The World Surf League (WSL) has announced significant changes to its 2026 Championship Tour (CT), coinciding with the 50th anniversary of professional surfing. The upcoming season will feature a revamped 12-event schedule, an expanded women’s field, and a new competitive format culminating in a high-stakes finale at the iconic Banzai Pipeline.
Key Takeaways
- Pipeline Returns as Season Finale: The Pipe Masters will once again be the ultimate event, crowning the World Champions.
- New Cumulative Rankings Format: The "Final Five" format is retired; World Titles will be determined by a surfer’s best nine out of 12 event results.
- Expanded Women’s Field: The women’s CT field grows from 18 to 24 surfers.
- No Mid-Season Cut or Non-Elimination Rounds: Every heat will carry significant weight throughout the season.
- Increased Points at Pipeline: The Pipe Masters will award 1.5 times the points of a standard CT event.
A New Era for the Championship Tour
To celebrate 50 years of professional surfing, the WSL is ushering in a new era with a reimagined Championship Tour for 2026. The season will span nine months, from April to December, and will feature 12 events across nine countries. This evolution aims to honor surfing’s legacy while shaping its future, with changes driven by athlete and fan feedback.
The 2026 Championship Tour Schedule
The 12-stop schedule includes a mix of iconic waves and performance-oriented locations:
- Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia (April 1-11)
- Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia (April 17-27)
- Snapper Rocks, Queensland, Australia (May 2-12)
- Punta Roca, El Salvador (May 28 – June 7)
- Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (June 12-20)
- Jeffreys Bay, South Africa (July 10-20)
- Teahupo’o, Tahiti, French Polynesia (August 8-18)
- Cloudbreak, Fiji (August 25 – September 4)
- Lower Trestles, San Clemente, Calif., USA (September 11-20) – Last regular-season event
- Surf Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE (October 14-18) – Start of postseason
- Peniche, Portugal (October 22 – November 1) – Postseason event
- Banzai Pipeline, Hawaiʻi, USA (December 8-20) – Pipe Masters Finale
Revamped Competitive Format
The 2026 season introduces a significant shift in format, moving away from the "Final Five" and mid-season cut. The majority of the season will feature 36 men and 24 women. After the ninth event, the field will narrow to 24 men and 16 women for the two postseason events in Abu Dhabi and Portugal.
A surfer’s best seven out of nine regular-season results will count towards qualification for the postseason. The final season rankings, and ultimately the World Titles, will be determined by a surfer’s best nine out of 12 results across the entire season.
The Pinnacle: Pipe Masters Finale
Banzai Pipeline in Hawai’i will host the season-ending Pipe Masters. In a move to elevate its significance, this event will award 15,000 points, 1.5 times the amount of a standard CT event. The top eight men and women heading into Pipeline will receive deeper seeding in the draw, ensuring a dramatic conclusion to the World Title race. All full CT fields from the start of the season will rejoin the postseason surfers to compete for both the Pipe Masters event titles and the overall World Titles.
Streamlined Event Structure
Another key change is the removal of non-elimination rounds. This means every heat from the very first day of competition will have direct consequences on a surfer’s ranking, increasing the stakes throughout the season. Different formats will be utilized for men’s and women’s fields across regular-season, postseason, and Pipe Masters events, all designed to ensure maximum consequence for every heat.
Sources
- World Surf League Releases 2026 Championship Tour Schedule and Formats, World Surf League.
- 2026 Championship Tour Schedule and Formats, World Surf League.
- World Surf League Announces Return to Pipeline for Championship Tour Finale Starting in 2026, World Surf League.
- New path to surfing World Title: Major WSL changes coming in 2026, FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
- Breaking: World Surf League Unveils Game-Changing 2026 Schedule, SURFER Magazine.
