The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MTCA), on behalf of the Government of Fiji, is pleased to announce that Fiji will return to the elite World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) schedule in August 2024.

Following Cabinet decision, Fiji will be part of the WSL CT for three years. The 2024 Fiji Pro will see the top 24 men and 12 women return to Cloudbreak, for the first time since 2017. The Fiji event will be the last stop on the schedule and be the last event to help decide the WSL Final 5 ahead of the one-day WSL Finals to decide the 2024 World Champions.

Today’s announcement is monumental in the surfing world as Fiji is regarded as one of the most perfect and exciting waves and has been home to some of the most memorable moments at the Championship Tour level.

Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, Hon. Viliame Gavoka, added that Fiji and its tourism industry was excited to see the Fiji Pro return.

“Fiji has always been a special place for a lot of reasons. For some, it’s our hospitality; for others, it’s our natural environment or culture. In this case, it’s our renowned oceans and surf. This event not only highlights Fiji as a premier surfing destination but also opens up opportunities for surfers to relish arguably the best surf breaks in the world. So, we look forward to Fiji Pro returning for the next three years,” said Hon. Gavoka.

Jessi Miley-Dyer, WSL Chief of Sport says that 2024 is set to be a big year for surfing, and the WSL schedule is designed to support that.

“I’m stoked that we’re bringing Fiji back. It’s such an iconic wave, and it’s the perfect place to test our surfers as they battle to secure their place in the WSL Final 5,” said Miley-Dyer.

“This is an outstanding result for the WSL Championship Tour, and we are absolutely thrilled and sincerely thankful to partner with the Fiji Government to bring the event back for 2024,” said WSL Asia Pacific President, Andrew Stark. “The Fiji event has always been a favourite for surfers and fans alike, and we look forward to watching the world’s best take on the infamous Cloudbreak next August. We are also truly excited to work with the Fijian people and local communities to create a lasting impact in Fiji”.

Over these years, 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) has won the event a record four times. Known as the greatest surfer of all time shared his excitement.

“I’m so excited to hear this great news that we have the contest back at Cloudbreak,” Slater said. “All the surfers on tour who surfed in Fiji have been missing it, and everybody who never got a chance to surf it is so excited to now have the chance. The whole surfing world has been missing it, so I want to say a massive ‘vinaka vakalevu’ (thank you very much) for having us back; I can’t wait.”

The CT was last in Fiji between 1999 and 2008 when it first ran. It then returned in 2012 and ran through 2017. In 2024, Fiji joins the CT schedule alongside countries such as the United States, Portugal, Australia, French Polynesia, El Salvador and Brazil.