The forecast is superb this coming week starting Tuesday with a new 16 sec NW hitting Haleiwa in the 4-6’+ range with a decline Wednesday but plenty enough for possible comp. Then a Bigger longer period 18 sec NW fills in Thursday Dec 1st and could allow Haleiwa to reach near 10′ second half of the day! With light Winds most the work week. We’re seeing some Classic potential. SNN

HALEIWA, Oahu/Hawaii (Saturday, November 26, 2022) – The Haleiwa Challenger presented by The Hawaiian Islands, the final stop of the World Surf League (WSL) 2023 Challenger Series (CS), has been called OFF for the first two days of the event window. Impending swell has event organizers eyeing down a start in ideal, Haleiwa conditions with unfavorable swell direction today, November 26, and tomorrow, November 27.

“Day one of the waiting period we have a decreasing northeast swell and it’s the wrong direction for Haleiwa,” said Hawaii/Tahiti Nui Event Director Marty Thomas. “We’ll be off today and tomorrow, November 27. The forecast is looking really good for next week with two, solid west, northwest swells ideal for this iconic lineup. Thank you to everyone who’s helped make this possible and to the local community for their support.”

When competition ensues, the men’s event begins with 4x Jaws, Big Wave victor Billy Kemper (HAW), facing one of North America’s top-tier talents, Michael Dunphy (USA), alongside Mexico’s rising threat Alan Cleland, and Santa Cruz, California’s, John Mel in Round of 80, Heat 1.

The women’s event starts with newcomer, recent Sunset Pro presented by HIC QS 1,000 finalist and Oahu’s own, Eweleiula Wong (HAW), Kauai’s former WSL World Junior Champion Keala Tomoda-Bannert, one of Portugal’s emerging talents Mafalda Lopes, and Japanese contender Rina Matsunaga in Round of 48, Heat 1.

Event organizers will reconvene at 7:30 a.m. HST, November 28, to determine a possible 8:05 a.m. HST start for competition.

The Haleiwa Challenger presented by The Hawaiian Islands is proudly sponsored by At Home in the Hawaii Islands, Hawaiian Tourism, Shisiedo, Havaianas, Specturm, 805, Alaska Air, Turtle Bay, Fu Wax, and Hydro Flask.

About the WSL
The World Surf League (WSL) is the global home of competitive surfing, crowning the undisputed World Champions since 1976 and showcasing the world’s best surfers on the world’s best waves. WSL is comprised of the Tours and Competition division, which oversees and operates more than 180 global competitions each year; WSL WaveCo, home of the world’s largest high-performance, human-made wave; and WSL Studios, an independent producer of unscripted and scripted projects.