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SAN DIEGO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Alyssa Spencer from Encinitas has qualified for one of the sport of surfing’s top competitions.
Spencer secured a World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour qualification at the 40th annual Newcastle SURFEST Challenger Series event on Saturday, March 14.
During the Round of 16, Spencer won a crucial heat against San Clemente’s Kirra Pinkerton. The victory secured Spencer’s spot in the Championship Tour and eliminated Pinkerton from the running.
“I didn’t even know that was the heat. I thought I had to make more heats,” Spencer said. “So in my mind, I was like, ‘Ok, this is step one, but we still have more to go.’ I can’t believe that it happened right then, I feel like I’ve had a lot of personal growth to go through and digging really deep to find this result.”
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Spencer was eliminated at the mid-season cut of her rookie season in 2024 but will now have another opportunity to compete against the world’s elite.
The 2026 Championship Tour season will kick off at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach in April.
Mateus Herdy (BRA) and Nadia Erostarbe (ESP) also earned Championship Tour qualifications on Saturday, which left just one remaining spot for men and one for women to be fought over in the remaining rounds.
The WSL Tours and Competition team confirmed the official competitor lists for the 2026 Championship Tour season on Monday.
Championship Tour competitors are determined by the top-ranking surfers on the 2025 Championship Tour and 2025/2026 Challenger Series, as well as the season and event wildcards selected by the WSL Tours and Competition team.
This is the 50th Year of the World Tour, showcasing an updated format, a combined men’s and women’s 12-stop global tour and an expanded women’s field.
WSL Championship Tour and Challenger Series competitions are available live on WorldSurfLeague.com and the free WSL app. Visit WSL’s website for more information.
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Women’s 2026 Championship Tourqualifiers:
Top 14 qualifiers from the 2025 Championship Tour rankings
- Molly Picklum (AUS)
- Caroline Marks (USA)
- Gabriela Bryan (HAW)
- Caitlin Simmers (USA)
- Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW)
- Isabella Nichols (AUS)
- Tyler Wright (AUS)
- Erin Brooks (CAN)
- Lakey Peterson (USA)
- Luana Silva (BRA)
- Sawyer Lindblad (USA)
- Vahine Fierro (FRA)
- Bella Kenworthy (USA)
- Brisa Hennessy (CRC)
Top seven qualifiers from the 2025/2026 Challenger Series rankings
- Tya Zebrowski (FRA)
- Yolanda Hopkins (POR)
- Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
- Alyssa Spencer (USA)
- Francisca Veselko (POR)
- Nadia Erostarbe (ESP)
- Anat Lelior (ISR)
WSL season wildcards
- Carissa Moore (HAW)
- Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
WSL replacement
- Annette Gonzalez Etxabarri (EUK)
Men’s 2026 Championship Tour qualifiers:
Top 22 qualifiers from the 2025 Championship Tour rankings
- Yago Dora (BRA)
- Griffin Colapinto (USA)
- Jordy Smith (RSA)
- Italo Ferreira (BRA)
- Jack Robinson (AUS)
- Ethan Ewing (AUS)
- Kanoa Igarashi (JPN)
- Filipe Toledo (BRA)
- Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
- Cole Houshmand (USA)
- Barron Mamiya (HAW)
- Connor O’Leary (JPN)
- Miguel Pupo (BRA)
- Jake Marshall (USA)
- Crosby Colapinto (USA)
- Marco Mignot (FRA)
- Joao Chianca (BRA)
- Joel Vaughan (AUS)
- Alan Cleland (MEX)
- Rio Waida (INA)
- Seth Moniz (HAW)
- Alejo Muniz (BRA)
Top 10 qualifiers from the 2025/2026 Challenger Series rankings
- Kauli Vaast (FRA)
- Eli Hanneman (HAW)
- Morgan Cibilic (AUS)
- George Pittar (AUS)
- Samuel Pupo (BRA)
- Callum Robson (AUS)j
- Luke Thompson (RSA)
- Oscar Berry (AUS)
- Mateus Herdy (BRA)
- Liam O’Brien (AUS)
WSL season wildcards
- Gabriel Medina (BRA)
- Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR)
WSL replacement
- Matthew McGillivray (RSA)
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