Imaikalani deVault (left) and Eli Hanneman pose for a photo Tuesday at the Corona Saquarema Pro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Both Maui surfers secured spots on the 2024 World Surf League Championship Tour. World Surf League / Thiago Diz photo

For the first time, Maui will have multiple surfers on the top-level tour of professional surfing.

Eli Hanneman and Imaikalani deVault confirmed their spots on the 2024 World Surf League Championship Tour on Tuesday.

The news came on an off day for the men at the Corona Saquarema Pro, the final event of the Challenger Series that determines 10 spots for next year’s Championship Tour.

DeVault and Hanneman both won their round-of-32 heats Monday to advance to the bracket stage in Rio de Janeiro. That turned out to be enough to put both Maui surfers into guaranteed qualifying position.

Hanneman, a 20-year-old from Lahaina, has been through a difficult time in the past few years. Physical injuries, near death experiences and the Maui wildfires have all affected him mentally and emotionally, according to a WSL news release announcing his qualification.

It was nothing but elation as Hanneman looked forward to his first CT season.

“This is crazy, it feels like my whole life has been leading up to this point,” Hanneman was quoted as saying in the release. “It’s crazy that God’s chosen me to be in this position I’m in. It’s unbelievable, I’m still trying to take it in.

“I think as you start to get older, your expectations start to get stronger and higher, even for myself too, but I did it. The hard work just starts now, that’s the crazy part. But I’m definitely looking forward to Pipe!”

This will be the second CT season for the 25-year-old deVault, who competed on tour in 2022.

“It definitely feels like a weight has been taken off my shoulders. I knew coming into this event I wasn’t safe at all and I needed to get another result,” deVault said in the release. “It was actually really enjoyable to compete with that kind of pressure and do well. So I’m just super happy to get another chance to be back on Tour. It’s been a really special trip here. I love the vibe, the fans, the passion and the waves, I just love it.”

The pair will join fellow Valley Isle surfer Ian Gentil on the Championship Tour next year. Gentil had a solid maiden season in 2023, making the midseason cut to automatically requalify for 2024. Last week, he was named the Rookie of the Year as the highest-ranked men’s rookie at No. 14.

When deVault qualified for the 2022 Championship Tour, he was just the second CT surfer ever from the Valley Isle, joining Dusty Payne, who in 2011 became the first Mauian to make it to the highest level of the sport.

The 2024 Championship Tour kicks off with the Billabong Pro Pipeline at the Banzai Pipeline on Oahu’s North Shore, Jan. 29-Feb. 10.

Imaikalani deVault (left) and Eli Hanneman pose for a photo Tuesday at the Corona Saquarema Pro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Both Maui surfers secured spots on the 2024 World Surf League Championship Tour. World Surf League / Thiago Diz photo

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