The 2022 Rip Curl WSL Finals Explained: How It Works
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08/02/2022

The 2022 Rip Curl WSL Finals Explained: How It Works

Gabriel Medina celebrating his win in CaliforniaGabriel Medina celebrating his win in California
The Rip Curl WSL Finals is the ultimate day in competitive surfing. With the world title decided in a one-day, winner-take-all event, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

After chasing waves and points all year long on the 2022 Championship Tour, it comes down to this, the top five men and women in the world battling it out for surfing’s ultimate prize: the world title. 

Coming to Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California, this September, before the swell hits and the pressure goes through the roof, here’s how the 2022 Rip Curl WSL Finals works:

The Basics


The Rip Curl WSL Finals will feature the WSL Final 5 which is comprised of the top five men and women on the WSL's Championship Tour leaderboard at the end of the 2022 regular season.

The WSL Final 5 is decided based on points accrued during the regular CT season. 

The venue for the Rip Curl WSL Finals is Lower Trestles, San Clemente, California. The famed cobblestone point that is considered one of the most high-performance waves in the world. A world-class A-frame peak with perfect lefts and rights, it’s the ideal venue for both goofy and regular-footers.

The Rip Curl WSL Finals waiting period will run from September 8 to 16, 2022. There will be a nine-day waiting period during Lowers’ peak season to maximize potential for epic surf.
Gabriel Medina doing an air in CaliforniaGabriel Medina doing an air in California

The Format


At the end of the regular season, the number one rated male and female surfer will both receive a bid directly into the Rip Curl WSL Finals’ Title Match, a best-of-three showdown to determine the World Champion.

The remaining surfers will enter the Rip Curl WSL Finals bracket based on their year-end rankings.

Match 1: The number five ranked surfer will compete against the fourth ranked surfer in the first Match of the day in a head-to-head heat

Match 2: The winner of Match 1 will then face-off against the number three ranked surfer in a head-to-head heat.

Match 3: The winner of Match 2 will then face-off against the number two ranked surfer in a head-to-head heat.

Title Match: The winner of Match 3 will move on to the best-of-three Title Match, where they will face the World Number 1. The first surfer to win two out of three heats will be the undisputed 2022 World Champion.