The World Surf League (WSL) was formed in 2015, taking over from the ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals). Before that, the IPS (International Professional Surfers) ran the tour from 1977, and the ISF (International Surfing Federation) held world championships from 1964.
Every Surf World Champion Since 1964
🏆 Current World Champions (2025)
Men: 🇧🇷 Yago Dora (Brazil) — WSL Championship Tour 2025
Women: 🇦🇺 Molly Picklum (Australia) — WSL Championship Tour 2025
Men: 🇧🇷 Yago Dora (Brazil) — WSL Championship Tour 2025
Women: 🇦🇺 Molly Picklum (Australia) — WSL Championship Tour 2025
The Greatest of All Time
These are the surfers who didn't just win once — they redefined what was possible in competitive surfing.
Kelly Slater
🇺🇸 USA
11 World Titles
1992, 1994–1998, 2005–2006, 2008, 2010–2011
Stephanie Gilmore
🇦🇺 Australia
9 World Titles
2007–2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2025
Layne Beachley
🇦🇺 Australia
7 World Titles
1998–2003, 2006
Carissa Moore
🇺🇸 Hawaii / USA
6 World Titles
2011, 2013, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2024
Gabriel Medina
🇧🇷 Brazil
3 World Titles
2014, 2018, 2021
Mick Fanning
🇦🇺 Australia
3 World Titles
2007, 2009, 2013
John John Florence
🇺🇸 Hawaii / USA
3 World Titles
2016, 2017, 2024
Andy Irons
🇺🇸 Hawaii / USA
3 World Titles
2002, 2003, 2004
Complete Champions Table — Men & Women (1964–2025)
Search by name, year, or country. Click column headers to sort.
| Year | Men's Champion | Country | Women's Champion | Country | Tour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Bernard "Midget" Farrelly | 🇦🇺 AUS | Phyllis O'Donnell | 🇦🇺 AUS | ISF |
| 1965 | Felipe Pomar | 🇵🇪 PER | Joyce Hoffman | 🇺🇸 USA | ISF |
| 1966 | Nat Young | 🇦🇺 AUS | Joyce Hoffman | 🇺🇸 USA | ISF |
| 1967 | Nat Young | 🇦🇺 AUS | Margo Godfrey | 🇺🇸 USA | ISF |
| 1968 | Fred Hemmings | 🇺🇸 USA | Margo Godfrey | 🇺🇸 USA | ISF |
| 1970 | Rolf Aurness | 🇺🇸 USA | Sharon Weber | 🇺🇸 USA | ISF |
| 1972 | Jim Blears | 🇺🇸 USA | Sharon Weber | 🇺🇸 USA | ISF |
| 1974 | Ian Cairns | 🇦🇺 AUS | Lynn Boyer | 🇺🇸 USA | ISF |
| 1976 | Peter Townend | 🇦🇺 AUS | Margo Oberg | 🇺🇸 USA | ISF |
| 1977 | Shaun Tomson | 🇿🇦 RSA | Margo Oberg | 🇺🇸 USA | IPS |
| 1978 | Wayne Bartholomew | 🇦🇺 AUS | Lynn Boyer | 🇺🇸 USA | IPS |
| 1979 | Mark Richards | 🇦🇺 AUS | Lynn Boyer | 🇺🇸 USA | IPS |
| 1980 | Mark Richards | 🇦🇺 AUS | Margo Oberg | 🇺🇸 USA | IPS |
| 1981 | Mark Richards | 🇦🇺 AUS | Margo Oberg | 🇺🇸 USA | IPS |
| 1982 | Mark Richards | 🇦🇺 AUS | Debbie Beacham | 🇺🇸 USA | IPS |
