California Surfers Dominate World Surf League, Which is Planning Major Changes in 2026
Two surfers from Southern California dominated the World Surf League this year as the sports organization announced sweeping changes to its competition.
The World Surf League, or WSL, is a governing body for professional surfers across the globe, and regularly holes competitions that allow athletes to showcase their talent in a variety of formats.
In the recent La Marginal Surfing Pro in Puerto Rico on Nov. 2, surfers Alyssa Spencer of Encinitas and Dimitri Poulos of Ventura dominated the event, causing rankings to shuffle heading into the second half of the season.
The Southern California surfers proved once again that the region — including San Diego — is a powerhouse in the world of professional surfing. And, additionally, the WSL announced new changes that should allow San Diego surfers to showcase their skills on an even greater stage.
For one, the League is moving away from a five-surfer, one-day title finale to a full-field championship that will culminate in a post-season tour finale at the famous Pipeline surf break on O’ahu’s North Shore.
Additionally, the League is doing away with its controversial mid-season cut to allow all 36 men and 24 women to compete in the first nine “regular season” before returning to the 12th and final event at Pipeline, Reuters has reported.
From April 2026 to December 2026, the World Surf League Championship Tour will make 12 stops at famous surfing spots throughout the world, including Bells Beach, Australia; Jeffreys Bay, South Africa; and Lower Trestles in far Northern San Diego County. (Trestles, it’s worth noting, will also be the location for the 2028 Summer Surfing Olympics.)
According to organizers at the League, the new format is meant to solidify surfing as a global sport and help draw in more non-surfing audience members.
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Mike Peterson is a writer, editor, and strategist based in San Diego. When he’s not writing and editing the La Jolla news, you can often find him practicing yoga, rock climbing, or exploring the outdoors with his wife and dog.
