Carissa Moore & Kelly Slater receive Wildcards for WSL Tahiti Pro
The World Surf League (WSL) has announced the wildcards for the 2024 and 2025 Championship Tours (CT), revealing a lineup of surfing legends and up-and-coming stars.
Notable names like Kelly Slater, an 11-time World Champion, and Carissa Moore, a five-time World Champion, will bring their talents to the competitions.
In the 2024 Tahiti Pro and Fiji Pro events, fans will witness Kelly Slaters return.
A surf icon with a record of 56 CT event wins.
With five victories at Teahupo’o in Tahiti and four at Cloudbreak in Fiji, Slaters presence promises thrilling performances.
His status as a legend is solidified by his three Perfect Heats, two achieved in Tahiti and one in Fiji, demonstrating his mastery of the sport.
Accompanying Slater in Tahiti is Carissa Moore, a five-time World Champion who recently took a break from full-time competition.
Moore’s decision to accept the entry adds a layer of excitement to the event.Tahitian local Vahiné Fierro will be showcasing her skills at Teahupo’o as she has earned the spot for the upcoming event.
Fierros strong showings, with two third-place finishes at the Tahiti Pro, establish her as a contender.
The men’s wildcard for the Tahiti Pro will be determined through the Tahiti Trials competition.
The announcements for the two women’s and one men’s wildcard entries for the Fiji Pro will be made closer to the event by the WSL Commissioners Office.
In the 2025 CT season, Lakey Peterson from USA and João Chianca from Brazil will join as WSL Season Wildcards.
Peterson, a six-time CT winner, narrowly missed out on making it past the Mid Season Cut and is set to make a comeback next season.
Her remarkable career includes being runner-up for the World Title in 2018 and ranking third in 2019.
Peterson has played a role in women’s surfing, serving as an inspiration to aspiring female surfers.
João Chianca had a good start to the 2023 season with results but faced a serious injury during practice, at Pipeline.After getting the light from the doctor Chianca is all set to take part in the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Challenger Series event happening this week.
The plan is for them to make a comeback to full-time competition by 2025.
Stephanie Gilmore from Australia and Filipe Toledo from Brazil have already been named as WSL Season Wildcards, opting for a year off from competition.
They will be joining Peterson and Chianca in competing in all events during the first half of the 2025 CT season.
The Season Wildcards for the 2025 WSL season and future event wildcards for the Tahiti Pro and Corona Fiji Pro have been carefully chosen by the WSL Commissioners Office based on performance in competitions, medical assessments, and other relevant criteria.
“We’re also excited to announce upcoming event wildcards for the SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro in May and the Corona Fiji Pro in August,” continued Miley-Dyer.
“We’re proud to have these accomplished and inspiring World Champions back in the draw, with Kelly Slater and Carissa Moore in Tahiti, and Kelly as one of our wildcards for Fiji. We’ll continue to announce our CT event wildcards closer to each competition, but we’re excited to share these new updates before we kick off the back half of the CT in a few weeks.”
As anticipation builds up for the part of CT, excitement is high among surf enthusiasts as they eagerly await these events filled with drama leading up, to crowning new champions.
The top WSL betting sites have not brought out markets yet for the upcoming Tahiti Pro, set to run from May 22-31.
