Joshua Moniz (HAW) © WSL / Masurel
- More at www.WorldSurfLeague.com
The European QS will continue at the upcoming Men’s QS5,000 and Women’s QS3,000 Azores Airlines Pro, from November 1-6, 2021 on Sao Miguel Island in the Azores archipelago.
Stop No. 2 of 6 on the 2021-22 World Surf League (WSL) European Qualifying Series (QS), the Azores Airlines Pro will bring back regional battles to qualify for next year’s Challenger Series and as such host the very best of European talents.
This stop has been a fan and surfers’ favorite ever since its inception over 10 years ago, shining light on the beautiful setup of the Azores and the incredible waves on offer throughout the region.
Following the unfortunate circumstances that led to the cancellation of the events in Anglet earlier this summer, surfers have a clean slate to get their qualifying season underway in Azores. In this transition year that has a shortened QS season, athletes will only have so many opportunities to fight for a seat at the Challenger table next year.
The Top 9 Men (+1 Wildcard) and Top 7 Women (+1 Wildcard) in Europe by April 10, 2021, will be automatically qualified for the 2022 Challenger Series, that for the first time, will feature 8 prestigious stops across the world.
Pressure will be running high as the Challenger Series are the only way to fight for the dream of making the Championship Tour and surf against the world’s best in some of the world’s most exclusive lineups.
The race starts here on Sao Miguel Island next Monday, in what is expected to be great conditions at the famed Santa Barbara beach break on the north shore of the island. The black-sand beach has produced epic conditions in past editions and crowned some of the world’s surfers in the crystal blue waters. The last time the event ran, Portuguese superstar Frederico Morais won in classic, six foot barrels.
Morais will not be present to defend his title, but the very best surfers in the region will, making it an incredible lineup full of experienced competitors, rising stars and juniors. A total of 150 athletes will take part in the event this year.
Watch Competition LIVE!
Competition is set to get underway on the opening day of the waiting period on Monday, November 1, 2021 and you can watch the entire event unfold LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL app and WSL’s YouTube channel.
The Azores Airlines Pro will unfold from November 1-6, 2021 at PRAIA DE SANTA BARBARA, Sao Miguel – Azores Islands. For all results, photos, video highlights and press releases, log on to worldsurfleague.com.
The Azores Airlines Pro are organized by DAAZ Eventos with the support of the following event partners: Azores Airlines, Governo Regional dos Acores, Turismo dos Açores, Câmara Municipal da Ribeira Grande, MEO amongst others.
About the WSL
Established in 1976, the World Surf League (WSL) is the home of the world’s best surfing.
A global sports, media and entertainment company, the WSL oversees international tours and competitions, a studios division creating over 500+ hours of live and on-demand content, and via affiliate WaveCo, the home of the world’s largest high performance, human-made wave. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, the WSL has regional offices in North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and EMEA.
The WSL annually crowns the men’s and women’s surfing World Champions. The global Tours and Competition division oversees and operates more than 180 global contests each year across the Championship Tour, the development tiers, including the Challenger, Qualifying and Junior Series, as well as longboard and big wave properties.
Launched in 2019, WSL Studios is an independent producer of unscripted television projects, including documentaries and series, which provide unprecedented access to athletes, events, and locations around the world. WSL events and content are distributed on linear television in over 743M+ homes worldwide and across digital and social media platforms around the world, including WorldSurfLeague.com.
WaveCo includes the Surf Ranch Lemoore facility and the utilizing and licensing of the Kelly Slater Wave System.
The WSL is dedicated to changing the world through the inspirational power of surfing by creating authentic events, experiences, and storytelling to inspire a growing, global community to live with purpose, originality, and stoke.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.
