The 2019 World Surf League Championship Tour will host the biggest year in surfing yet
2019 WSL Championship Tour - New stakes; tour format updates, equal prize money for men and women and Olympic qualification
Tuesday 7 May 2019 15:45, UK
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The World Surf League comes to Sky Sports Mix
Watch the WSL Championship Tour unfold as the leading surfers tackle some of the sport's biggest waves around the globe.
With format updates, equal prize money that crowns the undisputed women's and men's world champions at the conclusion of each season, and qualification for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo (10 men and 8 women), this promises to be very special.
What's the judging criteria?
• Commitment and degree of difficulty
• Innovative and progressive manoeuvres
• Combination of major manoeuvres
• Variety of manoeuvres
• Speed, power and flow
Image:Brazil's Gabriel Medina is the defending men's champion
WSL is now one of the avenues to qualify for the Tokyo Games with 18 of the coveted 40 places being determined by results from this year's Championship.
You can enjoy highlights of the WSL season on Sky Sports Mix through to its conclusion in February next year.
A panel of five judges score each wave on a scale of 1-10.
For every scoring ride, the highest and lowest scores (of the five judges) are discounted and the surfer receives the average of the remaining three scores.
There is no limit on the number of waves that will be scored, but the two best scoring waves (each out of a possible 10) are added together to become a surfer's heat total (out of a possible 20).
Watch the second Tour event at Pro Bells Beach in Victoria, Australia on Monday, May 13 at 6pm and 9pm on Sky Sports Mix.
2019 Tour events (Transmission times subject to change)
