After months of waiting, the 2025 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour is set to kick off next Monday on Oahu’s North Shore. The season opener, the Lexus Pipe Pro, will take place at the legendary Banzai Pipeline, marking the first of 12 events on the WSL calendar.
This year, nine surfers from Hawaii will compete on the elite tour, with seven of them representing the Hawaiian flag on their jerseys. Among them is Kauai’s Gabriela Bryan, a 22-year-old from Kilauea who has been steadily climbing the ranks since making her debut as a teenager. Coming off her first career event title and a No. 7 world ranking, Bryan enters her fourth season with her sights set on reaching new heights.
“I think for me personally, I’m just trying to get better every year,” Bryan said. “It’s crazy to think that I’m starting my fourth year. I feel like it goes by so fast. But yeah, I mean, like you said, I’ve been kind of doing a little bit better each year, so if I can continue to do that—who knows where I’ll be?”
Fresh off her first tour win, Bryan believes she has what it takes to compete at the highest level.
“Coming off my first win last year, I know I proved to myself that I can do it,” she said. “I just really want to do my best surfing this year and put on a show.”
As one of the younger surfers when she first joined the tour, Bryan now finds herself surrounded by an even younger generation of talent.
“Oh yeah, for sure. The next generation is insane, and honestly, they push us all, which is super inspiring,” said Bryan. “I just want to stay on as long as I can and do my best surfing. I know my surfing belongs on tour, so it’s about giving myself the best opportunity to show the world that.”
Among the nine Hawaii surfers on this year’s Championship Tour is reigning two-time world champion John John Florence from Haleiwa, who looks to defend his title. The men’s division also features rising stars Barron Mamiya, Imaikalani deVault, Seth Moniz, and Jackson Bunch.
On the women’s side, Bryan is joined by Haleiwa’s Bettylou Sakura Johnson. Two other surfers with Hawaii ties—Tatiana Weston-Webb (Brazil) and Brisa Hennessy (Costa Rica)—were born in Hawaii but compete under different national flags.
With a strong Hawaii presence and a fresh wave of rising stars, the 2025 WSL Championship Tour is shaping up to be an exciting season. The world will be watching as the best surfers take on Pipeline next week to set the tone for the year ahead.
Full List of Hawaii Surfers on the 2025 WSL Championship Tour:
Men’s Championship Tour
• John John Florence – Haleiwa, Oahu
• Barron Mamiya – Haleiwa, Oahu
• Imaikalani deVault – Maui
• Seth Moniz – Honolulu, Oahu
• Jackson Bunch – Paia, Maui
Women’s Championship Tour
• Tatiana Weston-Webb (Brazil) – Princeville, Kauai
• Brisa Hennessy (Costa Rica) – North Shore, Oahu
• Gabriela Bryan – Kilauea, Kauai
• Bettylou Sakura Johnson – Haleiwa, Oahu
2025 WSL Championship Tour Schedule
• Lexus Pipe Pro (Jan. 27–Feb. 8) – Banzai Pipeline, Oahu, Hawaii
• Surf Abu Dhabi Pro (Feb. 14–16) – Hudayriat Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE
• MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal (March 15–25) – Supertubos, Peniche, Portugal
• Surf City El Salvador Pro (April 2–12) – Punta Roca, La Libertad, El Salvador
• Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach (April 18–28) – Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia
• Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro (May 3–13) – Snapper Rocks, Queensland, Australia
• Western Australia Margaret River Pro (May 17–27) – Margaret River, Western Australia
• Trestles Pro (June 9–17) – Lower Trestles, California, USA
• VIVO Rio Pro (June 21–29) – Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• J-Bay Open (July 11–20) – Jeffreys Bay, Eastern Cape, South Africa
• Tahiti Pro (Aug. 7–16) – Teahupo’o, Tahiti
• WSL Finals (Aug. 27–Sept. 4) – Cloudbreak, Tavarua, Fiji