Absent champions, fresh venues in focus as surfing's world tour begins
Jan 29 (Reuters) - Surfing's world tour is set to get underway in the sport's spiritual homeland of Hawaii this week, but without its reigning men's champion and some of the tour's other biggest names due to retirements and injuries.
Hawaii's John John Florence, who won his third world title last year, is taking the year off tour but will compete as a wildcard at the season-opener in his backyard at the infamous Pipeline.
"I want to create the time to explore, find new waves, and draw different lines," Florence said on Instagram last week. "I intend to compete full on for another world title in 2026, but right now this idea of adventure and creatively pushing my surfing as far as possible is really exciting!"
Florence's big rival, Brazil's three-time world champion Gabriel Medina, is also out for the early part of the season after a chest injury.
The retirement of 11-times champion Kelly Slater, the greatest professional surfer of all time, is another big loss, although he too will feature at Pipeline as a wildcard.
On the women's side, the retirement of Hawaii's Carissa Moore and the ongoing sabbatical of Australia's Stephanie Gilmore take to 30 the number of world titles won by surfers missing from the tour this year.
Still, the absences throw the race for the 2025 title wide open.
Australians Jack Robinson and Ethan Ewing are likely to be in the running against Brazilian Italo Ferreira and countryman Filipe Toledo, who is returning from a one-year mental health break.
Canada's 17-year-old rookie sensation Erin Brooks will be looking to challenge 19-year-old reigning champion Caitlin Simmers of California, Olympic gold medallist Caroline Marks and Australia's Molly Picklum, who together led a surge in women's surfing performances last year.
"I love watching these young girls coming up especially," said surfing pundit Tom Carroll, a two-time world champion from Australia.
"They're really fiery, they're creative...we've seen this big change of the guard."
Among a number of changes to the tour this year are the return of events on Australia's Gold Coast and South Africa's Jeffreys Bay, and the inclusion for the first time of an event at a wave pool in Abu Dhabi.
Most importantly, moving the one-day finals event to Fiji's powerful Cloudbreak reef from the gentler Lower Trestles break in California has been most welcomed by surfers and fans.
"Ending up at Cloudbreak for the final is a relief for me, to move it away from Trestles is a really good call," Carroll said.
"We want a final for the world tour in really challenging conditions...It puts the surfers on edge, they need to be at that edge to deliver their best, and when they shine, it's just spectacular."
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