Lower Trestles has been the choice four-years straight as the salt-water stage for the surfing world championships.
But that’s going to change next year, with the World Surf League on Monday, June 17, announcing the one-day Lexus WSL Finals championship showdown will be held in Fiji, at the Cloudbreak surf spot off the island of Tavarua. September will be the last time the event is scheduled to be held at Lower Trestles.
Having the finals day at the San Onofre State Beach surf break – which sits between Orange County and San Diego – has given Southern California fans an up-close opportunity to see the world’s top surfers battle it out, with thousands of people flocking down to the beach for the competition.
It also brought a big buzz to San Clemente, with the world’s top surfers showing up at events held at local restaurants and bars, holding movie premieres and autograph signings.
The city teamed with the World Surf League to hold press conference each year on San Clemente’s wooden pier, where a “Walk of Champions” showed the names of past world title holders dating back to the mid-1970s. The city last year teamed with the Downtown Business Association for an autograph signing and kick-off event at the community center.
“It’s disappointing to not have the opportunity to host the finals (next year), especially with so many local surfers on the tour – and potentially in the running – to make the top five,” said San Clemente Councilmember Chris Duncan. “However, this was expected, we knew going in this was the last year of the agreement and that there were other locations that might be in the running. We will take this as a challenge and make this the best Final 5 ever.”
How surf champions are crowned has changed in recent years – for decades the world title was decided through an accumulation of points added up through the year and often leading to an anticlimactic end to the season.
But in 2021, that changed when the league decided to shift the championships to a one-day, winner-takes-all event that pits the top-five men and top-five women, based on rankings through the year, against each other.
Some surf fans grumbled about the one-day format, and about having the finals day at Lower Trestles rather than a heavier surf break that would put the athlete’s big-wave skills to the test.
Longtime surf photographer Sean Rowland said he could see both sides. Lower Trestles is an even playing field for the surfers, he said, but then he knows some people argued it’s not a “wave of consequence.”
“I think if you can win a world title, however it stacks up, you deserve it,” he said. “But people will say it’s a better spot because it will test those people who aren’t good in bigger water.”
Rowland, who owns Nomads Hotel in San Clemente, also said there’s probably not going to be a lot of surf fans who will be able to watch the showdown in person now, due to the expense to travel to and stay in Fiji.
“The lack of fan participation is going to be a super bummer,” he said.
While having the WSL Finals near San Clemente helped bring some tourism, the one-day event wasn’t as good for business as a regular stop on tour, when the waiting period spans over 10 days with several days of surf competition, he noted.
“It is way better for the town economy for it to be a tour stop, it’s going to bring the people from out of town. People aren’t coming in for one day. If they come for a week or five days, they will at least see one or two days of competition,” he said, noting the WSL Finals operators decide last minute – within the competition window – which day to go, so there is little notice. “Just the economy in general, you will see a lot more surf fan travelers if it is a regular tour stop.”
Duncan said talks are already underway for the WSL to bring Lower Trestles back as a regular stop on tour, as it was off and on for many years.
“We will look at it in a positive way,” he said. “We know we’re going to be hosting a competition.”
The dates for the 2025 WSL Finals, as well as the full CT schedule, will be announced later this season, according to the WSL announcement.
Cloudbreak is one of “the most perfect and iconic waves in the world, a fast, left-hand barrel that breaks over a shallow reef and can hold waves from 2- to 20-feet” tall, WSL officials said in a statement.
An emptry wave during the Outerknown Fiji Pro at Cloudbreak, Fiji, the surf spot named the location for the WSL Finals in 2025. (Photo courtesy of WSL/Ed Sloane)
The surf spot has made appearances on the World Tour through the years. The first World Tour event at Cloudbreak was in 1999, where Mark Occhilupo won and went on to win the World Title in the same year.
The World Tour surfers are gearing up now for the eighth stop on tour, the VIVO Rio Pro, which has a competition window from June 22 to 30.
The 2024 Lexus WSL Finals at Lower Trestles will be held on one day between Sept. 6 and 14.
For more information, visit worldsurfleague.com.
Related Articles
Southern California rescue centers concerned by illness, deaths among sea lions as facilities fill
Swimmer seriously injured in shark attack on San Diego County coast
Manhattan Beach Pier reopens after bees removed
Rare Palos Verdes Blue Butterfly released in San Pedro as Navy rear admiral takes part
Chilly ‘unofficial’ start of summer could mean beach bummer