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> News > The WSL Countdown Continues with the Euro Cup of Surfing in September

surfing News

The WSL Countdown Continues with the Euro Cup of Surfing in September

Jeremy Flores will be competing at home for the first time since his epic win at the Quiksilver Pro France. Image credit: / WSL / Masurel

Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Pro surfing is back! No more waiting, no more unridden waves, let there be surf. To bring world-class competitive surfing to fans during a time of restricted international travel, the WSL is hosting a string of unique, pre-season exhibition events featuring Championship Tour surfers in the USA, Australia, Brazil, France, and Portugal called The WSL Countdown.

The first event, the Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold Rumble at the Ranch, was completed on August 9 with the victory of Filipe Toledo (BRA) and Coco Ho (HAW) in a one-day, mixed tag-team format competition on the perfect waves of the Surf Ranch.

Now The WSL Countdown heads to the Old Continent for the Euro Cup of Surfing, two events, two countries, 24 surfers and potentially epic waves with a reduced competition format and multiple locations. Both events will be webcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and the WSL's social channels.

The Euro Cup of Surfing: Two Events, the Best of European and International Pro Surfing

Professional surfing tours have always stopped in Europe over the Summer and Fall seasons to take advantage of the pristine North Atlantic swells, endless-summer weather, and The WSL Countdown will be no different.

24 surfers, 12 men and 12 women, will battle it out in an exciting short format that will allow wrap the event in a day if needed and capitalize on the best conditions. The entire prize purse of both events will be donated to charity.

The full list of competitors is yet to be finalized but the caliber of surfing is guaranteed to be world-class as the following athletes have already confirmed their attendance at the Euro Cup of Surfing:

Men:

Kanoa Igarashi

Jérémy Flores

Michel Bourez

Leonardo Fioravanti

Frederico Morais

Joan Duru

Jorgann Couzinet

Vasco Ribeiro

Ramzi Boukhiam

Afonso Antunes

Women:

Johanne Defay

Pauline Ado

Vahine Fierro

Maud Le Car

Yolanda Hopkins

Tessa Thyssen

Cannelle Bulard

Teresa Bonvalot

Nadia Erostarbe

Anat Lelior

Rachel Presti

Justine Dupont

Mafalda Lopez

Watch: Introducing The 2020 WSL Euro Cup Of Surfing

The French Rendez-Vous of Surfing

Held in Anglet between September 23-25, the first of two European stops brings professional surfing back to this idyllic Basque surf town with a long history of competitive events. The Chambre d’Amour beach breaks are now known to most as the location of the Pro Anglet and have shown over the past five years the potential for epic surf and world-class action.

The event will be broadcast-only, meaning fans will not be allowed on-site due to COVID-19 related restrictions and instead a full video production will bring the audience right in to all the action with engaging content promoting the event of course, but also the location and its surfing history.

To observe a strict competitors and essential staff-only policy, members of the press will not be able to attend the French Rendez-Vous of Surfing, but the World Surf League will be able to distribute plenty of content throughout the day(s) of competition. Action and lifestyle stills and videos will be available on demand and one-on-one interviews with athletes can be arranged through the regional media manager over skype.

The French Rendez-Vous of Surfing is supported by the City Council of Anglet, the Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Jeep, Red Bull, Hydro Flask, L’Equipe, and Virgin Radio.

The MEO Portuguese Cup of Surfing

For Portugal, we’re going back to the glory days of the strike missions, with a mobile event that can land anywhere on the coast, pending conditions. Simply put, where the waves pump, we will run. The event window extends from September 28th to October 2nd and the swell will dictate the choice of location between world famous spots like Ericeira, Peniche, Nazaré or just any number of random spots that offer the best waves on the day.

Event partner EDP will contribute to offset the carbon footprint from the travel impact of all surfers and staff to the event. The event’s prize money purse will also be donated to charity.

The MEO Portugal Cup of Surfing is made possible with the support of Tourism of Portugal, Portuguese Waves, MEO, EDP and Jeep.

Both events will be broadcast live with popular hosts Paul Evans and Ben Mondy in the driver’s seat and local talent joining the show. Plenty of exclusive content will air to complement the production and give avid surf fans their first taste of pro surfing in the ocean in months.

All events and dates subject to change due to applicable COVID-19 related restrictions, including regional travel restrictions.

Hype Builds with Pro Anglet Web Series

Watch: Teaser: Behind the Scenes at the Pro Anglet

The Pro Anglet has been a staple event on the Qualifying Series for the past five years, and although 2020 will not see the QS run due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fans are in for a treat with the release of a brand new web series depicting the short but extremely rich history of the event.

Dive deep into the exciting stories that made the Pro Anglet a surfer’s favorite with Episode 1 airing today, featuring conversations with past winners and hot locals, and re-live some of the best moments from the past five editions. A new episode will be released each Wednesday until the series finale on September 25.

The series will live on WorldSurfLeague.com as well as all the WSL’s social media channels (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram).

About the WSL

The World Surf League (WSL), established in 1976, is the home of surfing. 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.

The WSL is a global organization, headquartered in Santa Monica and with regional offices in North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and EMEA. The WSL possesses a deep appreciation for the sport's rich heritage while promoting progression, innovation, and performance at the highest levels.

The WSL is comprised of Tours & Events, celebrating the world’s best surfers across all disciplines and annually running more than 180 global contests and crowning the undisputed World Champions across all divisions; WSL WaveCo, where innovation meets experience; and WSL Studios, which offers best in class storytelling across competition, lifestyle, and conservation.

To find out more about WSL, please head over here.