Apple has expanded its sponsorship with the World Surf League, and the league now describes Apple as both its official wearable technology partner and part of its official mobile phone designation. Beginning with the 2026 season, WSL broadcasts will incorporate data from athlete-worn Apple Watches, including distance traveled on a wave, wave speed and heart rate, while iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models will be used to capture social and broadcast footage.

WSL chief executive Ryan Crosby said the watch data is being added because the league can now clean, store and warehouse the information for broadcast use. He also said the watches give surfers real-time offshore information that can help them understand priority, required scores and other details in difficult conditions. Apple released a promotional video highlighting the partnership, which is now in its third year after first being announced in 2023.

The collaboration was designed to let surfers view live heat scores, running clock information, lead changes and priority updates without looking away from the ocean. The rollout was not without early problems, with Championship Tour surfer Leo Fioravanti complaining during an event at Pipe that his watch did not function properly, and some athletes reportedly facing fines for not wearing the device. Despite those issues, Apple Watches have become a normal part of Championship Tour competition and are described as successful in part because they have become unobtrusive during events.

Italo Ferreira suffered a deep laceration to his right knee two days before the El Salvador Pro during a freesurf session at Sunzal and required eight stitches after what he described on Instagram as an incident in which ‘another surfer ran right over me.’ Local reports said he was struck by a novice longboarder while surfing with his wife, Sofia Larocca. Wozzle said he was medicated, reported being pain-free and remains under observation.

Ferreira, the World Surf League (WSL) tour rankings leader, Olympic gold medalist and former world champion, is seeded into heat nine of round two at the El Salvador Pro, which is set to begin Friday at Punta Roca. Heat nine will pair him with the winner of the Ramzi Boukhiam vs. Matt McGillivray matchup, according to the heat draw. He has not officially withdrawn, but the timing of the sutured knee gives him little time to recover and could force a short-notice pullout — which would join Jordy Smith as an already withdrawn competitor. Organizers, medical staff and Ferreira’s team will reassess his fitness ahead of the event.

The World Surf League (WSL) awarded Kauai-based Tatiana Weston‑Webb (BRA) a wildcard to the VIVO Rio Pro Presented by Corona Cero, which is scheduled to run June 19–27 at Praia de Itaúna in Saquarema. The Rio appearance will be Weston‑Webb’s first competition since the birth of her daughter, Bia, and follows a midseason withdrawal in 2025 for mental health reasons and a later pregnancy announcement; she last surfed at Saquarema while pregnant.

Weston‑Webb said the comeback will be emotional with Bia by her side and that motherhood has given her greater emotional strength, maturity and gratitude. She said she intends to compete “in a lighter way” while maintaining her intensity and desire to win. The wildcard gives her a competitive opportunity and a first step toward her stated goal of returning to the Championship Tour in 2026, while reconnecting with Brazilian fans at a familiar venue. Ivan Martinho, President of WSL Latin America, said her bond with Praia de Itaúna and its spectators will make the return memorable and called the selection meaningful for local supporters.

The World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) opened the season after a seven-month offseason with a slate of format changes that reshaped early standings. The league removed the Final 5, reinstated cumulative points, eliminated the mid-season cut and non‑elimination rounds, added a new New Zealand venue and introduced bonus points for the Pipeline finale. Four early events across Australia and New Zealand followed, and those rule changes produced a start weighted toward right-point waves that affected the initial rankings and heat outcomes.

On the men’s tour, Brazilian goofy‑footers Italo Ferreira, Miguel Pupo, Gabriel Medina and Yago Dora led the standings after the Oceania events. George Pittar won at Margaret River, while several regular‑footed contenders — including Kanoa Igarashi, Jack Robinson and Jordy Smith — underperformed early in the season.

On the women’s side, Lakey Peterson, Stephanie Gilmore and Carissa Moore won the three most recent events, and 20‑year‑old Sawyer Lindblad moved into the top five following a final and a semifinal. The tour is scheduled next to the Punta Roca stop in El Salvador, then Brazil.

