Plus eliminates the elimination round!
Well, it only took five, or so, years but the
World Surf League has finally admitted to its absolutely horrible
schedule decision to begin the season at Pipeline and end it al
Lower Trestles but, even more, have recognized the past five, or
such, years as an abject disaster.
Beginning in 2026, the Championship Tour will begin in Australia
and end at Pipeline. There will be no more “Final Five” and the
elimination round has also been dropped.
Can’t believe?
Read my personal edit of the presser for your very self.
The 2026 season will mark the 50th year of professional
surfing, a milestone that comes alongside a significant evolution
of the Championship Tour (CT) calendar and competitive format.
Today, the World Surf League (WSL) is announcing major schedule and
format changes to the CT for the 2026 season and beyond. Anchored
by the return of the iconic Pipe Masters as the closing event of
the season, the CT will culminate on the North Shore of O‘ahu,
Hawai‘i, at Pipeline, the sport’s most revered location.
The CT season will run from April to December, starting in
Australia and concluding in Hawai‘i. The 12-stop schedule welcomes
a new evolution of the CT, reimagined to meet the ambitions and
momentum of surfing’s next chapter. Based on surfer and fan
feedback, along with considerations of partner and permitting
components, the CT will utilize a cumulative rankings format that
combines a high-stakes finale with the depth of a full-season Title
race.
In the new design, nine “regular-season” events will be held
before the 36 men and 24 women are narrowed to 24 men and 16 women
for the final two “postseason” events. Surfers will carry only
their best seven of nine results from the regular season into the
next stage. The final season rankings, and ultimately the World
Titles, will be determined by a surfer’s best nine of 12
results.
The final stretch of the Tour will include two “postseason”
events followed by the reimagined Pipe Masters, where the rankings
and performances in each will shape the World Title race. The top
eight men and women heading into Pipeline will earn the competitive
advantage of deeper seeding in the draw. The Pipe Masters will now
award 15,000 points, 1.5 times more than a standard CT event,
making it the most consequential stop on Tour. These changes
reflect the importance of Pipe and ensure the finale delivers elite
performances, meaningful consequences, and defining moments in the
World Title race.
Additionally, all CT events will feature a streamlined
format that removes non-elimination rounds. This change raises the
stakes from the outset and creates greater opportunities for
high-impact heats to run in optimal conditions.
As previously announced, the women’s CT field will expand
from 18 to 24 surfers in 2026, creating more opportunities and
further global representation.
Under an agreement with Vans, the intellectual property
rights to the Pipe Masters title will be transferred to the WSL
Championship Tour. Vans will serve as the exclusive footwear and
apparel partner for the Pipe Masters.
Surfer qualification for the CT will continue through the
three-tier pathway, the regional Qualifying Series up to the
Challenger Series. More information about these competitions will
be shared in the coming months.
Thoughts?
Here’s how the season will look:
CT1: Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia
CT2: Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia
CT3: Snapper Rocks, Queensland, Australia
CT4: Punta Roca, El Salvador
CT5: Saquarema, Brazil
CT6: Jeffreys Bay, South Africa
CT7: Teahupo’o, Tahiti
CT8: Cloudbreak, Fiji
CT9: Lower Trestles, Calif., USA*
CT10: Surf Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
CT11: Peniche, Portugal
CT12: Pipe Masters, Hawai‘i, USA**
More thoughts?
