Top Surf Competitions — where to catch the best surfers in the world

We all love learning to surf and watching our students master different levels and skill sets. But surfing is much more than a hobby, it’s a way of life and a profession for many people. Surfing’s elite athletes, travel the globe competing on the WSL World Championship Tour.

We’ve compiled a list of some of the top surf competitions in the world, so you can enjoy these amazing athletes with us this year:

1) Maverick’s

Location: Maverick in Northern California

About: This competition pits the top 24 best big wave surfers against each other. Waves in Half Moon Bay can get great height and large swells, so this competition can be amazing to watch — and incredibly demanding to surf.

Prize: $30,000

2) WSL World Tour

Location: Different locations around the world (hence the name “World Tour”)

About: 45 male surfers and 17 female surfers compete in 10 separate legs of the competition. Points are awarded for crazy manoeuvers, speed, power, and flow.

Prize: Varies

3) Tahiti Pro Teahupoo

Location: Teahupoʻo, Tahiti

About: This competition is held at one of the world’s most traitorous waves on the planet commonly referred to as the “heaviest wave in the world”.

Prize: $321,400 Total Purse

4) Hawaiian Pro

Location: Alii Beach Park in Haleiwa 

About: The reef in Haleiwa can be tricky, capable of delivering hard-to-read waves, which makes this competition amazing to watch down to the last moments. This is the 1st leg of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing

Prize: : $321,400 Total Purse

5) Vans World Cup of Surfing

Location: Sunset Beach Hawaii 

About: Huge shifting peaks & open ocean swells make this competition a great one to watch. Competitors have to be on their toes to anticipate and react to unusual circumstances. This is 2nd leg of the three-part Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.

Prize: $100,000

6) Billabong Pipeline Masters

Location: The Pipeline on Hawaii’s Norther Shore 

About: This is the final leg of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. Massive waves with huge tube rides breaking just a short distance off shore make this event the most impressive event to watch.

Prize:  $321,400 Total Purse

Are there any surf competitions near your home? We love having so many great tournaments so close to our surf shop in Haleiwa, on Hawaii’s North Shore. Mark the date on your calendar to join us on the beach this year to watch some truly magical surfers take to the waves!