| 1983 | Tom Carroll | 🇦🇺 AUS | Kim Mearig | 🇺🇸 USA | ASP |
| 1984 | Tom Carroll | 🇦🇺 AUS | Frieda Zamba | 🇺🇸 USA | ASP |
| 1985 | Tom Curren | 🇺🇸 USA | Frieda Zamba | 🇺🇸 USA | ASP |
| 1986 | Tommy Carroll | 🇦🇺 AUS | Frieda Zamba | 🇺🇸 USA | ASP |
| 1987 | Damien Hardman | 🇦🇺 AUS | Frieda Zamba | 🇺🇸 USA | ASP |
| 1988 | Barton Lynch | 🇦🇺 AUS | Wendy Botha | 🇿🇦 RSA | ASP |
| 1989 | Martin Potter | 🇬🇧 GBR | Wendy Botha | 🇿🇦 RSA | ASP |
| 1990 | Tom Curren | 🇺🇸 USA | Pam Burridge | 🇦🇺 AUS | ASP |
| 1991 | Damien Hardman | 🇦🇺 AUS | Wendy Botha | 🇿🇦 RSA | ASP |
| 1992 | Kelly Slater | 🇺🇸 USA | Wendy Botha | 🇿🇦 RSA | ASP |
| 1993 | Derek Ho | 🇺🇸 USA | Lisa Andersen | 🇺🇸 USA | ASP |
| 1994 | Kelly Slater | 🇺🇸 USA | Lisa Andersen | 🇺🇸 USA | ASP |
| 1995 | Kelly Slater | 🇺🇸 USA | Lisa Andersen | 🇺🇸 USA | ASP |
| 1996 | Kelly Slater | 🇺🇸 USA | Lisa Andersen | 🇺🇸 USA | ASP |
| 1997 | Kelly Slater | 🇺🇸 USA | Lisa Andersen | 🇺🇸 USA | ASP |
| 1998 | Kelly Slater | 🇺🇸 USA | Layne Beachley | 🇦🇺 AUS | ASP |
| 1999 | Mark Occhilupo | 🇦🇺 AUS | Layne Beachley | 🇦🇺 AUS | ASP |
| 2000 | Sunny Garcia | 🇺🇸 USA | Layne Beachley | 🇦🇺 AUS | ASP |
| 2001 | C.J. Hobgood | 🇺🇸 USA | Layne Beachley | 🇦🇺 AUS | ASP |
| 2002 | Andy Irons | 🇺🇸 USA | Layne Beachley | 🇦🇺 AUS | ASP |
| 2003 | Andy Irons | 🇺🇸 USA | Layne Beachley | 🇦🇺 AUS | ASP |
| 2004 | Andy Irons | 🇺🇸 USA | Sofia Mulanovich | 🇵🇪 PER | ASP |
| 2005 | Kelly Slater | 🇺🇸 USA | Chelsea Georgeson | 🇦🇺 AUS | ASP |
| 2006 | Kelly Slater | 🇺🇸 USA | Layne Beachley | 🇦🇺 AUS | ASP |
| 2007 | Mick Fanning | 🇦🇺 AUS | Stephanie Gilmore | 🇦🇺 AUS | ASP |
| 2008 | Kelly Slater | 🇺🇸 USA | Stephanie Gilmore | 🇦🇺 AUS | ASP |
| 2009 | Mick Fanning | 🇦🇺 AUS | Stephanie Gilmore | 🇦🇺 AUS | ASP |
| 2010 | Kelly Slater | 🇺🇸 USA | Stephanie Gilmore | 🇦🇺 AUS | ASP |
| 2011 | Kelly Slater | 🇺🇸 USA | Carissa Moore | 🇺🇸 USA | ASP |
| 2012 | Joel Parkinson | 🇦🇺 AUS | Stephanie Gilmore | 🇦🇺 AUS | ASP |
| 2013 | Mick Fanning | 🇦🇺 AUS | Carissa Moore | 🇺🇸 USA | ASP |
| 2014 | Gabriel Medina | 🇧🇷 BRA | Stephanie Gilmore | 🇦🇺 AUS | ASP |
| 2015 | Adriano de Souza | 🇧🇷 BRA | Carissa Moore | 🇺🇸 USA | WSL |
| 2016 | John John Florence | 🇺🇸 USA | Tyler Wright | 🇦🇺 AUS | WSL |
| 2017 | John John Florence | 🇺🇸 USA | Tyler Wright | 🇦🇺 AUS | WSL |
| 2018 | Gabriel Medina | 🇧🇷 BRA | Stephanie Gilmore | 🇦🇺 AUS | WSL |
| 2019 | Italo Ferreira | 🇧🇷 BRA | Carissa Moore | 🇺🇸 USA | WSL |
| 2021 | Gabriel Medina | 🇧🇷 BRA | Carissa Moore | 🇺🇸 USA | WSL |
