He’s wasn’t on many a radar until the end of 2021 when the Evans Head born and bread power monger qualified for the big show in Hawaii. We boosted the fifty minutes down the motorway from Tweed to hang out with Callum ‘Caltex’ Robson on the eve of his debut at the Banzai Pipeline.
John John Florence, 2021 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Men’s Champion
John John Florence and Carissa Moore claim the title of 2021 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Digital Champions. World-renowned for multiple WSL world championship titles and serving as an enduring inspiration for surfers and sports fans everywhere, Oahu natives Florence and Moore continue to honor the surf breaks that started it all with their back-to-back wins.
The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing is a marathon, not a sprint. In its digital version, there is a vast, added technical layer that makes it the most physically challenging surfing event in the world; 30 days, three unique surf spots, colossal surf, progressive craft requirement, and the strategic digital capture requirement that kept competitors hunting down clips late into the final hours of the month-long competition.
Carissa Moore, 2021 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Women’s Champion
This year’s event saw 95 total athletes compete in the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, submitting a total of 320 waves. Of those athletes, locals comprised 40% of the field, with 79% of the total prize purse ($223,000) being won by Hawaii surfers. All said and done, only 25 surfers met every single demanding criteria of the competition by midnight, January 21, 2022. The single highest prize money winner was a woman for the first time in 39 years. Carissa Moore won a total of $66,500 with a clean sweep across ALL categories: Hawaiian Pro (Haleiwa), World Cup (Sunset Beach), Pipe Masters (Pipeline), Fan Favourite, and Overall Vans Triple Crown of Surfing women’s series champion.
“I’ve never surfed Pipe and Sunset as much as I did this Winter. Those are two really challenging waves,” said Carissa Moore, who won her second Vans Triple Crown championship. “It was great motivation to get out there and keep pushing the limits of what we can do.”
“You just don’t know any more with this format because anybody can be at any spot whenever,” said John John Florence, who claimed his fifth Vans Triple Crown championship title of his career with this win. “Especially when you have waves in the 8 to 10-foot range for a lot of the days, where all three spots are good. It’s tough competition.”
Crosby Colapinto, 2021 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Pipe Master
In a historic first, 20-year-old Crosby Colapinto took the men’s title as Vans Pipe Master at the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing amongst a heavily contested field. The Californian’s win reflects the amount of time he’s put into this wave over the past few years and showcases the exciting stories that the digital competition format can expose. Awarding a total prize purse of $217,000, Vans announced the winners during the official awards ceremony event, which aired yesterday evening. Winners for each event location, videography, and fan favourites were revealed.
2021 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Champions
2021 WOMENS Vans Digital Triple Crown Champion: Carissa Moore
2021 MENS Vans Digital Triple Crown Champion: John John Florence
Individual Event Winners
2021 WOMENS VTCS Haleiwa Champion: Carissa Moore
2021 MENS VTCS Haleiwa Champion: John John Florence
2021 WOMENS VTCS Sunset Champion: Carissa Moore
2021 MENS VTCS Sunset Champion: John John Florence
2021 WOMENS VTCS Pipe Champion: Carissa Moore
2021 MENS VTCS Pipe Master: Crosby Colapinto
Videography Winners
2021 MENS VTCS Filmer Award: Erik Knutson & Guillem Cruells
2021 WOMENS VTCS Filmer Award: Layne Stratton & Anna Hermes
Fan Vote
2021 WOMENS VTCS Fan Voting Award: Carissa Moore
2021 MENS VTCS Fan Voting Award: Tomas Hermes
The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing legacy remains uninterrupted, cementing the North Shore’s reputation as the ultimate proving grounds for future champions and honoring the traditions of Hawaiian surfing heritage.
Congratulations to all the winners! Watch the winning submissions here.
The start of the World Surf League (WSL) 2022 Championship Tour (CT) season is set to make history at the Billabong Pro Pipeline, as the women will compete at the iconic Pipeline alongside the men in full competition for the first time. The first stop on the men’s and women’s schedule will host 13 rookies, seven World Champions, and countless World Title contenders in one of the most anticipated competitions of the year.
Women Will Make History at Billabong Pro Pipeline
A benchmark competition for surfing’s history will kickstart the 2022 season with the first-ever full CT competition for the women. Last year, the women finished the last three rounds at Pipeline to complete the Roxy Pro Maui contest, spotlighting incredible performances from two-time WSL Champion Tyler Wright (AUS) and five-time WSL Champion Carissa Moore (HAW) in waves of consequence. Now, the world’s best surfers will get their opportunity to shine alongside men’s competition for the first time in history as fully integrated events. The CT veterans will also be joined by the next generation of talent when the Billabong Pro Pipeline gets underway.
Rookies Prepare for Championship Tour Debuts
For the women, three Hawaii teenagers in Bettylou Sakura Johnson, 16, Luana Silva, 17, and Gabriela Bryan, 19, join Australia’s India Robinson, 21, and Molly Picklum,19, on the 2022 CT. While Bryan secured her spot among the CT well before the final Challenger Series event, the others needed to prove themselves capable of rising to the occasion and will now look to cement their places amid the Top 17.
