TAIRĀWHITI- GISBORNE, New Zealand (Monday, September 28, 2026) – The World Surf League (WSL) will return to Tairāwhiti- Gisborne for the first time since 2011 when the region hosts the Tairāwhiti Pro, Gisborne, featuring Qualifying Series (QS) 4000 and Pro Junior competition from March 23–29, 2027. Hosted by East Coast Surfriders (ECS), the event will bring over 200 surfers from across the Asia Pacific region to compete at some of the region’s renowned surf breaks.
The co-sanctioned QS 4000 will provide surfers from both the Australia/Oceania and Asia regions with the opportunity to earn all-important points towards Challenger Series qualification, while the Pro Junior will offer the region’s best surfers aged 20 and under the chance to compete for a place in the WSL World Junior Championships.
“The WSL is excited to return to Tairāwhiti- Gisborne after more than 15 years and bring both QS and Pro Junior competition to the region,” said WSL APAC Tour Director Ty Sorati. “Gisborne has such a strong surfing history and an incredible range of high-quality waves, so it’s great to have the opportunity to showcase the area to surfers from throughout the wider region. With valuable Challenger Series and World Junior Championships qualification points on the line, we’re looking forward to seeing a strong field of surfers once again deliver professional surfing competition to Tairāwhiti- Gisborne.”
The return of WSL competition to Tairāwhiti- Gisborne has been made possible through funding support from Trust Tairāwhiti and corporate sponsorship. Trust Tairāwhiti Regional Destination Manager Joe Williams said the Trust’s funding support was about more than the competition itself.
“Hundreds of competitors, their support teams and spectators will spend time in our region, supporting local accommodation, hospitality and tourism businesses. It will also put Tairāwhiti and our renowned surf breaks in front of an international audience through the World Surf League, and, importantly, give our own young surfers the chance to experience an event of this calibre in their own backyard.”
“We’re delighted to support the Tairāwhiti Pro,” said Neil Paviour-Smith, Managing Director of Forsyth Barr. “Gisborne and the wider Tairāwhiti region have so much to offer, and we’re proud to back an event that celebrates local talent and brings the world’s attention to this special part of New Zealand.”
ECS Co-Chairs Amber Dunn and Jay Quinn have attended multiple WSL events, including the recent Championship Tour event in Raglan, and said the experience inspired the idea of bringing professional surfing back to Tairāwhiti- Gisborne.
“The WSL has a formula for creating epic surfing events and experiences. They buzz with good energy and enable the public to get up close and personal with your surfing heroes,” said Dunn. “In Raglan, our ECS Secretary Amy Spence had a lightbulb moment and came up with the idea of trying to get Tairāwhiti- Gisborne on the WSL event schedule – and now here we are. We’ve made it come true.”
For Quinn, a multiple-time New Zealand Champion and former WSL competitor, the event represents an opportunity to showcase the depth of surfing talent and world-class waves that have long defined the region.
“In the past, many local surfers competed on both the WQS and Pro Junior series,” said Quinn. “Only three New Zealand surfers have ever made it through the WQS up to the Championship Tour – my brother Maz and Ricardo Christie, both from Gizzy, as well as Paige Hareb. We know this surfing
excellence is connected to the richness of world-class surf breaks here in Gizzy.”
Dunn, a former national surfing champion and coastal scientist, said the concentration of high-quality waves around the city makes Tairāwhiti- Gisborne an ideal location for professional competition.
“We have six world-class surfing beach breaks and reef or point breaks all within 10-15 minutes of our city centre and clean offshore winds are the norm. We really should be referred to as the surfing capital of NZ.”
The event will also provide opportunities for local surfers to compete alongside some of the Asia Pacific region’s leading talent, with wildcard entries available to local and New Zealand surfers across the QS and Pro Junior competitions.
“There are so many great things about partnering with the WSL and bringing them to town,” said ECS Secretary Amy Spence. “The main one being, our local kids and other NZ surfers get wildcard entries into the contests. They get to compete against the world’s best in their home breaks.”
The event is expected to provide a significant opportunity to showcase Tairāwhiti- Gisborne to a global audience. ECS committee member Phil Matthews said the arrival of international surfers would also provide an opportunity for competitors and visitors to experience the wider region.
“These surfing events are livestreamed by the World Surf League so our region, culture and quality surf is going to be seen all around the world. This large pool of competitive surfers will explore our place and do things like stingray feeding at Dive Tatapouri, enjoy a local winery or our local brewery, and we really hope they take on the infamous Rere rockslide.”
Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz also welcomed the return of professional surfing to the region.
“From Te Kuri a Paoa up to Makorori Point, there are so many options available for holding surfing contests, and all the natural beauty of our place is going to be shown to the world. This is really exciting for Tairāwhiti.”
The last WSL event to be held in Tairāwhiti- Gisborne was in 2011, when a QS event was contested at Pines, Wainui Beach, and Pipe at Midway Beach. The return of professional competition in 2027 will provide a new opportunity to showcase the region’s established surfing community and high-performance waves to an international audience.
ECS will announce further details around the event and community programming in the coming months, including a community information evening for local residents and those interested in getting involved.
ECS is grateful for the support of its foundation partners, including Trust Tairāwhiti, Forsyth Barr, Barrett Homes, Red Bull, Bronwyn Kay Real Estate, Eastland Port and additional partners to be announced.
The Tairāwhiti Pro, Gisborne, QS 4000 and Pro Junior will run from March 23–29, 2027, at Tairāwhiti- Gisborne, New Zealand.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.