The world's best surfers are preparing for the penultimate event on the 2022 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), the Outerknown Tahiti Pro, at the infamous reef break, Teahupo’o.
Fittingly known in the surfing world as “The End of the Road,” Teahupo’o will decide the Final 5 men and Final 5 women who will clinch a spot in the Rip Curl WSL Finals and compete for the undisputed World Titles at Lower Trestles.
The Outerknown Tahiti Pro holds a competition window from August 11 through 21, 2022.
The WSL Tours and Competition team will select the best days out of this window to run the competition.
The Outerknown Tahiti Pro will hold a competition window from August 11 - 21, 2022. Credit: © WSL / Dunbar
Teahupo’o is one of the most extreme waves on Tour. With massive barrels, heavy drops, and shallow reef, it’s a test of commitment, bravery, and barrel-riding skill for even the most elite surfers in the world.
Given a good forecast, there is a massive opportunity to witness the awe-inspiring tubes of Teahupo’o.
The Outerknown Tahiti Pro will also give us a window into what surfing in the next Olympics could look like, as Teahupo'o is set to be the stage in 2024.
Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) surfing Teahupo'o in 2019. Credit: © WSL / Dunbar
Women’s CT Returns to Tahiti for First Time in 13 Years
The Outerknown Tahiti Pro will finally see the highly anticipated return of the women’s CT to Teahupo’o for the first time in nearly 20 years, making it a defining moment for surfing.
The women were originally slated to return in 2021, but the event had to be canceled due to the global pandemic.
As this year’s final stop, Tahiti completes the first fully combined CT season for men’s and women’s in the history of the sport.
The new fully integrated CT format, showcasing women at events such as Pipeline and Teahupo’o, furthers the WSL’s commitment to equality and builds on the organization's announcement in 2019 to institute equal prize money across all owned and operated events.
“The women’s return to Teahupo'o is a strong step forward in shaping the future of surfing,” said Jessi Miley-Dyer, SVP of Tours and Head of Competition. “Watching the women surf challenging heavy-water waves shows the younger generation what is possible and that women belong in these lineups.”
John John Florence, runner-up to Kelly Slater in the final of the 2016 Billabong Pro Tahiti .Credit: © WSL / Cestari
Outerknown Tahiti Pro To Decide WSL Final 5
With everything on the line before the Rip Curl WSL Finals, the risk and reward have never been higher. So far two men, Filipe Toledo (BRA) and Jack Robinson (AUS), and two women, Carissa Moore (HAW) and Johanne Defay (FRA), have already clinched their spots in the WSL Final 5. The remaining spots sit within close reach to many competitors.
On the women’s side, everyone still has a chance of making the WSL Final 5 except for Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) and Caroline Marks (USA). Marks fell in the rankings after having to withdraw from four of this season's CT events due to medical reasons.
Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA), Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), and Brisa Hennessy (CRI), currently sit within the WSL Final 5, but seasoned vets Lakey Peterson (USA), and Tyler Wright (AUS), could easily take their places. On the men’s side, everyone below Jordy Smith (RSA), currently ranked No. 13, is out of contention.
Coming off of his win at the Corona Open J-Bay Pro, Ethan Ewing hopes to hold onto third place in the WSL Final 5. Italo Ferreira (BRA), and Griffin Colapinto (USA), currently hold spots four and five respectively. They will have to fend off Kanoa Igarashi (JPN), Callum Robson (AUS), and John John Florence (HAW), who are close on their heels and hungry for a chance to compete for the World Title.
Kelly Slater on the wave that earned him a 9.40 in the 2014 Tahiti Pro. Credit: © WSL / Kirstin
Outerknown Joins Forces with WSL for Stop No. 10 on Championship Tour
WSL is excited to partner with Outerknown for the tenth stop of the WSL CT.
Outerknown brought fans the 11-part documentary series, the Kelly Slater: Lost Tapes, which gives an intimate look at Kelly's life on Tour with never-before-seen footage.
Now, through the partnership of this competition, the incredible storytelling will continue and come to life through the live broadcast, bringing fans every action-packed moment from the competition. The Outerknown Tahiti Pro is proudly supported by our partners Outerknown, Tahiti Tourism, Corona, Pura Vida, Red Bull, Oakley, Hydro Flask, Expedia, True Surf, Surfline, Polynesia 1, Vini, and Air Tahiti Nui.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.