On the men’s side, an onslaught of talent joins the world’s best with a diverse field of rookies who hope to make their mark. Jake Marshall (USA) notes the first American to qualify since Griffin Colapinto and Caroline Marks in 2018, Carlos Munoz became Costa Rica’s first male qualifier to the CT while Peru’s Lucca Mesinas became the first male from his country to qualify. A Brazilian duo of Samuel Pupo and Joao Chianca look to add their presence to the ‘Brazilian Storm’ while a trio of Australians including Liam O’Brien, Callum Robson, and Jackson Baker look to add to their country’s incredible history in the sport.
Wong, Mamiya, and Tudela Awarded Wildcards to the Billabong Pro Pipeline
After Moana Jones Wong’s (HAW) undeniable showing at the HIC Pipe Pro QS 1,000, the North Shore local earned herself a wildcard spot into the Billabong Pro Pipeline and is arguably one of the lineup’s standouts when Pipeline comes to life. The 21-year-old will be a sure threat to the world’s best when the opening horn sounds.
“I am so stoked to be given this opportunity to surf in the first ever women’s event at Pipe,” said Wong. “This has always been my favorite contest to watch, so I am over the moon that I am not going to be just watching, but I am going to be competing against the world’s best at my favorite wave in the world. Representing the North Shore and having a lot of experience in the Pipe lineup is great for me but, at the same time, Pipeline is a super tricky wave and even the best of the best out there struggle. I am very humbled to be able to surf out there and be from here.”
Joining Wong, Barron Mamiya’s (HAW) exceptional showing at the HIC Pipe Pro earned him a runner-up finish and a wildcard alongside former Pipe Invitational runner-up and event wildcard Miguel Tudela (PER).
“Growing up on the North Shore, me and all my friends would always go watch the contest after school,” said Mamiya. “So it’s an awesome feeling being in it this year. Living here and surfing Pipe every year, you definitely get a lot more comfortable than people who aren’t from here and have only surfed it a few times. When you’re comfortable out there, it really changes the way you surf it. It’s one of the heaviest waves in the world and I’m really grateful to have it as my home break.”
Billabong Pro Pipeline Women’s Opening Round 1 Matchups:
Heat 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Courtney Conlogue (USA), Molly Picklum (AUS)
Heat 2: Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA), Gabriela Bryan (HAW), Malia Manuel (HAW)
Heat 3: Carissa Moore (HAW), Brisa Hennessy (CRI), Moana Jones Wong (HAW)
Heat 4: Johanne Defay (FRA), Isabella Nichols (AUS), Luana Silva (HAW)
Heat 5: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Tyler Wright (AUS), India Robinson (AUS)
Heat 6: Caroline Marks (USA), Lakey Peterson (USA), Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW)
Billabong Pro Pipeline Men’s Opening Round 1 Matchups:
Heat 1: Griffin Colapinto (USA), Miguel Pupo (BRA), Jackson Baker (AUS)
Heat 2: Morgan Cibilic (AUS), Seth Moniz (HAW), Carlos Munoz (CRI)
Heat 3: Conner Coffin (USA), Ezekiel Lau (HAW), Owen Wright (AUS)
Heat 4: Italo Ferreira (BRA), Liam O’Brien (AUS), Matthew McGillivray (ZAF)
Heat 5: Filipe Toledo (BRA), Connor O’Leary (AUS), Barron Mamiya (HAW)
Heat 6: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Jake Marshall (USA), Miguel Tudela (PER)
Heat 7: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Jadson Andre (BRA), Joao Chianca (BRA)
Heat 8: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN), Kelly Slater (USA), Lucca Mesinas (PER)
Heat 9: Frederico Morais (PRT), Ethan Ewing (AUS), Imaikalani deVault (HAW)
Heat 10: John John Florence (HAW), Ryan Callinan (AUS), Nat Young (USA)
Heat 11: Jack Robinson (AUS), Deivid Silva (BRA), Samuel Pupo (BRA)
Heat 12: Kolohe Andino (USA), Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA), Callum Robson (AUS)
COVID-19 Updates
The health and safety of our athletes, staff, and the local community are of the utmost importance and we have been working closely with local authorities to put a robust set of procedures in place to keep everyone safe. This includes pre-event screening, testing protocols, and minimal personnel on site.
Watch LIVE
The Billabong Pro Pipeline will open on Saturday, January 29, 2022. The competition will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com, the free WSL app, and the WSL’s YouTube channel. Also, check local listings for coverage from the WSL’s broadcast partners.
