Wright keen on major changes to surfing season

WORLD titles set to be decided on the final day of competition from 2021 onwards.

A SINGLE day of competition will decide the world champions next year as the World Surf League fast tracks changes to its competition structure during the coronavirus pandemic.

Former Lennox Head surfer, Tyler Wright, was set to compete full-time this year after missing most of 2018 and 2019 after complications from a viral infection.

Starting next year, the men's and women's world titles will be decided on the last day of the Championship Tour season.

The top-ranked surfers will battle for the title in a new surf-off format with a head-to-head final deciding the world champion.

Wright won her second world title in 2017, sealing it with a quarter-final win in the last event of the season.

The previous year, she had the title won well in advance at France in October.

"I feel like the new format raises the intensity of the entire World Title situation," Wright said.

"The difference is that you get to win in the water, which is huge.

"It comes down to nobody else, and that kind of intensity, that kind of competitive pressure, raises the bar. It's pretty exciting."

There has been no events this year with WSL announcing last Wednesday the suspension will be in place until at least the end of June.

The Australian leg of the tour has already been cancelled with the earliest event possible now the J-Bay Open in South Africa scheduled for July 7.

"Where and when we will run this year is still very much an open question, but we will continue to work with governments, world health authorities and our local communities on returning to the line-up," WSL chief executive Erik Logan said.

"That said, we are extending the postponement of all WSL events through June.

"This means the scheduled Championship Tour stop in June - the Oi Rio Pro - is officially postponed in hope that travel conditions ease enough to run this year.

"Our 'Next Call' update for the 2020 Championship Tour season and all our events will be on June 1."