Photos: Cory Scott

The World Surf League (WSL) announced the addition of Aotearoa, New Zealand, to the schedule for the 2026 Championship Tour (CT). From May 15 – 25, the top 36 men and 24 women will compete at the left-hand point break of Manu Bay, Raglan, located on the west coast of the North Island’s Waikato region. The New Zealand Pro joins the calendar as stop number four of WSL’s updated CT format and will take place at the optimal time of year for New Zealand’s most famous wave.

“We’re excited to welcome this new location to the CT in the 50th year of the World Tour,” said WSL CEO Ryan Crosby. “As a quality left-hander, Manu Bay, Raglan is a great addition to the tour and has been made possible thanks to valuable support from the New Zealand Government.”

“I’m very happy with the addition of a rippable left on tour,” said Yago Dora, 2025 WSL World Champion. “It’s been a long time asking to have one on the schedule, and we finally got it! I’ve never been to New Zealand, and I’m very happy that I will get the chance to go there for the first time and experience what seems to be a very beautiful part of the world. The place looks amazing so I’m truly excited to go there for the first time and compete at Raglan.”

“Obviously, so psyched to have an event that’s not too far from home,” said Molly Picklum, 2025 WSL World Champion. “We don’t have a rippable left point break on tour, so I absolutely love that I get to bring out the backside attack. New Zealand culture and the way of life there is just a breath of fresh air, which is so appreciated when we are travelling so much. So all in all, I’m excited for that event. I think having NZ on tour brings us a world-class location when it comes to waves and food, which for me is all I ever worry about!”

New Zealand has a strong track record of hosting elite professional surfing events, including women’s CT stops from 2010 to 2013 at Taranaki, which then transitioned to a Qualifying Series (QS) event, a men’s QS event at Raglan in 1995 and the Rip Curl Pro Raglan, part of the New Zealand Surf Series, which ran for more than two decades. The 2026 “Backdoor King and Queen of the Point” event staged by Surfing New Zealand (SNZ) in early May will serve as the official trials for the event. The best performing man and woman will receive the SNZ wildcards into the CT event.

“I’m thrilled to be able to support a World Surf League Championship Tour event coming to our shores,” said Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston. “Fans can watch the world’s best surfers compete, while showcasing Raglan as a top surf destination, growing the sport in New Zealand, and boosting local tourism.”

“Hosting a World Tour event at Raglan is a landmark moment for surfing in Aotearoa,” said Ben Kennings, Chief Executive, SNZ. “This will be the biggest surfing event ever staged in New Zealand, bringing the world’s best surfers to our most iconic break. The impact goes well beyond the event itself; it elevates the profile of surfing nationally. The opportunity for young New Zealand surfers to witness the world’s best up close is invaluable and will have a lasting impact on the future of our sport.”

Marking the 50th year of the World Tour, 2026 welcomes an increased women’s field as well as a combined men’s and women’s 12-stop CT schedule that will run from April to December, 2026. The tour starts in Australia and concludes in Hawai‘i, culminating in a revitalized Pipe Masters that will close the season with a high-stakes, all-inclusive finale.

New Zealand will be one of the nine “regular-season” events featuring 36 men and 24 women. Following Stop No. 9, the fields are narrowed to 24 men and 16 women for two events before the season concludes at the Pipe Masters. The final season rankings, and ultimately the World Titles, will be determined by a surfer’s best nine of 12 results.

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.

In order to maintain a 12-event CT format this season, Jeffreys Bay, South Africa, will not feature on the CT schedule for 2026.

“We love J-Bay and the community there, and we’re really grateful to them for welcoming us for so many years,” said Crosby. “It’s undoubtedly one of the best waves in the world, and we will continue to explore ways to return in the future. That said, we have made the difficult decision to pull Jeffreys Bay from the 2026 CT calendar. We did our very best to make J-Bay work in 202,5, but the financial support isn’t there to make it viable this year.”

“Our goal is to set professional surfing up for long-term success and make sure the world’s best surfers have the platform to keep advancing the sport for many years,” continued Crosby. “Achieving this goal requires making decisions that prioritize the health of the overall business.”

Here is the calendar for the 2026 WSL Championship Tour:
Stop No. 1 – Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia: April 1 – 11
Stop No. 2 – Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia: April 16 – 26
Stop No. 3 – Snapper Rocks, Queensland, Australia: May 1 – 11
Stop No. 4 – Raglan, New Zealand: May 15 – 25
Stop No. 5 – Punta Roca, El Salvador: June 5 – 15
Stop No. 6 – Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: June 19 – 27
Stop No. 7 – Teahupo’o, Tahiti, French Polynesia: August 8 – 18
Stop No. 8 – Cloudbreak, Fiji: August 25 – September 4
Stop No. 9 – Lower Trestles, San Clemente, Calif., USA: September 11 – 20
Stop No. 10 – Surf Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE: October 14 – 18*
Stop No. 11 – Peniche, Portugal: October 22 – November 1*
Stop No. 12 – Banzai Pipeline, Hawaiʻi, USA: December 8 – 20**
*Events feature a reduced field
**Full CT fields compete for Pipe Masters Titles

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.