Breaking News: Kelly Slater Awarded WSL Wildcard for 2024 Season

With the Challenger Series wrapped, the World Surf League class of 2024 is set.

There will be some new faces on the Championship Tour, along with, of course, some returning alumni, and one very familiar face whose been granted a season wildcard:

Mr. Kelly Slater.

In the WSL’s press release regarding the 2024 lineup, they congratulated the new class, welcomed back the old, and subtly buried the Slater announcement.

“We’re excited to welcome and officially confirm the new class of Championship Tour competitors,” said Jessi Miley-Dyer, WSL Chief of Sport. “Last season, Caitlin Simmers made the Final 5, showing us what rookies are capable of. We’re excited to see the potential of this year’s rookie class and how they will rise to the occasion of competing against the best in the world."

Here's the full list of 2024’s World Surf League Championship Tour competitors:

Women’s 2024 Championship Tour Qualifiers

Top 10 Qualifiers from 2023 Championship Tour Rankings

• Caroline Marks (USA)

• Carissa Moore (HAW)

• Tyler Wright (AUS)

• Caitlin Simmers (USA)

• Molly Picklum (AUS)

• Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)

• Lakey Peterson (USA)

• Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA)

• Gabriela Bryan (HAW)

• Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW)

Top 5 Qualifiers from 2023 Challenger Series Rankings

• India Robinson (AUS)

• Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)

• Sawyer Lindblad (USA)

• Alyssa Spencer (USA)

• Isabella Nichols (AUS)

WSL Season Wildcards

• Johanne Defay (FRA)

• Brisa Hennessy (CRC)

WSL Replacement

• Luana Silva (BRA)

Men’s 2024 Championship Tour Qualifiers

Top 22 Qualifiers from the 2023 Championship Tour Rankings

• Filipe Toledo (BRA)

• Ethan Ewing (AUS)

• Griffin Colapinto (USA)

• Joao Chianca (BRA)

• Jack Robinson (AUS)

• Gabriel Medina (BRA)

• Yago Dora (BRA)

• John John Florence (HAW)

• Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)

• Ryan Callinan (AUS)

• Connor O’Leary (AUS)

• Barron Mamiya (HAW)

• Italo Ferreira (BRA)

• Kanoa Igarashi (JPN)

• Ian Gentil (HAW)

• Jordy Smith (RSA)

• Liam O’Brien (AUS)

• Caio Ibelli (BRA)

• Matthew McGillivray (RSA)

• Callum Robson (AUS)

• Rio Waida (INA)

• Seth Moniz (HAW)

Top 10 Qualifiers from the 2023 Challenger Series Rankings

• Cole Houshmand (USA)

• Samuel Pupo (BRA)

• Jacob Willcox (AUS)

• Crosby Colapinto (USA)

• Eli Hanneman (HAW)

• Imaikalani deVault (HAW)

• Frederico Morais (POR)

• Jake Marshall (USA)

• Kade Matson (USA)

• Deivid Silva (BRA)

WSL Season Wildcards

• Kelly Slater (USA)

• Miguel Pupo (BRA)

WSL Replacement

• Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR)

If you’ll remember, Slater was controversially gifted a season-long wildcard last year after falling off Tour during the Mid-Season Cut.

Guess the GOAT gets one more go.

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