The TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge, the last surviving event on the WSL’s big wave tour, is back on the 2026-2027 schedule. The one-day tow-in event will run if conditions permit between November 1 and March 31.
The WSL will introduce a new format for this season’s edition, splitting the six men’s teams into two semifinals, where the top team from each heat and the second-place team with the highest score advance to the final. The women’s event will consist of one final between three teams, each with a designated rider and jet ski driver. By contrast, the men’s teams will switch roles.
Within the teams event, the men’s best performance award will factor in surfers’ individual scores.
Last year’s event used a format based on two sessions of three heats each — not a bracket format.
The invitee list includes the champions from the last edition that ran in December 2025: Nic Von Rupp, Clement Roseyro, Justine Dupont, and Lucas Chianca.
Here’s the full list of invitees:
- Team 1: Nic Von Rupp (POR) / Clement Roseyro (FRA)
- Team 2: Rodrigo Koxa (BRA) / Vitor Faria (BRA)
- Team 3: Will Santana (BRA) / Gabriel Sampaio (BRA)
- Team 4: Lucas Chianca (BRA) / Pedro Scooby (BRA)
- Team 5: Andrew Cotton (GBR) / James Carew (AUS)
- Team 6: Benjamin Sanchis (FRA) / Jerome Sayhoun (MAR)
- Team 7: Justine Dupont (FRA) / Driver: Dino Carmo (POR)
- Team 8: Michelle des Bouillons (BRA) / Driver: Ian Cosenza (BRA)
- Team 9: Laura Crane (GBR) / Driver: Eric Rebiere (FRA)
As of now, the Nazaré Big Wave Challenge is the only competition slated as part of the WSL’s big wave tour. The last time a WSL big wave event ran at a location other than Nazaré was the Jaws Big Wave Championships on Maui in December 2019.
Gary Linden has been trying to fill the void with a true big wave surfing tour with the Big Wave Alliance, which aims to unite standalone competitions around the globe under one umbrella.
