Day one of the 2026 Corona Cero New Zealand Pro delivered perfect conditions for the first-ever combined men’s and women’s Championship Tour event in New Zealand. Held at Manu Bay’s iconic left-hand point break in Raglan, the competition saw a full day of high-level surfing from dawn to dusk.

The event window runs from May 15 to 25, marking a major milestone for New Zealand surfing. Local fans turned out in force to watch the world’s best tackle the rippable waves.

Women’s Round 1 Highlights

The women opened the day with strong performances in variable but improving conditions. Veterans showed their class while some newer faces made solid debuts.

• Carissa Moore stood out with the highest heat total of the women’s round, posting a 16.34 (including an excellent 8.67). The five-time world champion looked sharp on her backhand and reminded everyone of her world-title pedigree.
• Stephanie Gilmore advanced cleanly, continuing her strong form and eyeing more success in New Zealand.
• Other notable winners included Sally Fitzgibbons, Erin Brooks (impressive in her debut), and Tya Zebrowski. Several heats featured tight battles as the field adjusted to the point break.

Kiwi wildcard Alani Morse fought hard but was eliminated in her heat against strong international competition.

Men’s Round 1 and Elimination Round

The men followed with powerful displays suited to the left-handers. Brazilians featured prominently, and a few upsets kept things exciting.

Key performances:

• Gabriel Medina and Filipe Toledo delivered dominant rides, with Toledo posting one of the day’s biggest single-wave scores.
• Morgan Cibilic had a strong showing, advancing through both Round 1 and into further competition.
• Rio Waida pulled off a major upset with a 15.20 heat total, defeating recent Gold Coast runner-up Connor O’Leary.

Local wildcards Billy Stairmand and Tom Butland competed bravely but exited in the opening rounds against top-tier opposition.

The day wrapped with men’s elimination heats to set up the main draw for Round 2.

Overall Day One Wrap-Up

The first day at Raglan was a huge success. Clean left-hand waves, passionate local crowds, and elite surfing combined to create an unforgettable atmosphere. World champions reasserted themselves while hungry competitors and rookies added depth to the competition.

Action continues over the coming days with more heats as the field narrows. Stay tuned for updates as the event progresses toward the finals.