Three Ron Jon surfers competing in World Surf League Challenger Series

Packed for the long haul, Ron Jon Surf Shop team riders Rachel Presti of Melbourne Beach and Zoe Benedetto of Palm City have earned spots on the newly designed World Surf League Challenger Series, one step closer to earning a Championship Tour berth.

"It’s awesome to have both of them on there," said Ron Jon Marketing Director Heather Lewis. "I love this series and the opportunities it gives to team riders and surfers, in general, who are working their way up."

Presti, born in Key West, is no stranger to the previous World Qualifying Series format, winning titles in El Salvador in 2020, Portugal in 2019 and Costa Rica in 2018. The former junior champion also competed a year ago under the German flag, hoping to earn an Olympic berth.

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Benedetto, who often travels from the Treasure Coast to Cocoa Beach to compete, most recently at the Beach 'n Boards Fest, said she expects to be away from home for three months.

It's all part of the eight-leg series that got underway last weekend at Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast of Australia, with 64 of the world's top surfers, including the 10 women who survived the WSL Championship Tour midpoint cut.

"Four suitcases, two board bags, thousands of travel miles and endless surfing," the 2019 ISA World Junior silver medalist posted on her Instagram page.

"She has an absolute globe-crossing, surf travel Iron Woman (agenda) ahead of her," said Becky Fleischauer, with USA Surfing in California. "Her mom said it will be a test of whether she is ready for the life of a pro surfer."

Benedetto's mom, Christine, told Fleischauer: “It helps her figure it out. This is how your life could be. I know she will be able to handle it, but will she want to?”

"They tried to plan for every weather condition between Australia to El Salvador to Lowers in California to South Africa to Huntington Beach and the East Coast WSL QS events," Fleischauer said.

After the Challenger series, Benedetto — who won las summer's inaugural Grom Fest in Cocoa Beach — will head to El Salvador to compete against the best under-18 surfers in the ISA World Junior Surfing Championships.

Caroline Marks will be the third Ron Jon representative during the tour.

The Melbourne Beach native, with three major wins to her credit, a fourth-place finish at the first surfing Olympics, and a sand sculpture in front of the Cocoa Beach Ron Jon store, had dropped off the tour after one event in Hawaii, citing "medical and health reasons," according to the WSL.

But, on Monday, she was awarded the women's 2022 WSL season wildcard, which gives her entry into the remaining Championship Tour events this year and into the 2023 season.

Ron Jon also added a couple of boys to its team this year: Melbourne Beach brothers Sebastian Peters, 11, and Kai Peters, 9.

"It's good to see young grooms making their mark in surfing," Lewis said.

Meanwhile, a super-grom from many years ago, Kelly Slater, continues to compete on the men's circuit, easily making the cut, but dropping from fourth to 13th in the rankings at the Margaret River Pro in western Australia after his third 17th-place finish in the first five events.

The Cocoa Beach native won the Championship Tour series-opening event at Hawaii's Pipeline in stunning fashion, just days before his 50th birthday.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Three Ron Jon female surfers set to take on WSL Challenger Series