In addition to the $100,000 cash prize, the 14 contestants appearing on The Ultimate Surfer are competing for the chance to partake in the WSL Championship Tour. As one of the stars, Kayla Durden, told First Coast News, she treated The Ultimate Surfer like a golden ticket into the world of pro surfing.
“The way surfing works is there are multiple levels to becoming a pro. There’s the world tour and then a qualifying tour, which I’ve been on for a couple of years. It’s really difficult. As an East Coast surfer, it’s nearly impossible to qualify,” she explained. “I usually come home and have to work to kind of pay for the next event. So, for me, it was kind of like this golden ticket.”
“There are seven girls. When I’m competing on the qualifiers, there are 500 girls,” she added. “I like my odds.”
Kayla will be competing against six mightily talented female surfers: Anastasia Ashley, Tia Blanco, Brianna Cope, Malia Ward, Bruna Zaun, and Juli Hernandez. Kai Barger, Austin Clouse, Luke Davis, Ezekiel Lau, Koa Smith, Alejandro Moreda, and Mason Barnes make up the male contingent.