- WSL

After a season of chasing ratings points and glory around the globe, it comes down to a single day of competition at Lower Trestles. The stakes couldn't be higher or the pressure greater. Here's how it's all going to go down:

The Essentials

Who: The Rip Curl WSL Finals will feature the esteemed WSL Final 5 -- the top five men and women on the WSL's Championship Tour Leaderboard at the end of the 2022 regular season.

Where: The venue for the Rip Curl WSL Finals is Lower Trestles, San Clemente, California, the famed cobblestone point that is considered one of the most high-performance waves in the world.

When: The Rip Curl WSL Finals waiting period will run from September 8 to 16, 2022. With a nine-day waiting period during prime season at Lower Trestles, optimum conditions will dictate when the single-day event is ultimately called on.

finals bracket finals bracket - WSL

The Format

  • At the end of the regular season, the number one rated male and female surfer will both receive a bid directly into the Title Match, a best-of-three showdown to determine the World Champion.

  • The remaining surfers will enter the Rip Curl WSL Finals bracket based on their year-end rankings.

  • The women will be the first to take the water with the men surfing in the following Match. Women and men will alternate for the remainder of the day.

  • Match 1: The number five ranked surfer will compete against the fourth ranked surfer in the first Match of the day in a head-to-head competition with a traditional heat format.

  • Match 2: The winner of Match 1 will then face-off against the number three ranked surfer in a head-to-head competition with a traditional heat format.

  • Match 3: The winner of Match 2 will then face-off against the number two ranked surfer in a head-to-head competition with a traditional heat format.

  • Title Match: The winner of Match 3 will move on to the best-of-three Title Match, where they will face the World Number 1 in a head-to-head competition with a traditional heat format. The first surfer to win two out of three heats becomes the undisputed 2022 World Champion.
World Surf League
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