The World Surf League will end the 2026 Championship Tour at Pipeline on Oahu’s North Shore, where the best male and female surfer will be crowned.
WSL, the governing body for professional surfers, also announced last week that the world champions will be decided by their cumulative point totals during the Tour — instead of a convoluted final-five one-day showdown.
These changes come as the WSL (originally known as International Professional Surfing) celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026.
Format changes
The 2026 CT runs from April to December, starting in Australia and ending in Hawaii. The 12-stop schedule also includes Punta Roca in El Salvador, Saquarema in Brazil, Jeffreys Bay in South Africa, Teahupo'o in Tahiti, Cloudbreak in Fiji, Lower Trestles in California, and more.
In 2026, the number of women surfers in the lineup will expand from 18 to 24. (The men’s lineup remains at 34.) Surfers on the CT will compete in nine “regular season” events before the lineup is reduced to 24 men and 16 women for two “postseason” events at Surf Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and Peniche in Portugal, which will be followed by the Pipe Masters.
Surfers will take their top seven of nine results from the regular season competitions to the next stage. The final rankings, and ultimately the World Titles, will be based on a surfer’s best nine out of 12 scores.
Also, the WSL will remove non-elimination rounds, which means once a surfer loses, then they are done for the event.
Pipe Masters
Unlike previous years, the full 2026 CT surfers from the start of the season will rejoin the postseason surfers to compete at the Pipe Masters.
The top eight men and women heading into Pipeline will have an advantage, as they will be given deeper seeds in the draw.
The Pipe Masters will now award 15,000 points — a standard CT event is worth 10,000 points — making it the most important stop on the Tour.
WSL said they considered surfer and fan feedback, along with considerations of partner and permitting components when making these changes. Many fans expressed frustration with the WSL when Pipeline was moved from the end of the Tour to the beginning in 2021.
Pipeline is an iconic wave in the middle of the “Seven-Mile Miracle” on Oahu’s North Shore. It is known for its powerful barrels that break over a shallow reef. In 2022, the first-ever full-length women’s CT event was held at Pipeline.
A new era
“These changes represent a new era for the WSL,” said Ryan Crosby, WSL CEO, in a statement. “By bringing the finale back to the North Shore and strategically innovating the format, we are celebrating surfing’s legacy and creating the ideal stage for the sport’s most unforgettable moments.”
As part of the new agreement, Vans will transfer the intellectual property rights for the Pipe Masters to the WSL. Vans will now be the official footwear and apparel partner for the Pipe Masters.
Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.