Pipeline and Newcastle
The WSL confirmed that Pipeline, a wave revered for its perfection and danger, will host a second event on the Challenger Series. The first will be part of the regular season, and the second is scheduled for January 28 – February 8, 2025. This addition marks a rare opportunity for aspiring Championship Tour (CT) surfers to compete at the legendary break.
“Pipeline is the ultimate proving ground and one of the most perfect yet challenging waves on the planet,” said WSL Senior Tour Manager Travis Logie. “For the next crop of CT surfers to have the opportunity to compete is a huge step forward for the Challenger Series, not to mention incredibly exciting for our fans to enjoy two major events at Pipe in just a couple of months.”
The second unexpected announcement came with the return—again—of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, to the CS schedule. Newcastle already plays host to an event this week (June 2–8), yet the WSL revealed that the same location will also serve as the season-ending stop from March 8–15, 2025.
“To finish the season and decide our CT qualifiers at the iconic Newcastle Surfest is amazing,” Logie said. “It’s an event with so much surf history, and the whole town gets behind it. To see our CS surfers realize their dreams in front of thousands of fans at Merewether will be a huge moment.”
Full 2024–2025 Challenger Series Schedule
- Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia – June 2–8, 2024
- Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa – June 30 – July 6, 2024
- Huntington Beach, California, USA – July 29 – August 3, 2024
- Ericeira, Portugal – September 29 – October 5, 2024
- Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – October 11 – 19, 2024
- Pipeline, Hawai’i, USA – January 28 – February 8, 2025
- Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia – March 8 – 15, 2025
While some fans remain puzzled, others see the repeat stops as a bold effort by the WSL to build momentum at iconic and crowd-friendly venues.
With Pipeline and Newcastle now twice featured on the calendar, the Challenger Series may take on a new tone—balancing tradition, experimentation, and the growing spectacle of competitive surfing.