For more than half a century, Australia has helped shape surfing around the world, yet the sport has never had a professional domestic league to call its own. That changes today, with the launch of the Surfing Super League (SSL), Australia's first national professional team surfing competition. Here's the problem SSL was built to solve.

6.3 million Australians are connected to surfing, and 85% of us live within 50km of the coast, yet until now the sport has never had a professional format built to match that scale.

A league built for team surfing and live broadcast SSL brings together eight team franchises from Sydney's Northern Beaches, Sydney South, Newcastle, Northern Rivers, two Gold Coast teams, the Sunshine Coast and Melbourne. Each match runs on a fixed 90-minute clock, with four surfers per side rotating through a relay format and every half closing with a high-pressure Power Surfer finale. Season 1 begins in Summer 2028, with 15 live games broadcast across a single Australian summer.

Equal pay, new career pathways The league creates 48 paid professional contracts, with every contracted athlete paid equally regardless of gender or playing tier. Olympic medallist Owen Wright has confirmed his return to competitive surfing as part of the league, alongside a mix of Australian surfing legends, current professionals and emerging talent.

A word from the founder Founder and CEO Chris Mater, formerly CEO of Surfing Australia, said the league was built to give Australian surfing the professional format it has never had:

"Surfing is one of the country's most powerful untapped commercial opportunities... This is a sport deeply embedded in the Australian identity, yet it has never had a format worthy of its scale. That is exactly what we are building."

On the commercial opportunity for the industry, Chris added that surfing has millions of passionate participants and a fanbase spanning every major market, with participation growth outpacing all mainstream sports.

Get involved: the Surf Industry Activation Zone SSL is inviting surf brands, retailers, media, technology companies and surf schools to take part in a dedicated Surf Industry Activation Zone at selected league events, completely free of charge, connecting directly with fans at Australia's newest sporting events.

Hear more at the ASI Digital Summit ASI is hosting a Digital Summit: Surfing Super League with Chris Mater on Wednesday 26, August at 12:00-1:00pm AEST, giving Brand and Retail Members the chance to hear the full plan and ask questions directly.

REGISTER FOR THE DIGITAL SUMMIT