LOS ANGELES, Calif., USA (Monday, July 15, 2024) - Sierra Kerr (AUS) and Erin Brooks (CAN) have been awarded the wildcard spots into this year's Corona Fiji Pro Presented by Bonsoy, Stop 9 on the World Surf League (WSL) 2024 Championship Tour (CT). The prodigious talents will join 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) and the winner of the upcoming men's local trials, who will also compete as wildcards in the event when the CT returns to Cloudbreak from August 20 - 29, 2024.
Currently leading the 2024 Challenger Series rankings, 16-year-old Erin Brooks (CAN) is only a couple of solid results away from securing a full-time spot at the elite level. Having spent weeks training in Fiji earlier this year, along with her incredible performances in hollow left-handers all over Indonesia, Brooks will look to play spoiler at Cloudbreak as the Top 10 women are all vying for a spot in the WSL Final 5.
2024 WSL World Junior Champion Sierra Kerr (AUS) has spent the last few years chasing hollow, left-hand barrels from Indonesia to Tahiti and has shown the world she is setting the bar when it comes to backside tube-riding. The 17-year-old accepts the event Wildcard as the reigning WSL World Junior Champion and is fresh off some incredible performances at the regional level, most notably her 10-point ride at the recent Nias Pro.
Announced earlier this year, 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) accepted the event wildcard for Fiji, a location where he has claimed four CT victories (2005, 2008, 2011, 2012) and even posted a perfect heat total, one of only ten in CT history. Always a standout at one of his favorite locations on the planet, Slater will be looking for a fairytale in what could be one of his last competitive appearances at the elite level.
The second men's Wildcard spot will go to the winner of the Fiji Trials, which will be held on the best day at Cloudbreak between July 1 and 31.
WSL Rising Rides To Host Expanded Activation and Workshops in Fiji
WSL Rising Tides, in partnership with the Fiji Surfing Association, will host an expanded activation in Fiji during the competition window. Through this unique set of workshops, WSL Rising Tides aims to provide new development opportunities and insights to the next generation of young women and girls in the region. Chelsea Hedges, World Champion and esteemed Surf Coach, will lead the three-day program, which will include surf coaching, water safety, and of course, a special surf session with women on the CT.
"We can't wait to bring WSL Rising Tides to Fiji for the first time next month," said Jessi Miley-Dyer, WSL Commissioner. "When working with the Fiji Surfing Association, we were excited by the opportunity to host an expanded program for this event that includes a few more workshops and sessions to help develop the next generation of female athletes in Fiji. When thinking about who would make the most sense to lead this charge, I immediately thought of Chelsea Hedges. When we were on Tour together, she was the clear standout. We're planning to bring a full-day experience of workshops, surf coaching, confidence in the water training with our safety teams, as well as the key component of surfing with our Championship Tour athletes."
Next Stop: Corona Fiji Pro Presented by Bonsoy
The next stop on the 2024 Championship Tour will be the Corona Fiji Pro Presented by Bonsoy. The Corona Fiji Pro is the last regular-season event and will determine the Final 5 men and Final 5 women who will compete in the Lexus WSL Finals, the one-day, winner-take-all competition to win the 2024 World Championships. The competition will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and the free WSL app. Check out more ways to watch from the WSL's broadcast partners. For fans watching in Brazil, coverage of the competition's Quarterfinals and beyond will continue co-exclusively on WorldSurfLeague.com, SporTV and Globoplay. For fans watching in the United States, coverage of the competition's Quarterfinals and beyond will continue co-exclusively on WorldSurfLeague.com and ESPN+.
The 2024 Corona Fiji Pro Presented by Bonsoy is proudly supported by Corona, Bonsoy, Tourism Fiji, Red Bull, SHISEIDO, YETI, Surfline, True Surf, Eventbrite, Apple Watch, Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay, Tavarua Island Resort, Fiji Airways, Jack's of Fiji, Oakberry, and mophie. For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.