Hello Everyone,

I hope this finds you well.

Today, I’m pleased to announce that we are ending our suspension of the Billabong Pipe Masters presented by Hydro Flask and we’ll look to run competition over the coming days with a promising forecast.

A mammoth amount of work has gone into getting professional surfing back, part of which included comprehensive Covid-19 protocols to ensure the safety of the local community, surfers and staff.

Last week, the WSL’s Covid-19 protocols identified and isolated a positive case and contact tracing group — of which I was a part — and contained the further spread of the virus. I can attest that it is highly communicable.

I have, of course, been in isolation since the contact trace, two full days before my own diagnosis. I continue to experience mild symptoms, and am grateful for the medical community on Oahu.

One of the reasons I wanted to share my positive test is to demonstrate my — and the WSL’s — utmost respect for our local community, for all the individuals who make the North Shore, and Hawaii, so special. The trust between our organization and this community is paramount.

The North Shore has generously hosted Championship Tour events since our inception in 1976. This place is universally regarded as the proving ground for the world’s best surfers and we are honored and humbled to be a part of amplifying and celebrating this legacy. It’s why we’re so proud to be a part of this special place and be able to operate here year round.

With the resumption of competition, we want to continue to reinforce and highlight the broadcast-only nature of the Billabong Pipe Masters presented by Hydro Flask, which is streamed live on the Spectrum Surf Channel and also on worldsurfleague.com — the best seat in the house and the safest place to see the world’s best surfing.

I’d like to thank the State of Hawaii, Mayor Caldwell’s office, the Department of Health officials, the Film Commissions and, most of all, the local community for continuing to support the world’s best surfing happening here.

In addition, this same community has been instrumental in getting the remaining Maui Pro presented by ROXY heats approved to be completed at Pipeline — the first time a women’s CT competition will ever be held at the venue. We have been supportive of the recently-passed Bill 10, and look forward to being a part of bringing greater gender equity to surfing in Hawaii.

It’s been a long road to get back here.

We are looking forward to completing the opening events of this Championship Tour season here in Hawaii, the birthplace of surfing, in the coming days, and pledge to be deeply vigilant regarding public health in this extraordinary time.

We have incredible fields this year for the men’s and women’s Championship Tours and we cannot wait to witness what they will accomplish this season. Please join me in continuing to put public health and safety first by watching safely at home.

Thank you again and good luck to all our competitors. It’s back on.

-Erik Logan, WSL CEO

Billabong Pipe Masters Pres. by Hydro Flask, Maui Pro Pres. by ROXY Will Resume at Banzai Pipeline Elimination Round begins with Heat 2 at 8:02 a.m. HST 5-8′ waves (double-triple overhead) roll in for the third full day of competition Maui Pro Pres. by ROXY will continue at Banzai Pipeline The Billabong Pipe Masters pres. by Hydro Flask is ON, and will start at 8:02 a.m. HST. Credit: © WSL BANZAI PIPELINE, Oahu/Hawaii/USA (Thursday, December 17, 2020) –  The World Surf League (WSL) is ending the suspension of the Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons presented by Hydro Flask, the first stop on the 2021 Men’s Championship Tour (CT). In addition, the remaining heats in the Maui Pro presented by ROXY will be hosted at the legendary Banzai Pipeline on Oahu’s North Shore within the Pipe waiting period, which continues through Sunday, Dec. 20. “This marks the first time a women’s CT competition will ever be held at the venue,” said Erik Logan, WSL CEO, “We look forward to being a part of bringing greater gender equity to surfing in Hawaii.” For the third full day of competition at the Pipeline, a new northwest swell continues to build. The swell will peak in the afternoon and bring clean 8’-10’ (2.4 – 10 meters) faces, with occasional 12’ (3.6 meters) faces throughout the day. There will be Pipe and Backdoor offerings for the competitors, but waves will likely favor Pipe. “It’s going to be a full day of competition for the men today,” said Marty Thomas, WSL Competition Director. “We are going to do the Elimination Round, the Round of 32, and possibly a couple heats in the Round of 16. It’s going to be a great day of action here at Pipeline.” The men competing in the Billabong Pipe Masters will enter the water first for the Elimination Round, starting with Heat 2. Miguel Tudela (PER), who was originally slated to compete in Heat 1 against Julian Wilson (AUS) and Ethan Ewing (AUS), withdrew from the competition after suffering four fractured ribs while surfing over the weekend. Wilson and Ewing automatically advance to the Round of 32. Maui Pro Presented by ROXY After a fatal shark incident on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at Honolua Bay involving a recreational surfer, the WSL decided, together with the athletes, to move the remaining four heats of the Maui Pro to the Banzai Pipeline within the existing Pipe Masters waiting period. When called on, the competition will resume with the remaining quarterfinal matchup, followed by the semifinals and final. Maui Pro pres. by ROXY Remaining Quarterfinal Matchup: Heat 4: Sage Erickson (USA) vs. Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) Maui Pro pres. by ROXY Semifinal Matchups: Heat 1: Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) Heat  2: Carissa Moore (HAW) vs. TBD About the WSL  Established in 1976, the World Surf League (WSL) is the home of the world’s best surfing.A global sports, media and entertainment company, the WSL oversees international tours and competitions, a studios division creating over 500+ hours of live and on-demand content, and via affiliate WaveCo, the home of the world’s largest high performance, human-made wave. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, the WSL has regional offices in North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and EMEA.The WSL annually crowns the men’s and women’s surfing World Champions. The global Tours and Competition division oversees and operates more than 180 global contests each year across the Championship Tour, the development tiers, including the Challenger, Qualifying and Junior Series, as well as longboard and big wave properties.Launched in 2019, WSL Studios is an independent producer of unscripted television projects, including documentaries and series, which provide unprecedented access to athletes, events, and locations around the world. WSL events and content are distributed on linear television in over 743M+ homes worldwide and across digital and social media platforms around the world, including WorldSurfLeague.com.WaveCo includes the Surf Ranch Lemoore facility and the utilizing and licensing of the Kelly Slater Wave System.The WSL is dedicated to changing the world through the inspirational power of surfing by creating authentic events, experiences, and storytelling to inspire a growing, global community to live with purpose, originality, and stoke.