WSL 2026 Format Overhaul: Final 5 Dropped & Jeffreys Bay Secures Schedule Spot

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that the World Surf League (WSL) has announced some major changes for the 2026 season, most notably, the scrapping of the controversial Final 5 format. Surfers and fans alike never truly embraced the system, and it was clear something had to give.

For South African surf fans, the biggest news is that Jeffreys Bay retains its place on the calendar. Fresh off another successful, wave-rich event, J-Bay has proven time and again that it’s one of the premier stops on tour, consistently delivering world-class conditions and memorable heats.

2026 Championship Tour Schedule

• Stop No. 1 – Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia: April 1 – 11
• Stop No. 2 – Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia: April 17 – 27
• Stop No. 3 – Snapper Rocks, Queensland, Australia: May 2 – 12
• Stop No. 4 – Punta Roca, El Salvador: May 28 – June 7
• Stop No. 5 – Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: June 12 – 20
• Stop No. 6 – Jeffreys Bay, South Africa: July 10 – 20
• Stop No. 7 – Teahupo’o, Tahiti, French Polynesia: August 8 – 18
• Stop No. 8 – Cloudbreak, Fiji: August 25 – September 4
• Stop No. 9 – Lower Trestles, San Clemente, Calif., USA: September 11 – 20
• Stop No. 10 – Surf Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE: October 14 – 18
• Stop No. 11 – Peniche, Portugal: October 22 – November 1
• Stop No. 12 – Banzai Pipeline, Hawaiʻi, USA: December 8 – 20

The revamped 2026 WSL schedule will return to a more traditional season format, with points accumulated across the year determining the world champions. Read here to find out more about it.

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