10 April 2026
From: Surfing New Zealand
Sport: Surfing
Event: 2026 Backdoor King and Queen of the Point presented by Quiksilver, Roxy and the WSL
Location: Manu Bay, Raglan
Event Info: Surfing New Zealand
WSL Wildcards on the Offering at Biggest Domestic Event of the Season Next Week
Manu Bay, Raglan will determine the two New Zealand representatives for the World Surf League (WSL) Corona Cero New Zealand Pro presented by Bonsoy next week with a talent-laden line up vying for higher honours.
The five-day Backdoor King and Queen of the Point presented by Quiksilver, Roxy and the WSL takes place from Wednesday next week at Raglan. The event has lured back New Zealand’s crème of the crop in the biggest ever field of surfers.
The two wildcards will join Billy Stairmand at the May event after the Raglan surfer was awarded the WSL wildcard in February, the local now sitting on the sidelines next week waiting to see who joins him.
New Zealand representatives, Olympians and our top talent competing on the WSL World Qualifying Series will all return home as will a number of Australian based surfers, each and every one of them keen to match up against the home-based talent.
Taranaki surfer Paige Hareb returns from her base in Australia looking to find the form that saw her compete against the worlds best for eight years. Hareb’s last dance with the world’s elite was in 2019 and since then the 35-year-old has competed on the second tier Challenger Series and Australia/Oceania World Qualifying Series.
Hareb is no stranger to success at Raglan, the powerful goofyfooter winning events at Manu Bay in 2020 and 2021. She will be joined by Paris 2024 Olympian Saffi Vette (Gis) who is another to return from Australia to compete at the event. Despite a recent collision in the surf, Vette is giving herself every chance to compete next week and vie for the wildcard in what would be her first appearance at the World Tour level.
Rounding out the top female seeds will be Tayla Green. Based in Queensland, the New Zealand Junior Representative was the highest placed Kiwi on the World Qualifying Series in 2026 placing fifth overall and missing the step up to the Challenger Series by one place. Green, along with Hareb and Vette will face off against the young brigade coming through the ranks in New Zealand including local surfer Alani Morse and Piha’s Leia Millar and Lola Groube, the latter two surfers finishing seventh at the World Junior Championships in Peru last year.
The Wildcard opportunity has attracted a field of 112 surfers in the Open Men’s Division. Leading from the front will be the likes of Kehu Butler (Mnt) who returns from Hawaii and Elliot Paerata – Reid (Piha), our top surfer on the World Qualifying Series. Neither surfer has tasted success at the event in the past seven years and they will be keen to flip that script. Butler has stepped back from competition in the past two years and Paerata – Reid has surfed selectively at qualifying events, namely choosing tropical destinations with quality surf. But both surfers couldn’t pass up the opportunity to vie for the Wildcard and go on to compete against the best in the world in home waters.
In the seven year history of the event, the sidelined Stairmand has won on three occasions with local surfer Luke Cederman taking two titles and one a piece for Daniel Farr (Tara) and the absent Jay Piper – Healion (Whiti). Cederman and Farr will be looking to add another victory to their tally.
The field of surfers could be blown wide open from a number of other top surfers. Raglan’s Caleb Cutmore will be looking to convert form into results while Gisborne’s Maz Quinn returns to the fold. 2025 National Champion Alexis Owen will be one of the juniors to watch and talent to return from Australia includes Korbin Hutchings, Tane Bowden, Luke Griffin and Coby Perkovich.
The event includes the Under 20’s Divisions for boys and girls, giving young surfers from around the country, the chance to compete at Raglan.
The long-range forecast shows no shortage of swell with the Tasman Sea full of life. It is expected to be solid for the duration of the event with a number of fronts expected to stream across the country during the week. The Open Men’s Division will kick off proceedings on Wednesday as well as the Under 20 Boys Division. The female divisions will commence on Thursday at the earliest. There are two rounds of seeds with the top surfers not likely to enter the water until Friday.
The Backdoor King and Queen of the Point presented by Quiksilver, Roxy and the WSL is part of the New Zealand Surf Series which comprises six events around the country. The event is also supported by Yeti. The event has a prize purse of over $12,000 plus prizes, not to mention the two sort-after wildcards.
Further Information
For further information on the 2026 the Backdoor King and Queen of the Point presented by Quiksilver, Roxy and the WSL, please contact Surfing New Zealand’s Ben Kennings on 0212278732 or benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz.
Imagery
High resolution action images of the surfing at the event will be available to media free of charge.
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Surfing New Zealand is proudly partnered by:
Sport New Zealand
ACC
Sun Bum
Kiwi Holiday Insurance
Ends