Equipment and shaper trends tracked closely with results. Surfboard Empire’s CT Shaper Rankings presented by Veia showed Lost retook the lead from DHD after the Oceania swing, holding a 9,140‑point advantage; Marcio Zouvi’s Sharp Eye moved into third, leapfrogging Channel Islands.

Individual surfer‑board links also stood out. Carissa Moore recorded her first CT win of the season at Raglan riding a Lost board, and both women’s Raglan finalists rode boards sporting Mayhem decals. Italo Ferreira won on an IF15 model shaped by Simon Jones, a PU build made at the request of his coach Leandro Dora; that same IF15 assisted Timmy Patterson to a win. Matt Biolos remained prominent after three consecutive CT Shaper of the Year titles and a Stab in the Dark All‑Stars win. Lost’s large points cushion positioned the brand as the early favorite for upcoming South American events, with surfers Griffin, Yago, Carissa, Gabriela and Caroline noted as typically strong in those conditions.

Filipe Toledo posted the day’s highest single-wave score at the Raglan Championship Tour stop, earning an 8.83 for a seven-turn ride on a wide, low-rocker swallowtail fitted with a two-plus-one fin arrangement known as a Modern 2.
Observers described the equipment choice as unconventional for the conditions at Raglan. Toledo said the Modern 2 setup held speed through Raglan’s shifting flat and steep sections and allowed him to concentrate on placing strong turns, and the unusual configuration drew public notice from 11-time world champion Kelly Slater, who compared it to past twin and quad experiments by surfers such as Dane Reynolds.
Toledo is scheduled to face rankings leader Gabriel Medina in Round 3, and it remains unclear whether he will stick with the same two-plus-one fin configuration for upcoming heats.

The World Surf League quietly sold its stake in Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch in Central California, several sources confirmed. The transaction was not publicly announced by the WSL or by Kelly Slater Wave Co., and the league did not respond to requests for comment. Kaniela Neves, president of the Surf Ranch, acknowledged the transaction and said the company had not yet formally released acquisition details. It remains unclear who now owns the Surf Ranch, although Los Angeles investor Joseph Self updated his LinkedIn profile to show a partnership beginning in February 2026.

The move followed the WSL’s hiring of CEO Ryan Crosby in 2024, under whom the league refocused on core surf audiences and adopted a revamped tour format. The prior era under Erik Logan emphasized non-endemic audiences and included a reality show.

The WSL shifted its wave-pool efforts to the Middle East, building Surf Abu Dhabi in 2024 and adding it to the Championship Tour in 2025 and 2026. That change signaled a move away from the Surf Ranch as the centerpiece of the league’s wave-pool activity.

Kelly Slater first revealed the Surf Ranch in December 2015 and the WSL majority-acquired the facility in May 2016. The venue hosted Championship Tour events in 2018, 2019, and 2021, and it has continued to operate commercially, reportedly renting for as much as $70,000 a day.

Veteran surfers aged 30 and older delivered early-season comebacks on the WSL Championship Tour, reshaping the standings. Eight-time world champion Steph Gilmore returned after a two-year break. After losing opening heats at Bells and Margaret River and questioning her ability to win, she chose Snapper Rocks to prove herself and won the Gold Coast Pro at her home break. The victory was her 34th career CT win and moved her up from last place to seventh in the rankings while eliminating several top opponents.

Lakey Peterson reinforced the veterans’ resurgence by winning the Margaret River Pro, beating Erin Brooks and competitors including Caroline Marks. Peterson’s win, plus two fifth-place finishes, leaves her tied for second overall. Many rookies have underperformed so far, with Nadia Erostarbe cited as an exception.

The Gold Coast Pro was held at Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast and the men’s title went to Ethan Ewing, who defeated Connor O’Leary for his third CT win. After the Australian leg, Luana Silva is wearing the women’s yellow jersey, with Gabriela Bryan, Lakey Peterson, Molly Picklum and Caity Simmers rounding out the women’s top five. Gabriel Medina holds the men’s yellow jersey, trailed in the top five by George Pittar, Miguel Pupo, Ethan Ewing and Samuel Pupo.

Inertia framed the Snapper Rocks results as early momentum shifts that set the stage for the debut New Zealand Pro in Raglan, scheduled for May 15–25.