The World Surf League's 2022 schedule has positioned the Margaret River Pro as a mid-season decider, determining the finals fate of the world's top professional surfers.
The Margaret River Pro, to be held from April 24 to May 4, is one of only two Australian events on the prestigious 2022 Championship Tour schedule, announced today.
The tour consists of 10 events in seven countries with the first two events held in Hawaii, followed by stops in Portugal and Bells Beach in Victoria, Australia.
The Margaret River Pro will be the fifth and last stop on the first half of the tour, after which the field of 36 men will be reduced to 22, while the women's field will drop from 18 to 10, based on their performances in the first five tour events.
Only these top-performing surfers, together with two men's and two women's wildcard competitors, will advance to compete for the coveted World Titles in the final five events held in Indonesia, USA, Brazil, South Africa and Tahiti.
Adding to the importance of the WA event, the surfers that make the mid-season cut will also automatically qualify for the start of the 2023 World Championship Tour.
The Margaret River Pro has been held in Margaret River in various forms since 1985 and supported by the State Government since 1999.
For the full 2022 World Surf League Championship Tour calendar, visit http://www.WorldSurfLeague.com
As stated by Tourism Minister David Templeman:
"The Margaret River Pro is a significant contributor to the South West economy as well as a great showcase of the area's natural beauty and tourism assets.
"The 2022 World Surf League Championship Tour schedule has really raised the stakes for competitors in this already popular and exciting event.
"Their finals hopes and qualifying status will be on the line and their WA performance could be the one that keeps them in the hunt for surfing's ultimate prize.
"This will make it even more compelling for people watching the Pro online world-wide, where they'll also see images of our beautiful Margaret River region, an ideal destination for their future travel plans."
