The Challenger Series has been announced and the big news is that it has lost a stage, meaning that those who qualify for the 2026 CT will be decided with five championships, the WSL reported in a statement today.

With the Gold Coast stage moving to the CT and no replacement apparently being found, the CS will look like this in 2025:

Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia: June 2 - 8
Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: June 30 – July 6
Huntington Beach, California, USA: July 29 – August 3
Ericeira, Portugal: September 29 – October 5
Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: October 11 - 19

The calendar repeats all the stages; the only difference is that the Gold Coast is missing. It is presumed that four of the five will be added for the final ranking.

“As we head into the 2025 Challenger Series season, the WSL is excited about the new changes, including the increase in women qualifying for the CT. We can’t wait to kick off the season at the iconic Surfest Newcastle and see who will earn their spot in 2026.”

Next year, the CS will have 10 men and seven women, two more than this year, given that the number of female members of the CT has increased from 18 to 24.