Maui’s Imaikalani deVault Aims to Secure Spot on Championship Tour

Currently sitting at No. 4 on the Challenger Series, Maui-born Imaikalani deVault needs one last result to secure his place within the Top 12 on the World Surf League’s Championship Tour.

“Qualifying this year for me would be more than a dream come true,” deVault said in a WSL interview. “ It’s cliche to say but it’s true. I know that I’ve wanted to make the CT since I started competing at 6 years old. I have a lot of great memories from Haleiwa as a kid competing, I have a few amateur event wins, but we all dream of performing on the big stage. I always think of Maui boy Dusty Payne in 2014 coming into Haleiwa and getting a huge win to eventually lead him to requalifying and just ripping so hard. That’s what I want to do.”

But, deVault will have to contend with the likes of Challenger Series threats such as former CT competitors Nat Young (USA), Ezekiel Lau (HAW), along with 2021 standouts Liam O’Brien (AUS), Joao Chianca (BRA), Samuel Pupo(BRA), Jake Marshall (USA), Jackson Baker (AUS), Adin Masencamp (ZAF), Lucca Mesinas (PER), Qualifying Series (QS) veteran Carlos Munoz (CRI), and more.

The World Surf League Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold Haleiwa Challenger, the final stop of the 2021 Challenger Series, is set for opening day action. The competition’s waiting period opens today and runs through Dec. 7, 2021. According to a contest update, the Men’s Round 2 is on standby, and the Women’s competition was called off for the day.

“It’s day one of the waiting period and the surf is firing,” said Hawaii Tour Manager, Marty Thomas. “We have really good Haleiwa, six-to-eight foot with 10-foot sets and we’re going to kick things off at 8:05 a.m. with men’s Round 1, Heats 1 through 8. We’re then going into men’s Round 2, Heats 1 through 8 with women’s competition off for the day and on standby for tomorrow. It should be a great day of surfing.”

Also joining the fields for both men and women include 11-time WSL Champion Kelly Slater (USA), five-time WSL Champion nd Olympic gold medalist Carissa Moore (HAW), two-time WSL Champion John John Florence (HAW), 2021 World No. 2 Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA), 2021 World No. 6 and Team USA Olympian Caroline Marks (USA), 2021 World No. 4 Conner Coffin (USA), 2020 Olympic silver medalist Kanoa Igarashi (JPN), and many more. 

Watch LIVE: The Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold Haleiwa Challenger will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com.