World Surf League Drops 2026 Schedule
The World Surf League unveiled its 2026-2027 Challenger Series schedule with five stops for surfers aiming to qualify for the Championship Tour. The new CS calendar features venues in Newcastle (Australia), Ballito (South Africa), and Ericeira (Portugal), plus several international QS 6,000 qualifying events expanding opportunities for aspiring pros.
The 2026/27 Challenger Series represents a significant pathway for 80 male and 48 female surfers to reach the elite Championship Tour (CT). The top 10 men and top seven women at the season's conclusion will earn a coveted spot to compete against the world's best. This marks an increase in the number of female qualifiers, up from five in previous years. In addition to the previously mentioned stops, the tour will also visit Huntington Beach in California and São Sebastião in Brazil. The full five-event schedule includes Ballito (South Africa), Huntington Beach (USA), São Sebastião (Brazil), Ericeira (Portugal), and concludes in Newcastle (Australia) in March 2027. A notable change for the 2026/27 season is the reduction to five Challenger Series events, down from seven in the 2025-26 season. The iconic Pipeline in Hawaii, which was part of the previous season's schedule, will not be a Challenger Series stop, instead hosting a regional QS 6,000 event to provide more opportunities for local surfers. To create more pathways to the elite tour, the World Surf League has introduced a new tier of events: the QS 6,000 International. Three of these events are confirmed for 2026 in Saquarema (Brazil), Cloud 9 (Philippines), and Jinzun Harbor (Taiwan), allowing competitors to earn points that count towards both their regional QS and Challenger Series rankings.
