2026 WSL Championship Tour: The Ultimate Schedule Breakdown
As the World Surf League (WSL) gears up for its landmark 50th anniversary season, the 2026 Championship Tour (CT) promises to be a thrilling evolution of professional surfing. Announced in July 2025, the revamped calendar features 12 events across nine countries, spanning nine months from April to December. This isn't just a schedule—it's a high-stakes odyssey designed to crown world champions through pure, consequence-driven competition.
Gone are the non-elimination rounds and the single-day WSL Finals. Every heat now counts toward rankings, with the tour divided into nine regular-season stops, two postseason showdowns (featuring reduced fields for the top performers), and a blockbuster finale at Pipeline. The men's field expands to 36 surfers (32 qualifiers + 4 wildcards), while the women's grows to 24 (21 qualifiers + 3 wildcards), ensuring deeper talent pools and fiercer battles.
Points accumulate throughout, but the drama peaks in Hawaii: The two postseason events at Haleiwa and Sunset filter the top seeds, before the full field reconvenes at Pipe for a 1.5x weighted finale worth 15,000 points—enough to swing titles in barreling chaos. With legends like John John Florence and Gabriel Medina returning via wildcards, this tour is stacked for iconic moments.
The Full 2026 CT Schedule
Here's the complete lineup, including event types, locations, and key notes. All dates are waiting periods, subject to swell and conditions. Official practice days will precede each event where permits allow, giving surfers a five-hour window to dial in.
| Stop | Event Name | Location | Dates | Event Type | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rip Curl Bells Beach Pro | Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia | April 1–11 | Regular Season | Season opener on magnetic rights; women's field debuts expanded format. Past winners: Italo Ferreira (men), Tyler Wright (women). |
| 2 | Margaret River Pro | Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia | April 17–27 | Regular Season | Bombora barrels and carves; high injury risk but massive points. Home turf for rising stars like Liam Wilson. |
| 3 | Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro | Snapper Rocks, Queensland, Australia | May 2–12 | Regular Season | Return after five-year hiatus; peaky beachbreak perfection. Expect aerial assaults from Filipe Toledo and Molly Picklum. |
| 4 | Surf City El Salvador Pro | Punta Roca, El Salvador | May 28–June 7 | Regular Season | Central American pointbreak; consistent rights favor power surfers. 2024 winner: Joan Duru. |
| 5 | Oi Rio Pro | Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | June 12–20 | Regular Season | Brazilian Storm stronghold; punchy beachbreak. Gabriel Medina's backyard—watch for local fire. |
| 6 | J-Bay Open | Jeffreys Bay, Eastern Cape, South Africa | July 10–20 | Regular Season | Epic pointbreak walls; speed and flow on trial. John John Florence's 2019 masterclass still echoes. |
| 7 | Lexus Pipe Pro (Tahiti) | Teahupo'o, Tahiti, French Polynesia | August 8–18 | Regular Season | Olympic venue's return; heaviest barrels in surfing. Top seeds like Kauli Vaast defend home waves. |
| 8 | Quiksilver Pro France | Peniche, Portugal | October 2–12 | Regular Season | Final regular stop; Supertubos' shifting moods test adaptability. Event wildcard often sparks upsets. |
| 9 | Trestles Pro | Lower Trestles, California, USA | September 11–21 | Regular Season | Closing regular event; rhythmic rights for technical surfing. U.S. fans flock for Kolohe Andino vibes. |
| 10 | Haleiwa Pro | Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA | November 6–16 | Postseason (Reduced Field) | North Shore kickoff; top 24 men/16 women battle for seeding. Long, rippable walls set the tone. |
| 11 | Sunset Pro | Sunset Beach, Hawaii, USA | November 20–30 | Postseason (Reduced Field) | Peaky and powerful; further narrows contenders to top 16 men/12 women. Barrel potential ramps up. |
| 12 | Pipe Masters | Pipeline, Oahu, Hawaii, USA | December 8–20 | Finale (Full Field) | 1.5x points climax; all 36 men/24 women compete. Winner likely claims world title in roaring tubes. |
Note: Dates for Stops 7–12 are confirmed via official WSL updates, with Teahupo'o adjusted for optimal swell windows. The tour hits nine countries: Australia (3 stops), Brazil, El Salvador, France (Portugal), South Africa, Tahiti, UAE (new addition—details pending), and USA (3 stops). Wait, correction: Actually eight confirmed, with UAE teased but not slotted yet—watch for Cloudbreak or Abu Dhabi insertion.
Format Deep Dive: How the 2026 Tour Works
The WSL's overhaul emphasizes endurance, strategy, and explosiveness:
- Regular Season (Stops 1–9): Full fields from the Opening Round. Non-elim heats scrapped—it's elimination from Round of 96 (men)/64 (women). Standard 10,000 points for winners.
- Postseason (Stops 10–11): Top 24 men and 16 women enter at Round of 24/16. Losers drop to a "mid-tier" bracket for re-entry chances at Pipe. Builds suspense on the North Shore.
- Pipe Finale: Everyone returns. Top 8 men/women seed deep (into Quarters/Semis). 15,000 points amplify every tube ride. The overall points leader entering Pipe has a shot at glory, but upsets loom large