Challenger Series 2025 So Far: Saffas Rising

Three events down, plenty to play for. The 2025 WSL Challenger Series has already served up Newcastle, Ballito, and Huntington Beach, three contests that tested competitors with a mix of moments of brilliance and long spells of tricky, wind-riddled or inconsistent conditions. No perfect dream runs yet, but enough challenge to separate the sharp from the shaky.

And right now, the South Africans are looking anything but shaky.

Saffas in the Spotlight

The standout headline is Luke Thompson. The young Durbanite turned heads by winning the Ballito Pro on home soil, stamping his authority with powerful, confident surfing. That victory launched him straight into the CS top-10, and he currently sits in third place overall. It’s a breakout season for Luke, and with his momentum, he’s quickly shaping up as one of the series’ most dangerous surfers.

Alongside him, Matthew McGillivray, the ever-consistent Jeffreys Bay local, has been quietly stacking results. Sitting inside the top-10 as well (currently eighth), McGillivray is proving that he’s not just steady; he’s hungry for another crack at the CT. With Jordy Smith still flying the SA flag at the elite level, Thompson and McGillivray are now perfectly positioned to potentially join him.

The question: could 2026 be the year we see three South Africans on the Championship Tour?

Saffa Women’s Standings

On the women’s side it’s been a slower start, with Sarah Baum, South Africa’s biggest qualification candidate, currently sitting down in 36th place on the Challenger rankings. Given her experience and power, you’d expect her to be pushing towards the sharp end of the leaderboard any moment now. Jessie van Niekerk, Louise Lepront and Natasha van Greunen have shown flashes. With only the top five results counting and just five CT slots up for grabs, there’s still time for a surge, and a strong run through Portugal and beyond could flip the script fast.

Why Portugal Matters

The next stop is Ericeira, Portugal, a right-hand point/reef break that offers more powerful, technical conditions than the beach breaks we’ve seen so far. For South Africans, who grow up on a steady diet of J-Bay lines and other right-hand points, this is a golden opportunity.

Ericeira rewards rail surfing, flow, and composure in heavier sections, exactly the type of surfing Saffas know well. A strong result there could consolidate Thompson’s ranking, push McGillivray into the qualification “comfort zone,” and maybe even open the door for the likes of Adin Masencamp, Tommy Lindhorst and the Slijpen Brothers to make a statement.

The Qualification Equation

Here’s where it gets spicy: only the best five results count towards a surfer’s Challenger Series ranking. That means you can bomb an event (or two) and still be fine, as long as you’ve got a couple of big results on the board. On the flip side, it also means that consistency alone won’t cut it; you need at least one or two standout finishes to keep pace.

For the Saffas, that rule plays right into their hands:

• Luke Thompson already has a win in the bank. With a few more strong results, he’s practically CT-bound. Even if he has a shocker somewhere down the line, it won’t matter as long as his top five are solid.
• Matthew McGillivray has been steady but could do with another semi or a final to lock things in. His current placings are good enough to keep him in range, but he’ll want at least one “keeper” performance in Portugal or beyond.
• The chasing pack (Masencamp, Slijpen’s, etc.) will need something huge, a podium or final, to turn their campaigns into qualification threats. But with only five results counting, it’s not impossible. A late-season heater can rocket anyone up the ladder.

Verdict: Momentum Building

Three events in, the Saffa’s are looking strong. Luke Thompson is the revelation of the year so far, McGillivray is looking sharp, and there’s a sense that something special might be brewing.

Portugal is next, and it’s a stage tailor-made for the SA crew. If they deliver there, we could very well see two, maybe even three, new South Africans joining Jordy Smith on the 2026 Championship Tour.

For now, the Challenger Series rolls on, and the Saffa surge is alive and well.

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