Top surfing is returning to New Zealand with the World Surf League (WSL) bringing the Qualifying Series (QS) and Pro Junior competition to the South Island for the first time when Dunedin’s St Clair Beach

The 2026 National Surfing Championships will bring New Zealand’s surfing community together on the Gisborne coastline with one of the largest and most diverse fields in recent decades.

Dunedin 16-year-old Alexis Owen caused a big upset at the NZ Surf National taking the title from eight-time champion Billy St