The 2020âÂÂ21 World Surf League was the 44th season of all iterations of the tour circuit for professional surfers. After the 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, limiting international travel between and within countries namely Australia, Indonesia, Portugal and South Africa. The championships took a break for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The board changed the tour to a wraparound season of 2020âÂÂ21, which allowed major changes to the tour schedule, with the Billabong Pipe Masters becoming the first round of the tour.
The season also saw some new events introduced due to COVID-19 outbreaks and restrictions on travel within countries, notably Australia, who required surfers to quarantine in Sydney for 14 days upon arrival. Narrabeen was chosen as a replacement for the Gold Coast, while Newcastle returned to the tour for the first time in 10 years to replace Bells Beach. The women's championship tour will compete in Teahupo'o, French Polynesia for the first time in 15 years, while Mexico was added to the championship for the first time to replace the round left vacant by Jeffrey's Bay, due to the COVID outbreak in South Africa.
For the first time, the season will end at Lower Trestles, in San Clemente, USA, with the top five seeded men and women from the season going head to head to determine the champion at the WSL Finals. This was put in place after the positive response to the men's championship event in 2019, as well as allowing surfers who had to isolate with COVID-19 an opportunity to still win the title.
Carissa Moore and ÃÂtalo Ferreira were the defending champions.
The championship series will consist of the following events, subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Points are awarded using the following structure:
Points are awarded using the following structure:
Legend Note: The top 12, non-CT men from the 2021 Challengers Series qualified for the 2022 Championship Tour.
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Legend Note: The top 6, non-CT women from the 2021 Challengers Series qualified for the 2022 Championship Tour.