Jacob Willcox qualifies for WSL Championship Tour

"About f& kin time," Willcox wrote on Instagram announcing the news.

"After 3 years in a row missing out by a heat it makes this moment so much more enjoyable.

"It's cliche but the journey is the most important and enjoyable part of it all. Without all the loses and heart break I don't think this year would've played out like it did."

While he hasn't grabbed any major wins this season, his consistent good results have paid off. A second place finish at the Surf Sydney Pro and top five finishes in Ballito and the Gold Coast saw him shoot up the rankings.

It wasn't until his performance in round 5 of the WSL Challenger Series - the Ericeira Pro in Portugal - that the goofy footer secured the points to qualify.

It's not his first time rubbing shoulders with the world's elite. He's had 13 wildcard appearances in Championship Tour events around the world, and made the most of those opportunities with some solid performances.

For the past three years running, he's missed out on qualification by a single position, making this year's success even sweeter.

"So many heartbreaks, so many times I've come so close and I feel like it probably wouldn't feel so good without all that, so it's very rewarding," he said.

"This is the best job ever, I get to travel the world with some of my best mates, it's so fun and I'm so grateful to be able to surf in some good waves next year."

He's joined in the Challenger Series by Gracetown local Bronte Macaulay. A win at the last round in Ballito means she's holding on to 5^th place in the Challenger Series Rankings, just within the cutoff for tour qualification.

She clinched a quarterfinals appearance in Portugal at the last second. Needing a score of 6.5 she put in a 6.8 to edge out Bella Kenworthy.

"I thought I was going home for sure," she said.

"So stoked to get through. It's a pretty crucial round for points."