World Surf League makes another move toward gender equality

More women will be able to compete at the highest level of competitive surfing, with the World Surf League announcing recently that the field for 2026 will be bumped up to 24 surfers.

The change increases the number from the current top 18 who make the cut for the World Tour, which is considered the major leagues of the sport.

It’s the latest move by the Santa Monica-based World Surf League, the governing body of pro surfing, to create an equal playing field for women.

Two years ago, the WSL changed the women’s tour to match the same locations where the men compete at and in 2019 made prize money equal, becoming the first professional sport in the United States to have the same winnings across the both genders.

“The women are really pushing high-performance surfing to new levels, and we’re seeing unprecedented levels of engagement and excitement,” said Ryan Crosby, WSL CEO, in an e-mail.  “Expanding the field is a step that allows us to meet that momentum and bring more opportunities for women to compete at the highest level.”

The men’s field starts the competitive year with 36 men.

Women’s surfing in recent years has seen a surge in popularity and a new crop of young competitors are pushing boundaries, drawing in viewers eager to see the female progression unfold during competitions.

“Today’s incredible progression is a tribute to the dedication of every generation, and changes like this continue that work,” said Jessi Miley-Dyer, WSL commissioner. “Visibility matters, and it’s exciting.”

Under the new format, the 2026 women’s field will include the top 14 surfers from the World Tour and the top seven qualifiers from the Challenger Series, which is the pathway to the elite-level tour. There will also be two WSL season wildcards, and one event wildcard.

“I’m stoked to see the numbers grow,” Oceanside’s Caitlin Simmers, who won the world title in September at Lower Trestles, said in a statement. “Women’s surfing is so special. I want to see more of it and I think a lot of other people do too.

“I’m really looking forward to having more of my friends on tour,” she added. “I think the world deserves to see how epic their surfing is and how hard they charge. I’m really happy that they’ll get more opportunities to go for it.”

Eight-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore called the WSL’s decision a “sign of the times,” a reflection of the depth of talent within female surfing.

“I’m constantly amazed at the progression and the growing number of women participating in surfing around the world. The future is bright,” she said.

Prior to the 2019 change for equal prize money, women would earn half, sometimes even less, for winning events.

In 2009, for example, Santa Ana surfer Courtney Conlogue won $10,000 for winning the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, while the men’s winner, Brett Simpson, earned a $100,000 check.

It was in 2022 that the WSL implemented a combined schedule for contest events. Prior to that, women had fewer events and most years were not included in some of the heavier, big-wave spots such as Hawaii’s Pipeline or Teahupo’o in Tahiti.

The tides started changing just as San Clemente surfer Caroline Marks joined the World Tour in 2019.

“I’m really excited to hear that more women will be able to be on the (the tour),” Marks said in a statement. “It’s cool too to think that, just as I was able to pursue my career without having to worry about equal prize money, future groms will have a much better chance of being able to join the tour and live their dream knowing that there’s a place for them.”

The  2025 season kicks off on Jan. 27 at the Banzai Pipeline on Oahu’s North Shore.