By SDCN Editor
San Diego, CA–The World Surf League Championship is heading to San Diego in January.
The event, hosted by Best Western, will take place at Seaside Reef in San Diego with a competition window from January 9 to January 15, 2023.
The event will host the world’s best up-and-coming surfers aged 20-and-under, who will compete for the 2022 men’s and women’s World Junior Champion titles.
Regional qualifying events around the world over this past year have determined the Junior
Championship fields and the best Pro Junior surfers will gather in San Diego to determine who will be
crowned the 2022 World Junior Champions. This will be the first championship since 2019. Points from
the 2021 World Juniors events have rolled over to 2022, giving surfers who missed out last season
another opportunity to qualify.
“We’re excited to see the return of this event as it provides a platform for elevating the next generation of
the world’s best surfers, and is the first step towards joining the Challenger Series and Championship
Tour,” said Jessi Miley-Dyer, WSL SVP of Tours and Head of Competition. “These young men and women
are already making their presence known and are raising the bar for the future of competitive surfing. We
look forward to kicking off the new year by celebrating the next generation.”
“Surfing is ingrained in our culture and part of our destination’s identity,” said Mark Neville, CEO of Sports
San Diego. “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome the next generation of elite surfers to the beaches
of San Diego for the World Junior Championships in January. We are confident that the participants,
families, spectators, and organizers of the event will love everything that San Diego has to offer.”
The men’s and the women’s fields will each feature 24 surfers, comprised of two regional qualifiers from
each of WSL’s seven regions and 10 wildcards selected by the World Surf League Tours and Competition team.
The champions decided by this competition will secure spots in the 2023 Challenger Series,
giving them the opportunity to further showcase their talent on a global stage.
2022 Women’s World Junior Championships Regional Qualifiers:
Gemma Hanafey (RSA)
Louise Lepront (RSA)
Anon Matsuoka (JPN)
Nanaho Tsuzuki (JPN)
Ellie Harrison (AUS)
Sierra Kerr (AUS)
Janire Gonzalez Etxabarri (EUK)
Aelan Vaast (FRA)
Puamakamae Desoto (HAW)
Ēwelei’ula Wong (HAW)
Sol Aguirre (PER)
Laura Raupp (BRA)
Sawyer Lindblad (USA)
Embargoed: December 13, 2022 10am PT
Rubiana Brownell (USA)
Event Wildcards
Alyssa Spencer (USA)
Sara Wakita (JPN)
Zahli Kelly (AUS)
Kirra Pinkerton (USA)
Erin Brooks (CAN)
Daniela Rosas (PER)
Ella Mcaffray (USA)
2022 Men’s World Junior Championships Regional Qualifiers
Tide-lee Ireland (RSA)
Luke Thompson (RSA)
Kian Martin (SWE)
Tenshi Iwami (JPN)
Marlon Harrison (AUS)
Lennox Chell (AUS)
Bitor Garitaonandia (EUK)
Noa Dupouy (FRA)
Eli Hanneman (HAW)
Jackson Bunch (HAW)
Cauã Costa (BRA)
Ryan Kainalo (BRA)
Alan Cleland (MEX)
Tommy Coleman (USA)
Event Wildcards
Jett Schilling (USA)
Adur Amatriain (EUK)
Kauli Vaast (FRA)
Kade Matson (USA)
Oscar Berry (AUS)
Brodi Sale (HAW)
Joel Vaughan (AUS)
Taro Watanabe (USA)
Jarvis Earl (AUS)
Levi Slawson (USA)
The World Junior Championships will be broadcast live on
WorldSurfLeague.com, WSL’s YouTube channel, and the free WSL app. Also, check local listings for
coverage from the WSL’s broadcast partners.