| 2022 | Filipe Toledo | 🇧🇷 BRA | Stephanie Gilmore | 🇦🇺 AUS | WSL |
| 2023 | Filipe Toledo | 🇧🇷 BRA | Caroline Marks | 🇺🇸 USA | WSL |
| 2024 | John John Florence | 🇺🇸 USA | Carissa Moore | 🇺🇸 USA | WSL |
| 2025 | Yago Dora | 🇧🇷 BRA | Molly Picklum | 🇦🇺 AUS | WSL |
All-Time Titles Leaderboard
Men's All-Time Champions
| Titles | Surfer | Country | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Kelly Slater | 🇺🇸 USA | 1992, 1994–1998, 2005–2006, 2008, 2010–2011 |
| 4 | Mark Richards | 🇦🇺 AUS | 1979–1982 |
| 3 | Andy Irons | 🇺🇸 USA | 2002–2004 |
| 3 | Tom Carroll | 🇦🇺 AUS | 1983–1984, 1986 |
| 3 | Tom Curren | 🇺🇸 USA | 1985, 1987, 1990 |
| 3 | Mick Fanning | 🇦🇺 AUS | 2007, 2009, 2013 |
| 3 | Gabriel Medina | 🇧🇷 BRA | 2014, 2018, 2021 |
| 3 | John John Florence | 🇺🇸 USA | 2016, 2017, 2024 |
| 2 | Filipe Toledo | 🇧🇷 BRA | 2022, 2023 |
| 2 | Damien Hardman | 🇦🇺 AUS | 1987, 1991 |
| 2 | Nat Young | 🇦🇺 AUS | 1966, 1967 |
Women's All-Time Champions
| Titles | Surfer | Country | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Stephanie Gilmore | 🇦🇺 AUS | 2007–2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2025 |
| 7 | Layne Beachley | 🇦🇺 AUS | 1998–2003, 2006 |
| 6 | Carissa Moore | 🇺🇸 USA | 2011, 2013, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2024 |
| 5 | Lisa Andersen | 🇺🇸 USA | 1993–1997 |
| 4 | Frieda Zamba | 🇺🇸 USA | 1984–1987 |
| 4 | Wendy Botha | 🇿🇦 RSA | 1988–1989, 1991–1992 |
| 3 | Margo Oberg | 🇺🇸 USA | 1977, 1980–1981 |
| 3 | Lynn Boyer | 🇺🇸 USA | 1978–1979, 1982 |
| 2 | Joyce Hoffman | 🇺🇸 USA | 1965–1966 |
| 2 | Tyler Wright | 🇦🇺 AUS | 2016–2017 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Kelly Slater holds the record with 11 world titles (1992, 1994–1998, 2005–2006, 2008, 2010–2011), making him the most decorated surfer in WSL history. Among women, Stephanie Gilmore leads with 9 titles.
The 2025 WSL World Champions are Yago Dora (Brazil) for men and Molly Picklum (Australia) for women.
Yes — Kelly Slater won five consecutive titles from 1994 to 1998. Layne Beachley won six in a row from 1998 to 2003, the longest streak in surf history.
Australia dominates both men's and women's tours. On the men's side, the USA leads thanks largely to Kelly Slater. On the women's side, Australia is far ahead with Stephanie Gilmore, Layne Beachley, and multiple other champions.
Kelly Slater won his first world title in 1992 at age 20, making him the youngest men's world champion at the time. On the women's side, Carissa Moore won her first title in 2011 at age 19.
