Photo: @sportsball_visual / @WSL
The Championship Tour is going to look different in 2026. And if you gauge overall public sentiment on things by scrolling through comment sections on social media, a lot of people are happy about that. Specifically, fans have been eager to see the WSL’s five-year experiment with the WSL Finals and the short-lived mid-year cut wiped away.
The WSL announced changes to those in July of last year, but that didn’t include a full return to the pre-2020 season format. This year’s world champion will be the cumulative points leader, and qualifying surfers are getting close to a full season on tour. Those changes resemble a CT format many fans called for. But the 2026 CT will also build on its restructuring by upping the ante with two “postseason” events in which the overall season points available (in Dubai and Portugal) will be greater than the points awarded in stops one through seven. Also of note, the field of 36 men and 24 women will be filtered down to highest ranked 24 men and highest ranked 16 women at the time of those events. Then, when the CT makes its way to Pipe, theoretically with a world title still on the line, the entire CT field will enter the draw again.
“These changes reflect our commitment to honoring surfing’s legacy while continuing to shape its future as the sport enters its 50th year,” said Ryan Crosby, WSL CEO. “With the updated formats, we’ll see higher stakes from day one, with every heat carrying real consequence throughout the season. Combined with iconic locations, the expanded women’s field, and Pipeline as the pinnacle, we’re building a tour that better serves our athletes and fans, and leads the sport into its next chapter.”
As surf fans know, keeping up with evolving season formats and therefore evolving contest formats can get confusing year-to-year. SportsBall, which simplifies the rules and formats of all sports through entertaining and creative visuals, put together the most concise breakdown of this year’s tour format you can find. So here’s the 2026 in one drawing broken down in just under three minutes. The first two minutes will be familiar to anybody who’s followed the CT, but the last minute explains how it will all come together differently in 2026.