“Summer Escapes is a throwback to my great escape from the long summer flat in France. A recap of my best waves during my trip in Mexico and my mission for the swell of the year in Teahupo’o, Tahiti!” – Charly
Surfer @charlyquivront
Editing @julienturpaud
Filmers @moralesedwin @guy__mac
Aquashots @keanu.moux @bogus689
The World Surf League (WSL) announced the location for the 2022 Rip Curl WSL Finals and released the updated 2022 Championship Tour (CT) schedule. As part of Rip Curl’s three-year partnership, the second edition of the one-day, winner-take-all showdown, the Rip Curl WSL Finals, will return to California State Parks, San Onofre State Beach, Lower Trestles. The 2022 Rip Curl WSL Finals waiting period will run from September 8 – 16, an ideal time of year for solid Southern Hemisphere swells to light up the cobblestone point of one of the most high-performance waves in the world.
At the conclusion of the regular 2022 CT season, the top five men and top five women on the CT rankings will head to Lowers in San Clemente where they will battle head-to-head for the World Title.
“The inaugural edition of the Rip Curl WSL Finals was an incredible success,” said Erik Logan, WSL CEO. “To see the WSL Final 5 go head-to-head in amazing waves and to witness the women’s and men’s World Titles be decided on the same day, in the water, for the first time was special. This new format captivated our audience and drove consumption like never before and was the most-watched day of professional surfing with the largest live digital audience in WSL history. We are excited to return to Lowers this season.”
“We’re incredibly supportive of the return to Lower Trestles for the 2022 Rip Curl WSL Finals,” said Brooke Farris, Rip Curl CEO. “As a world-class, high-performance wave, it’s the perfect canvas for the world’s best surfers to push the boundaries of what’s possible in the water. While our brand was born at Bells Beach Australia, Rip Curl has an incredible heritage at Trestles, the surfing heart of California. We’re beyond excited to continue building on our brand’s legacy as we partner with the WSL to crown the undisputed world champions of surfing.”
New CT Format with Combined Men’s and Women’s Schedule Kicks Off at Pipeline
For the first time, the men’s and women’s CT will be completely combined, with the male and female athletes competing at the same CT venues with an equal number of competitions, and the continuation of equal prize money. The new CT format will also introduce the mid-season cut before concluding at the Rip Curl WSL Finals in Lower Trestles.
The 2022 WSL CT will include 10 regular-season events in seven countries, starting with the Billabong Pro Pipeline in January at the world-famous Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii. This will mark the first-ever men’s and women’s combined event at the legendary break. G-Land in Indonesia returns to the CT schedule for the first time in 24 years for the men, and for the first time ever for the women (Quiksilver / ROXY Pro G-Land). The world’s best surfers will also compete in El Salvador, in the Surf City El Salvador Pro, for the first time on the CT. The regular season will conclude in August, at Teahupo’o in Tahiti, and provides one last opportunity for surfers to make the WSL Final 5 before the second-annual Rip Curl WSL Finals in September.
2022 WSL Championship Tour Schedule*:
• Billabong Pro Pipeline – January 29 – February 10
• Hurley Pro Sunset Beach presented by Shiseido – February 11 – 23
• MEO Pro Portugal – March 3 – 13
• Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach – April 10 – 20
• Margaret River Pro – April 24 – May 4
Mid-Season Cut: 36-man and 18-woman fields reduced to 24-man and 12-woman fields.
• Quiksilver / ROXY Pro G-Land – May 28 – June 6
• Surf City El Salvador Pro presented by Corona – June 12 – 20
• Oi Rio Pro presented by Corona – June 23 – 30
• Corona Open J-Bay – July 12 -21
• Tahiti Pro – August 11 – 21
WSL Final 5 determined to battle for the undisputed men’s and women’s World Titles.
• Rip Curl WSL Finals, Lower Trestles, CA USA – September 8 – 16
With new venues and a revamped Tour structure, the 2022 CT season will start with 36 men and 18 women. Halfway through the season, the field will be reduced to 24 men and 12 women. The top-ranked surfers will automatically requalify for the 2023 CT as well as continue on to the second half of the tour, where they will be joined by two men’s wildcards and two women’s wildcards (one season wildcard and one event wildcard).
CT competitors will be ranked on the best four-out-of-five results before the mid-season cut, allowing them to drop one result before CT Stop No. 6. The advancing surfers will be ranked on their best nine-out-of-10 results from the season (with all events after the mid-season cut counting) to determine the WSL Final 5.
COVID-19 Updates
The health and safety of our athletes, staff, and the local communities we visit are of the utmost importance, and we have a robust set of procedures in place at every event to keep everyone safe. The WSL continues to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and work closely with government partners and local health authorities to make the best decisions for our athletes and the sport.
Given the complexities of global travel during this pandemic and the fluid nature of the situation, we will maintain the flexibility to adjust and react accordingly, and there could be potential adjustments to the schedule. All tour stops and dates are subject to change due to applicable COVID-19 related restrictions, and the WSL continues to work hard on behalf of our athletes so they can safely travel as we move into the 2022 season.
Watch LIVE
The Billabong Pipe Pro will kick off the new season starting on Saturday, January 29, 2022. The competition will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com, the free WSL app, and the WSL’s YouTube channel. Also, check local listings for coverage from the WSL’s broadcast partners.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.
