​If you were hoping to catch some world-class surfing today, you will have to wait just a little bit longer. Competition has been officially called off for today, tomorrow and the next day at the Corona Cero New Zealand Pro presented by Bonsoy. This event is Stop No. 2 of the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour, but small waves have left competitors with very little to work with. Event organisers have made the call to put the event on standby until the next swell arrives at Raglan's Manu Bay.
"As expected, we have arrived at Manu Bay this morning to find a flat ocean," said WSL VP Tours and Competitions Renato Hickel. He noted that the forecast shows these flat conditions are likely to hang around for a few days. Organisers will call off the event for the immediate future and return on Thursday afternoon for another look. Hickel remains optimistic about the days ahead, adding, "We are confident that if not Friday, we have great waves on the forecast for the weekend and the last day of the window to complete the event". The next official call to restart the competition will be on Thursday, May 21, for a possible Friday, May 22 start.
Huge Matchups on the Horizon
Once the swell finally arrives and competition resumes, the first heat of the day will be an absolute must-watch. Brazilian World Champions Gabriel Medina and Filipe Toledo will meet for the second time in as many events. With Toledo taking the advantage at Snapper Rocks just two weeks ago, Medina will be looking to utilise his powerful frontside attack on the long walls of Manu Bay to take the win and book himself a spot on Finals Day for the fourth straight event in 2026.
There are plenty of other surfers looking to make their mark when the action returns. Californian Cole Houshmand has had a slow start to the 2026 season, but he will take confidence from an early heat win in Raglan. The powerful goofy-footer will hope to build on that momentum, but he will first need to overcome the always consistent Leonardo Fioravanti in Heat 6 of Round Three.
On the women's side, San Diego's Alyssa Spencer is aiming to equal her best-ever Championship Tour result with another Semifinal berth, though she will need to take down 2026 standout Gabriela Bryan in Quarterfinal Heat 1 to make it happen. In Quarterfinal Heat 2, two-time WSL World Champion Tyler Wright will match up against event standout Sawyer Lindblad. Wright has already guaranteed her best result of the season with a Quarterfinal berth, while Lindblad is looking to find her way into her third straight Semifinal appearance in 2026.
Upcoming New Zealand Pro Matchups
Here is the full list of heats to look forward to once the New Zealand Pro gets back underway:
Men’s Round Three Remaining Matchups
- Heat 2: Gabriel Medina vs. Filipe Toledo
- Heat 3: Liam O'Brien vs. Morgan Cibilic
- Heat 4: Rio Waida vs. Alejo Muniz
- Heat 5: Yago Dora vs. Marco Mignot
- Heat 6: Cole Houshmand vs. Leonardo Fioravanti
- Heat 7: Italo Ferreira vs. Kanoa Igarashi
- Heat 8: Jack Robinson vs. Miguel Pupo
Women’s Quarterfinal Matchups
- Heat 1: Gabriela Bryan vs. Alyssa Spencer
- Heat 2: Tyler Wright vs. Sawyer Lindblad
- Heat 3: Molly Picklum vs. Bettylou Sakura Johnson
- Heat 4: Carissa Moore vs. Caroline Marks
