The event is the final leg of the Triple Crown of Surfing and the final event on the WSL Championship Tour, except in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic eliminated the 2020 calendar season, with the December Pipeline Masters serving as the opening event of a 2020–21 competition season.
The event attracts the top 34 surfers from The World Surf League (WSL) as well as 32 surfers who compete in walk-on trials.