WSL Announces Expanded 2027 Tour: Two New Stops, Wildcard Overhaul

The World Surf League announced major structural changes to the Championship Tour for 2027, adding two European venues and overhauling the wildcard and qualification system in the most significant restructure since the introduction of the Finals event format in 2021.

Ericeira, Portugal — home to one of the densest concentrations of quality point breaks in Europe — and Mundaka in Spain's Basque Country will join the calendar as full CT stops. The announcement confirms years of speculation following both venues' success as Qualifying Series events.

The wildcard pathway has been revised to include a direct allocation for the top performers on the newly rebranded Challenger Series, as well as a regional wildcard for high-performing surfers from underrepresented markets. The changes follow criticism that the current system has made CT access increasingly difficult for athletes outside Brazil, Australia, and the United States.