Anat Lelior Makes History as First Israeli Surfer to Qualify for the Championship Tour

Anat Lelior has officially become the first-ever surfer from Israel to qualify for the World Surf League’s elite competitive circuit, the Championship Tour.

I first met Anat back in 2021, when she was gunning for a spot in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics – surfing’s inaugural appearance in the Games – at a qualification event in El Salvador. We spoke about the unlikely surf destination of Israel, her mandatory service in her country’s military, and her dreams of making it big one day in the surf world.