Note: Rapid Surf League announced their first qualifying events for 2022 and hinted at their national rapid championship events schedule. Much of the action will happen poolside this year as well as at enhanced rivers.

It was 2018 when the Rapid Surf League kicked things off with the first-ever professional league on stationary waves. After a forced break in 2020, a shortened league season in 2021, the focus is now on a full league season again for 2022. The sport of rapid surfing is growing like crazy. There are more and more rapid pools, the level is going up everywhere and there are some exciting changes to the RSL for 2022.

12women – from 2022 onwards we will see not 8 but 12 women competing in RSL events. “The level has gone up significantly over the last two years. We are super happy to be able to add another 4 women to our RSL Pro events”, said RSL’s Quirin Rohleder. “Looking at rapid locations all over Europe, there’s almost a friendly female take over happening; lot’s of talent coming up!”

16 men is still the status quo in the men’s division. However, 2022 will see the seeded men of the official RSL ranking reduced from 10 to 8.

“We want to make access easier, so we have more qualifying events and more nations”, added Rohleder. “In the women’s division, the number of seeded surfers remains at 4.”

RussianRapids – 2021 saw the first official contest take place at Flow Moscow. Besides the German, Austrian and Swiss national rapid champs, the RSL welcomes the first national Russian rapid champions. With three rapid pool locations in Moscow alone and 5 in the country, rapid surfing is growing – indeed – rapidly.  

RSLQualifier – from 2022 onwards surfers can also qualify for the RSL by the way of The Riverwave Open at Ebensee, Austria. 2021 saw the first edition of The Riverwave Open take place on Austria’s first half-natural rapid, which, since its opening, has become a magnet for European rapid surfers. The Riverwave Open is scheduled for May 21st / 22nd 2022.

The first RSL run qualifier, the L&T Hasewelle Pro/Am will take place February 19th 2022 in Osnabrück, Germany. 12 women and 16 men will compete for wildcards to the first RSL Pro event of 2022. With rapid surfers from Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Russia, the field of competitors is truly international.