Breaking: Pipeline To Return As Final CT Stop For 2026, While Mid-Year Cut And WSL Finals Will Depart

Yes, you read that right.

A few days ago, we received word that the WSL would be making some massive changes to the upcoming 2026 Championship Tour schedule.

And, when the confidential press release hit our Slack channels, jaws dropped.

We’ll put all of the important details below, and you can click here to read an exclusive interview with WSL CEO Ryan Crosby on all of the changes — but here’s the TLDR:

• The 2026 CT will feature 12 total stops, starting in Australia in April and ending in Hawaii in December
• The World Title will once again be decided based on an accumulation of points over the season
• There will be nine ‘regular season’ events before the tour is slimmed down for two ‘post-season’ style events.
• After the post-season, the entire CT will return for the final event at Pipeline, which will be worth 15,000 points — or 1.5x a typical event.
• The final season rankings will be determined based on surfers best 9 of 12 results
• The non-elimination seeding round is gone
• The women’s field will still expand from 18 to 24 surfers.

Full 2026 CT Schedule

CT1: Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia
CT2: Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia
CT3: Snapper Rocks, Queensland, Australia
CT4: Punta Roca, El Salvador
CT5: Saquarema, Brazil
CT6: Jeffreys Bay, South Africa
CT7: Teahupo’o, Tahiti CONFIDENTIAL ○
CT8: Cloudbreak, Fiji
CT9: Lower Trestles, Calif., USA*
CT10: Surf Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
CT11: Peniche, Portugal
CT12: Pipe Masters, Hawai‘i, USA**
*End of regular season, start of post-season
**Full CT fields rejoin post-season surfers to compete for Pipe Masters Titles

Per The WSL:

Anchored by the return of the iconic Pipe Masters as the closing event of the season, the 2026 CT will culminate on the North Shore of O‘ahu. The season will run from April to December, starting in Australia and concluding in Hawai‘i. The 12-stop schedule welcomes a new evolution of the CT, reimagined to meet the ambitions and momentum of surfing’s next chapter. Based on surfer and fan feedback, along with considerations of partner and permitting components, the CT will utilize a cumulative rankings format that combines a high-stakes finale with the depth of a full-season Title race.

In the new design, nine “regular-season” events will be held before the 36 men and 24 women are narrowed to 24 men and 16 women for the final two “post-season” events. Surfers will carry only their best seven of nine results from the regular season into the next stage. The final season rankings, and ultimately the World Titles, will be determined by a surfer’s best nine of 12 results.

The final stretch of the Tour will include two “post-season” events followed by the reimagined Pipe Masters, where the rankings and performances in each will shape the World Title race. The top eight men and women heading into Pipeline will earn the competitive advantage of deeper seeding in the draw. The Pipe Masters will now award 15,000 points, 1.5 times more than a standard CT event, making it the most consequential stop on Tour. These changes reflect the importance of Pipe and ensure the finale delivers elite performances, meaningful consequences, and defining moments in the World Title race.

The full 2026 men’s and women’s CT fields from the start of the season will rejoin the post-season competitors to compete in the season’s final event, allowing the world’s best surfers to battle for the prestigious Pipe Masters event Titles while challenging World Title contenders for their place in history

Additionally, all CT events will feature a streamlined format that removes non-elimination rounds. This change raises the stakes from the outset and creates greater opportunities for high-impact heats to run in optimal conditions.

As previously announced, the women’s CT field will expand from 18 to 24 surfers in 2026, creating more opportunities and further global representation.

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Click here to read our exclusive interview with WSL CEO Ryan Crosby on the changes