You’ll Be Seeing A Lot More Of These Talented Ladies In 2020

While Billy Kemper was busy making small wave tour surfers look like kittens at Haleiwa, the women’s QS was wrapping its last major event of the season in Port Stephens, NSW.

While there remains one event on the women’s qualifying schedule this year, its stature as a QS 1,500 makes it irrelevant to the qualification race. In other words, winning the Chile comp would not provide enough points to any women on the QS to push them into qualifying position.

So, the women’s QS is effectively over and our CT class of 2020 decided. Almost. 

Here’s what we know for sure: 

Australia’s Isabella Nichols (ranked #1) and Japan’s Amuro Tsuzuki (ranked #8) will be the only “true” rookies coming onto the 2020 Tour (assuming Brisa double qualifies, that is).

Tatiana Weston-Webb (ranked #4) will not be using her QS slot, as she will double-qualify through the CT, allowing the 7th-ranked surfer, Keely Andrew, to earn a spot on Tour in 2020.

After missing the 2019 season, CT veteran Sage Erickson will rejoin her ilk in 2020 following a US Open win this August. 

Keely Andrew, Bronte McCaulay, and Macy Callaghan—who have competed all year on the CT—will use the QS to requalify in 2020. It is common for more than half of female QS qualifiers to already be on the CT. 

Brisa Hennessy, who currently sits just inside on the CT cut-line, will forfeit her QS qualification slot to the 8th-ranked surfer, Japan’s Amuro Tsuzuki, if the Costa Rican manages to requalify through the CT with a steady performance at Honolua. 

Thoughts, questions, concerns? 

A former draft of this article indicated that Amuro Tsuzuki would definitely be on Tour next year and that USA’s Alyssa Spencer had a chance of qualifying. Thanks to commenter mal for pointing out this mistake.