Carissa Moore got her first CT win as a mother, and Italo Ferreira has claimed his spot atop the rankings. Photo: Rambo Estrada//WSL
After the eternal seven-month offseason, the WSL Championship Tour is four events in between Australia and New Zealand (hard to believe), with a dizzying flurry of storylines. And before you get too comfortable, the El Salvador stop kicks off next week.
Under new leadership, the WSL imposed sweeping changes this year: no more Final 5, a return to cumulative points ranking, no mid-season cut, no non-elimination rounds, a new venue in New Zealand, and bonus points for the final event at Pipeline. The reforms have brought about surprises as the first third of the season is now in the books. Here are five observations that have stood out.
Brazilian goofy-foot dominance
There are four Brazilian goofy-footers on tour, and they currently hold the top four spots in the rankings. Italo Ferreira, Miguel Pupo, Gabriel Medina, and Yago Dora — in that order.
No one could have predicted such utter dominance after a right-hand-heavy start to the year at Bells, Margaret River, and Snapper. Looking at the previous 10 editions of those events, regular footers had dominated. During that period, goofy-footers won Bells and Snapper three times, and Margaret River only once. (Raglan was the exception where goofy-footers were favored.)
Despite the odds, Brazilian goofy-footers have prevailed. Subpar conditions at Bells and Margaret River may have helped even the playing field. That quartet of right-foot-first surfers will have their work cut out for them at the right point of Punta Roca if they are to maintain their places in the rankings.
The women’s old guard refuses to fade
After the last three seasons of the women’s CT were won by surfers 22 and younger, it seemed like the new generation had firmly supplanted the aging veterans. They deservedly received all the hype and got their own film to back it up. But, in 2026, with the return of Carissa Moore and Steph Gilmore, we’ve seen a resurgence of the old guard.
The last three events were won by the 30-plus crew: Lakey Petersen, 31,Stephanie Gilmore, 38, and Carissa Moore, 33. They’ve proven that experience is still of value on the tour, and a generation of legends can still compete against the younger talent.
Mixed reviews for the up-and-coming female stars
The renaissance of veterans on the women’s CT has coincided with a bit of a slump for the up-and-comers. For example, we pegged Erin Brooks as a surfer to watch at Raglan, but she fell in round two and didn’t open up her bag of aerials at all. Her sophomore year was supposed to be her time to break out after an eighth-place finish her rookie year. But she hasn’t cracked round three yet this season, currently sitting at 15th overall.
Similarly, a pair of world champs, Caity Simmers and Caroline Marks, have failed to meet expectations. Simmers’ early exit at Raglan has her placed 7th in the rankings. And Marks’ hasn’t had a breakout performance this year, currently ranked 11th.
The reigning champ, Molly Picklum, is the exception, ranked third. But, overall, the young star power on the women’s CT has delivered mixed results.
Surf fans are eagerly waiting for Erin Brooks to show her progressive surfing. It hasn’t come together yet this season. Photol Ed Sloane//WSL
The men’s underperforming regular-footers
Kanoa Igarashi has largely spent the last half-decade hanging around the top five of the men’s CT, so a 13th overall is not where he wants to remain in the rankings. He’s finished runner-up at Bells and third at Snapper in the past. These were events in which, on paper, he should have performed. But he’s now racked up three disappointing results in a row.
Jack Robinson has looked even more out of sorts over the first third of the season. He’s finished top-five in the CT four seasons in a row, but he has yet to advance out of round three this year. It looks like a typo to see him ranked 15th.
Finally, Jordy Smith, who revitalized his career with a run at the title last year, has looked closer to retirement than a title this season. The 38-year-old has lost his last three heats, falling to 26th overall.
If there is an antidote to these regular-footers’ struggles, it’s the right-hand point break of Punta Roca. Smith took the win last year in El Salvador.
The overachievers
Naturally, when some of the surfers normally near the top of the rankings are struggling, it opens a door for new faces. The biggest surprises thus far have been George Pittar and Sawyer Lindblad, each ranked fifth overall.
No one has pegged George Pittar as the Australian savior to break the country’s male world title drought of 13 years and counting. But the 23-year-old has found his groove in his sophomore campaign. A win at Margaret River has him ranked fifth overall, ahead of some talented compatriots.
Sawyer Lindblad had a promising rookie season in 2024, finishing 8th. But then she missed the mid-season cut in her sophomore year. Clawing her way back onto tour, she’s been one of the early surprises of 2026. She has a final and two semifinal appearances over her last three events, forcing her way into the contingent of young talent taking over the women’s CT. At just 20 years old, she may just be coming into her own.
