WSL unveils 2020 Championship Tour schedule

The 2020 calendar will start once more at the Gold Coast, this time in late March, before moving down to Bells Beach from April 8-18.

WSL senior vice president Pat O’Connell said the calendar offered a variety of brilliant surfing destinations.

“The goal in designing the WSL Championship Tour calendar is to ensure we’re elevating the world’s best surfing in the live arena.

“We’re really pleased with where we landed with on the schedule in terms of variety in world-class waves.”

Unlike the past season, Australia will host three consecutive events, with the surfers heading west to Margaret River after the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach.

WSL chief executive officer Sophie Goldschmidt said she had high expectations of the 2020 season.

“The performance levels seen in recent seasons, and especially in 2019, continue to go to new levels and excite an ever-growing global audience. Further highlighted this season by both the men’s and women’s title races coming down to the final events in Hawaii with multiple contenders on both sides.”

This year’s Bells Beach event was won by John John Florence in the men’s category, and Courtney Conlogue in the womens.

Australian surfer Stephanie Gilmore is the reigning WSL Women’s Champion but is well behind 2019 leader Carissa Moore with one round remaining.