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.
Go to Surfing New Zealand
Author: Ben Kennings