World Surf League Longboard Tour Heads To Taranaki This King’s Birthday Weekend

Taranaki’s reputation as one of the premier surf locations in Aotearoa will take centre stage this winter, with the World Surf League (WSL) bringing its Longboard Tour Qualifying Series to the region over King’s Birthday Weekend this year.

The Taranaki Longboard Classic follows directly on from the WSL Championship Tour stop in Raglan the week prior, keeping international surf attention firmly on New Zealand’s west coast and reinforcing the region’s place on the global surf calendar.

As the second and final stop of the 2026 WSL Australia/Oceania Regional Longboard Qualifying Series, the stakes are high. The top-ranked surfer from this region who has not already qualified will secure a place on the 2026/2027 WSL Longboard World Tour, making Taranaki a critical final battleground.

Craig Williamson, Surfing Taranaki CEO, says having the WSL Longboard Tour at Fitzroy Beach is a rare opportunity to see elite-level longboarding up close.

"We’re excited to be hosting the WSL Taranaki Longboard Classic and Egmont Honey Pro. This will bring world-class competition to Taranaki and give people the chance to watch some of the best in the world compete right here."

Te Puna Umanga Venture Taranaki General Manager Destination, Janet Reynolds says hosting the event is a strong endorsement of the region’s standing on the world surf stage.

"We’re thrilled to support this event through our faciliation of the New Plymouth Major Events Fund. It reinforces our position as an epic, year-round destination, while delivering real economic impact, bringing competitors, support crew, media attention, and international profile that supports our local businesses and visitor economy through the traditionally quieter off-peak period."

With its maunga-to-moana landscape, consistent swells along Surf Highway 45, and a deeply rooted surf culture, Taranaki continues to cement it as a place for surfers and ocean lovers alike.

The event also highlights the strength of New Zealand’s longboarding talent, with several athletes competing for qualification.

Christchurch surfer Jack Tyro enters the event ranked fourth on the regional leaderboard, following a strong performance in Noosa, while current New Zealand Open and Junior National Champion Jaxon Willows sits third, both within reach of securing enough points to qualify for the World Tour.

If successful, they would join a very short list of New Zealanders to reach this level, with Gisborne’s Tom Culham the only Kiwi to qualify for the Longboard World Tour to date, achieving that feat in 2013.

On the women’s side, rising Taranaki talent Izaro Williamson Sasia, current National Junior and Open champion, will compete on home turf at Fitzroy Beach. While not in contention for World Tour qualification this season, the event represents a major opportunity for Izaro to gain experience against world-class competition and continue building a pathway for future success.

WSL Longboard Tour Director Will Hayden-Smith says, "We’re really excited to bring the Longboard Qualifying Series to Taranaki. It’s a region with incredible natural beauty and a strong surf culture, offering the perfect setting for a high-stakes final event. With World Tour qualification on the line, we’re expecting a high level of performance and a great showcase of longboarding for fans and the local community."

The event is proudly supported by Egmont Honey, with the flagship competition named the Egmont Honey Pro.

James Annabell, Egmont Honey CEO and Founder, says the event is a natural fit for the brand’s alignment with performance and natural energy.

"We’re really excited to support the world’s best longboarders as they come together at Fitzroy Beach here in Taranaki for the Egmont Honey Pro. At Egmont Honey, we’re big believers in natural energy and performance. Our Mānuka honey is a powerful, clean fuel and we’re proud to help keep these athletes going - whether they’re out catching waves or recharging between heats."

Egmont Honey will take over the Fitzroy Kiosk for the event, transforming it into the "HoneyPot Café" for the weekend. The café will feature a honey-fuelled menu designed to showcase Mānuka honey as a natural source of energy, bringing the brand to life for spectators and the local community.

In addition, Egmont Honey will support the Pro surfers across the weekend - following their journey through the event and fuelling them with Mānuka honey as they prepare, compete, and recover between heats.

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