Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach moves in Championship Tour shakeup

THE World Surf League (WSL) has revealed a considerable shakeup to next year’s Championship Tour (CT), including the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach being elevated to the start of the season.

Marking the 50th year of professional surfing, the combined 2026 men’s and women’s calendar, which includes an increased women’s field, will feature 12 events in total and a revised format.

The nine regular season stops and two postseason events will culminate in a revamped Pipe Masters to close the season with a high-stakes, all-inclusive finale.

The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach has typically been the fourth stop on the CT, but next year will be the opening event as well as the first event on the three-stop Australian leg.

Most of the season will feature 36 men and 24 women, with the tour narrowing to 24 men and 16 women after Stop No. 9 (Lower Trestles) for the two postseason events, Abu Dhabi and Portugal.

A surfer’s best seven of nine results from the regular season will count towards their qualification for the postseason, while the final season rankings, and ultimately the World Titles, will be determined by a surfer’s best nine of 12 results.

The cumulative full-season rankings that will determine the World Champions will be heightened by the season closer at Pipeline, where the full 2026 men’s and women’s CT fields from the start of the season will all compete.

Under the new format, the stakes will be raised from the first heat of the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach due to the removal of non-elimination rounds.

Differing formats will be used for the men’s and women’s fields for regular-season events, postseason events, and the Pipe Masters, but ultimately every heat of every event will be of utmost importance to a surfer’s standing on the CT.

The format for the nine regular season events will include 32 qualified men, two men’s season wildcards, and two men’s event wildcards; and 21 qualified women, two women’s season wildcards, and one women’s event wildcard.

Men’s 36 Format:

• Round 1 will feature four head-to-head heats, consisting of six seeded surfers [29-34], plus two Event Wildcards. Seeds 33-36 will be randomly selected to create different match-ups at each event throughout the season. Seeds 29-32 will be pre-seeded in their heats
• Round 2 will feature 16 head-to-head heats, consisting of seeds 1-28 and the winners from Round 1. There will be four fixed-bracket heats; the four heat winners from Round 1 will face the top four seeds in the event. Winners will advance to Round 3
• Round 3 will feature eight head-to-head heats, consisting of the winners from Round 2
• Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and the Final will follow.

Women’s 24 Format:

• Round 1 will feature eight head-to-head heats, consisting of 14 seeded surfers [9-22], plus two Event Wildcards. Winners will advance into Round 2 on a fixed-bracket system
• Round 2 will feature eight head-to-head heats, consisting of seeds 1-8, and the winners from Round 1
• Quarterfinals, Semifinals and the Final will follow.

“These changes reflect our commitment to honoring surfing’s legacy while continuing to shape its future as the sport enters its 50th year,” WSL chief executive officer Ryan Crosby said.

“With the updated formats, we’ll see higher stakes from day one, with every heat carrying real consequence throughout the season.

“Combined with iconic locations, the expanded women’s field, and Pipeline as the pinnacle, we’re building a tour that better serves our athletes and fans, and leads the sport into its next chapter.”

For more information, head to worldsurfleage.com