Hawaii’s Pipeline returns as competitive surfing’s big finale location in 2026. The mid-year cut is gone. And the one-day, winner-takes-all, WSL Final 5 championship is no longer.
The World Surf League recently announced big changes to the professional surfing tour for next year, also moving Lower Trestles to be the ninth stop on tour. So the surf spot just south of San Clemente will be making a later appearance than it is this year, when it will host competition in June. Lower Trestles was also recently announced as the site for the LA 28 Olympics.
The surf spot hosted the WSL championships for the first four seasons after the WSL Final 5 format was created in 2021, but this year, the one-day finals were moved to Fiji. And the sweeping changes just announced nix it altogether for 2026.
The finals event was a topic of contention among fans and athletes who often voiced a distaste for the one-day format, arguing a point system earned in a variety of waves throughout the year — as was the tradition since the 1970s — was the right way to determine the sport’s champions.
The 2026 season marks the 50th year of professional surfing, “a milestone that comes alongside a significant evolution of the Championship Tour calendar and competitive format,” WSL officials said in an announcement.
The iconic Pipe Masters in Hawaii will return as the closing event of the season, with longtime title sponsor Vans selling its intellectual rights for the name to the World Surf League Championship Tour, according to the announcement. The Costa Mesa brand will still serve as the exclusive footwear and apparel partner for the contest.
The next season will start in April 2026, with 12 stops through the year, “reimagined to meet the ambitions and momentum of surfing’s next chapter,” officials said.
The mid-year cut, also a controversial system often bemoaned by surfers and fans, is being dropped for 2026.
The full field of 36 men and 24 women will compete in the first nine “regular-season” events.
After the ninth event at Lower Trestles, the field will be reduced to the top 24 men and 16 women for the two “postseason” events.
“Based on surfer and fan feedback, along with considerations of partner and permitting components, the (Championship Tour) will utilize a cumulative rankings format that combines a high-stakes finale with the depth of a full-season title race,” WSL officials said. “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 entire Championship Tour will return to compete at the final event for the Pipe Masters titles, the world champion titles and for requalification to the tour for the next year.
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 tour event, making it the most consequential stop.
“Pipeline has always held a special place in surfing history, and our fans have made it clear they want to see our sport’s most critical moments unfold there,” WSL CEO Ryan Crosby said, calling Pipeline an “iconic proving ground.”
“These changes represent a new era for the WSL,” he said. “By bringing the finale back to the North Shore and strategically innovating the format, we are celebrating surfing’s legacy and creating the ideal stage for the sport’s most unforgettable moments.”
The contests will also get rid of the non-elimination rounds, creating a more streamlined format.