MANU BAY, Raglan, New Zealand (Saturday, May 9, 2026) – An entirely new experience awaits the world’s best surfers as the 2026 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) crosses the Tasman Sea for Stop No. 4, the Corona Cero New Zealand Pro Presented by Bonsoy. As the WSL celebrates 50 years of the World Tour, the high-performance left of Raglan’s Manu Bay will welcome the CT for the first time ever, opening a fresh chapter in New Zealand’s professional surfing history that dates all the way back to the very beginning of professional surfing.
Following an incredibly exciting finale to the GWM Aussie Treble at the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM, the CT heads to its first dedicated left of the season. It will be the first time since 2013 that the CT competition will take place in Aotearoa, after the women’s Tour held four events in Taranaki between 2010 and 2013. The inaugural edition was taken out by Carissa Moore (HAW), who claimed the first CT win of her rookie season and famously donated all of her prize money to the local boardriders club. It will be the first time men’s competition at this level has taken place in New Zealand since Michael Peterson (AUS) won the first-ever event of the professional surfing Tour at North Piha in 1976.
A series of three distinct left points, Raglan has filled the imagination of surfers from around the globe ever since The Endless Summer cemented its place in surfing’s pantheon in 1966. Raglan is famed for its long, wrapping swell lines that reel across the down-the-line racetrack of Indicators, before moving into the slower, shorter stretch of Whale Bay and finally landing at Manu Bay, where the event will take place. The most popular and accessible of the three, Manu Bay features an infamous ledge that throws a hearty barrel when the size is right, before running long into the bay with an endlessly attackable lip. Having previously hosted a Qualifying Series (QS) event in 1995, won by goofy-footer Luke Egan (AUS), who now coaches multiple surfers on Tour, Manu Bay is a staple of national competition in New Zealand.
Three of New Zealand’s foremost competitors have received Wildcards to face off with the world’s best. As the highest-ranked New Zealand surfer on the Challenger Series, Raglan local Billy Stairmand (NZL) earned the WSL Wildcard, while Alani Morse (NZL) and Tom Butland (NZL) rose above a record field at the annual Backdoor King and Queen of the Point Presented by Quiksilver, Roxy, and the WSL. One of New Zealand’s premier events on the competitive calendar, the contest served as the trials, awarding one men’s and one women’s spot into the 2026 event.
Stairmand’s blazing backhand has been refined on the long walls of his home break across more than two decades. The nine-time New Zealand National Champion, two-time Olympian and Challenger Series veteran couldn’t be more excited to don a CT jersey for the first time in front of his hometown crowd.
“This is crazy and really surreal for me,” Stairmand said. “I’ve been on the QS and Challenger Series for over 15 years now, knocking on the door of the CT and have come close a few times. But now, to get that opportunity and for it to be at home, in my backyard and in front of all of my friends, family, community and country, is such a huge honour and privilege. I’ve been dreaming of competing on the CT, and to do it at home is just crazy. The Championship Tour coming to New Zealand is such a huge opportunity for everyone, and this is such a big deal for all New Zealanders. Raglan is a beautiful little town with amazing waves, so I’m so stoked to see the world’s best get to experience this place.”
Born and raised in Auckland, Alani Morse’s (NZL) avid surfing family relocated to Raglan when she was young, helping accelerate the burgeoning careers of both Alani and her brother, Theo Morse (NZL). The siblings soon joined the Raglan Surfing Academy, progressing quickly to represent New Zealand multiple times on the international stage. At just 15 years old, Morse was the youngest competitor in the Queen of the Point Final and claimed a dramatic victory over former CT competitor Paige Hareb (NZL), jumping from fourth to first with a buzzer-beater. A stylish surfer, Morse blends progression and power, particularly on her backhand at her home break of Manu Bay.
“I’m super honoured to be in this position, and for it to happen so early in my career is really special,” Morse said. “It was so cool to compete in front of my hometown and see all the support from the community. I’m pumped to compete against my idols and just soak it all in because it’s such a cool opportunity. It’s all happened in such a short time frame, and I’ve already learned a lot, but I know I’m going to learn a lot more. I’ve had good wins before, but getting carried up the beach after that buzzer-beater moment was crazy. All my wins have been personal, but this felt like I was sharing it with the whole community, and so many people have reached out from around the country as well. It’s been really special.”
A move from Wellington to Taranaki when he was young set Tom Butland (NZL) up with a dream selection of waves to develop his style. Mixing a healthy dose of aerial wizardry with his power base, the 24-year-old is currently known more for his free-surfing pursuits, but grew up with a healthy dose of competitive experience, which he will now look to draw from when he takes on CT Rookie Luke Thompson (RSA) in the opening heat of the men’s draw.
“To win the trials and get a spot in the main event is wild to think about,” Butland said. “I’m kind of tripping on it. I can’t even believe it, to be honest. The conditions put it on for us in the Final, and the boys were ripping. I was just thinking, I’ve got to go full steam into the Final, otherwise the boys are going to take me down. I was injured all of last year with my knee, and then I blew my shoulder and elbow, so last year was a really rough year. That makes this one feel even more special.”
As the Official Global Beer Sponsor of the World Surf League, Corona Cero will be the Title partner of this inaugural Championship Tour event at Raglan. Building on Corona’s nine-year partnership with WSL, the award-winning no-alcohol beer brand will activate on the ground to bring the beachside spirit that defines the sport and Corona to fans and athletes. Spectators of legal drinking age will be able to enjoy a moment of relaxation as they taste the no-alcohol brew and take in the views at the brand’s breathtaking lounge overlooking the break. To bring fans closer to the action, those near and far will have access to digital content diving into local stories told through Corona’s “This is Living” lens.
The Corona Cero New Zealand Pro Presented by Bonsoy, Stop No. 4 of the 2026 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), will hold a competition window from May 15 – 25. The competition will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and the free WSL app. Also, check out more ways to watch from the WSL’s broadcast partners.
The Corona Cero New Zealand Pro Presented by Bonsoy is proudly supported by Corona Cero, New Zealand Government, Bonsoy, I-SEA, Lexus, YETI, Red Bull, Apple Watch, Surfline, True Surf, Backdoor, Real Estate.co.nz, Raglan Roast, Go Media, Media Works
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.