Fifty years of the Championship Tour. From its formative years in the late ‘70s, to Curren, Occy and the neon ‘80s, to Kelly and Lisa in the ‘90s, and all the way through the current world title race in 2026, professional surfing’s been on a wild ride the last half century. And to celebrate all the good times and high-stakes heats, SURFER and the World Surf League have teamed up to create a very special collector’s print issue. Available only through our online shop, get your copy as the 2026 world title race heats up.
Icons like Shaun Tomson, Kelly Slater, Lisa Andersen and Carissa Moore put pen to paper to share what this milestone means to them. At the same time, we dug deep into the archives to surface the images that helped define the generations. A huge thanks to Tom Servais for opening up his files, as well as Ed Sloane, who, despite being savaged by a sea creature in New Zealand, navigated the WSL’s photo vault.
The issue kicks off with a look back at how the Championship Tour found its footing in the early days of the late ‘70s. Living, surfing, and thriving during this time, Tomson and Patti Paniccia share their perspective on how it all came to be. Tomson breaks down the Bustin’ Down the Door era, while Paniccia reveals what it was like to be a woman fighting for recognition and a place in the lineup—complete with a story about a company that made edible underwear and wanted to sponsor the first women’s expression session on the North Shore.
By the time the Tour hit the mid ‘80s, the industry was booming, and the era of the surf star was born. Tom Curren, Mark Occhilupo, Martin Potter, and Damien Hardman open up about the rivalries, the performanes, and what it meant to be such an integral part of the scene as pro surfing was blasting off into the stratosphere.
Then came the real revolution. In the ‘90s Kelly Slater and Lisa Andersen ushered in a new era of high-performance surfing and high-impact brands. Famously inking his deal with Quiksilver on the cobblestones at Trestles, Kelly became the first million-dollar surfer, as well as stole every teenage girl’s heart in his role as Jimmy Slade on “Baywatch.” Meanwhile, Andersen almost single-handedly launched a modern women’s movement on tour. With her style, talent and charisma, she introduced Roxy to the world and made it cool for women to throw on a pair of boardies. As a young mom, she also stepped up as a rolemodel for aspiring female surfers everywhere.
And that gets us to the 21st Century. The Slater vs. Andy Irons rivalry, the rise of Carissa Moore and Stephanie Gilmore, Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson, John John Florence, and most recently Caity Simmers and Molly Picklum. It’s fair to say that the Tour is in a better place today than it’s ever been. From the talent in the water to the infrastructure that surrounds them, we’ve come a long way in the last 50 years. Best of all, the story is still being written.
Order your copy of the new WSL collector’s issue of SURFER here!