Trident has always enjoyed watching the WSL events. Kinda. Sometimes. Most times. Depends. Nonetheless, we certainly haven’t enjoyed the pointlessly cutthroat mid year cut; and we were always ambivalent about the Final Five mini contest. Well, much has changed for 2026, and we’re cautiously optimistic to really get into watching the WSL World Championship Tour this year. Our optimism is based on stuff like:
Number 1: Two Saffa’s on tour.
Although to be fair, after only two events in Oz, the two South Africans are looking a bit luckless. In Bells, Luke and Jordy even went up against each other. A battle of experience; Luke Thompson the talented rookie versus the old guard Jordy Smith. Experience won, and with the new one heat loss and you’re out format, Luke was en route to Margaret River. As was Jordy soon after. With one more event on the continent, here’s hoping they both do better.
Even so, and even with the disappointing loss of Matt McGillivray, we still have two South Africans to hoot for this year. It’s still way to early to predict anything at all though. At the very least that our colourful Saffa accent will balance out the aneurysm-inducing Aussie drone they call an accent, the nose-in-the-air French ego’s, the Yank “oh-hey-there” attitudes as well as the insufferable Brazilian tears. Yay.
Number 2: How much everyone will miss J Bay.
So we get Raglan instead. Supposedly a worthy replacement. However, the best part of the wave at Raglan is apparently on sacred Maori ground. Rumour or fact, setting up the judging and contest areas may thus be in dispute. Trident has neither the exact details nor the work ethic to delve further, into what surfing on hallowed areas may involve, but if you hadn’t heard said rumours before – you heard it here first team. If movies have taught us anything though, messing with sacred grounds is generally a very poor idea. So if hooking some sick turns up the point at Raglan somehow conjures up an ancient, angry Maori spirit, J Bay will be missed even more.
Somehow, adding Raglan but leaving J Bay off the tour is literally like your favourite band’s reunion tour minus a key member.
We still have a wavepool event in Abu Dhabi (unimpressed but hopeful face), as well as Portugal in a better season than when they’ve run it in the past. So there will be a few events on tour within our time zone at least. But none of them will be J Bay.
Number 3: The potential fizzling out of the Brazilian storm.
Well, that’s what people are saying. Trident personally enjoys most of the Brazzo’s, particularly Toledo, Medina and undoubtedly last year’s winner – Yago Dora. However, and we’re not mentioning names (Chianca), many Brazilian surfers attempt to come across as free spirited, generous, joyful, dancin’ in the street type of personalities. Which they do well. When things go their way. However, when heats don’t end with a Brazzo win, there’s hell to pay. Overly emotional, whiny and often plain threatening (and that’s just their social media followers), Brazilian surfers are hardly ever gracious in defeat. All kinds of accusations fly when they don’t get results. This despite most World Cup winners over the last decade plus being Brazilian.
So, as they do, times change. And so does surfing and thus competitive surfing changes too. Perhaps we’ll see a charge from another surfing nation this year. Although, three time winner Medina is fit and back on the tour though, so Trident could be eating our words. Anyway. There is plenty of talent from the other countries. Jordy is a perennial World Title favourite, so here’s hoping. More significantly, there’s talk about Australia as a surfing nation being back on form. Trident doesn’t really know how to take that.
Number 4: The end of both the despised mid-year cut as well as the Final Five Finals Day Format
Or FFFDF for short. With that number of F’s in the acronym, you’re welcome to substitute ant other words you want. But that particular massively stupid decision is done. We’re not gonna waste any more time talking at length about how kak those ideas were. Instead, we have this new brutal new format:
Number 5: The brutal new format we just mentioned.
Lost a heat? You’re out. First round, no elimination heats, no do-overs, no second chance. Men’s or ladies’, lose any heat and you’re off to the next event. Trident has mixed emotions here, as we feel it doesn’t give anyone enough time to really adjust. Anyone can have a bad heat. We certainly have. So the jury is out for now – but let’s see how this works out, hey? Still, it beats being chucked off tour mid year. At least this way you’re guaranteed a full year on the CT. So make it happen Saffa’s. Despite our South African pair looking somewhat out of sorts.
