The World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) will open its 2026 season with the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy. Celebrating the 50th year of the Championship Tour, this marks the first time in 25 years that competitive surfing’s longest-running event will launch the season.
he competition is scheduled to run from April 1 to 11. The iconic Bells Bowl will feature the Tour’s elite, including a new Rookie class and a record 10 returning World Champions. This is the largest number of World Champions to compete in a single season during the 50-year history of the CT.
A record six World-Title-winning women will compete on the Tour. Reigning World Champion Molly Picklum of Australia headlines the field. She is joined by two-time World Champion Tyler Wright, 2024 World Champion Caity Simmers, and 2023 World Champion Caroline Marks. Returning to full-time competition for the first time since 2023 are eight-time World Champion Stephanie Gilmore and five-time World Champion Carissa Moore.
“I honestly think this is going to be an incredibly exciting year,” said Picklum. “It’s so fitting that after 50 years we’re going back to the dream tour and crowning world titles at Pipeline. Having more World Champions on tour than ever before says it all. I feel like this season will bring fireworks – it’s going to be one for the ages for sure.”
The men’s division will see Brazil’s four most recent World Title winners on Tour together for the first time since 2023. Reigning World Champion Yago Dora, three-time World Champion Gabriel Medina, two-time World Champion Filipe Toledo, and 2019 World Champion Italo Ferreira are all vying to add to their title counts.
“I’m very happy to get the season started,” said Dora. “It’s been a long and very busy break, so I’m really keen to get back to surfing some heats! I think this will be a very special season. Bells is an event I’m really looking forward to. It challenges me and I don’t think I’ve surfed it to my full potential yet, so lots of room for improvement there. Winning a Bell has always been a dream of mine!”
The 2026 season will also be the first to feature all four Olympic Gold medallists as full-time CT members. Paris 2024 Gold Medallists Kauli Vaast, who won the 2025/2026 Challenger Series, and Caroline Marks will join Tokyo 2020 Gold Medallists Italo Ferreira and Carissa Moore. Olympic Silver Medallists Jack Robinson and Kanoa Igarashi, who shared the 2025 Bells Final, will continue to hunt for their first World Title on the CT in 2026.
Watch The Rip Curl Pro – Bells Beach from April 1 to 11
The competition will be broadcast live on WorldSurfLeague.com and the free WSL application, with additional viewing options available through WSL broadcast partners.
