DUNEDIN,
Otago,
New
Zealand
(Monday,
August
17,
2026)
–
The
World
Surf
League
(WSL)
will
bring
Qualifying
Series
(QS)
and
Pro
Junior
competition
to
New
Zealand’s
South
Island
for
the
first
time
when
Dunedin’s
St
Clair
Beach
hosts
the
Dunedin
Pro
QS
4000
and
Pro
Junior
from
March
16–21,
2027.
The
event
will
bring
New
Zealand’s
best
surfers
together
with
the
region’s
leading
competitors,
with
the
QS
4000
offering
valuable
points
towards
next
season’s
Challenger
Series
race.
Around
200
surfers
are
expected
to
compete
across
the
QS
and
Pro
Junior
fields,
with
the
competition
providing
a
brand
new
opportunity
for
emerging
talent
to
compete
at
one
of
Dunedin’s
most
iconic
surf
breaks.
“The
WSL
is
excited
to
bring
Qualifying
Series
and
Pro
Junior
competition
back
to
New
Zealand,
especially
to
such
a
fresh
and
exciting
location
as
Dunedin’s
St
Clair
Beach,”
said
WSL
APAC
Tour
Director
Ty
Sorati.
“Following
the
success
of
the
Championship
Tour
event
earlier
this
year,
it’s
great
to
continue
that
momentum
and
bring
another
level
of
WSL
competition
to
the
country.
St
Clair
is
such
a
great
venue
with
high-quality
waves.
We’re
looking
forward
to
seeing
New
Zealand’s
best
surfers,
along
with
the
best
surfers
from
across
the
region,
competing
right
in
the
heart
of
Dunedin.”
Two
of
New
Zealand’s
top
competitors,
siblings Alexis
Owen
(NZL)
and
Zara
Owen
(NZL),
call
Dunedin
home
and
both
frequent
the
lineup
at
St
Clair.
The
event
is
a
huge
opportunity
for
the
pair
as
the
look
to
further
develop their
surfing
careers,
especially
for
14-year-old
Zara,
the
current
U/14
National
Champion, who
is
yet
to
compete
in
a
WSL
event.
“Since
I’m
still
really
young,
it’s
good
to
have
a
chance
to
compete
against
the
older
people
and
have
this
chance
at
home,”
Zara
said.
“I’m
super
excited.”
Though
her
older
brother
Alexis has
tasted
success
internationally,
including
winning
a
medal
at
the
ISA
World
Juniors,
the
18-year-old
has
had
limited
opportunities
to
compete
at
a
higher
level,
especially
at
home.
“I’m
really
excited.
I’ve
competed
a
lot
overseas
and
at
big
events,
but
having
a
big
event
at
home
would
be
really
exciting,”
Alexis
said.
“All
my
mates
can
watch,
family
can
watch,
and
I’ve
got
the
local
knowledge
on
the
break.
I
can’t
wait
to
see
all
the
pros
come
to
town.
It’s
perfect
for
an
event
because
there’s
always
a
surfable
wave.”
A
consistent
forerunner
in
the
Challenger
Series
conversation
is
the
Gold
Coast’s
Marlon
Harrison
(AUS),
who
couldn’t
be
more
excited
about
the
addition
of
the
Dunedin
Pro,
especially
now
that
a
direct
flight
between
the
two
locations
has
been
introduced.
“I’m
frothing.
I
love
New
Zealand,
it’s
such
an
amazing
country,
and
I
think
my
surfing
suits
the
waves
really
well
over
there
with
the
power,”
Harrison
said.
“I’m
really
excited
to
see
how
my
surfing
goes
against
everyone.
With
4,000
points
on
the
line
towards
the
end
of
the
season,
it
puts
everyone
back
in
the
ballpark
for
the
Challenger
Series,
and
that’s
where
I
want
to
be.
That’s
the
goal,
and
anything
I
can
get
my
hands
on
to
achieve
that
would
be
amazing.
I’ve
never
been
to
Dunedin
but
the
waves
look
insane
and
the
vibe
looks
incredible.
The
people
in
New
Zealand
are
amazing,
and
I
even
love
putting
on
a
wetsuit.
Bring
it
on.”
St
Clair
Beach
is
one
of
New
Zealand’s
best-known
urban
surf
breaks,
located
just
minutes
from
central
Dunedin.
The
event
will
mark
the
first
time
WSL
competition
has
been
held
at
the
venue
and
the
first
WSL
event
on
New
Zealand’s
South
Island,
adding
a
new
destination
to
the
regional
competition
calendar.
Alongside
the
competition,
a
range
of
community
and
cultural
activities
are
planned
throughout
the
event,
with
live
music,
food
and
beverage
offerings,
city
activations
and
ocean
sustainability
initiatives
set
to
complement
the
action
at
St
Clair.
Mayor
of
Dunedin
Sophie
Barker
says
the
event
is
an
exciting
addition
to
the
Dunedin
events
calendar
and
will
showcase
the
city’s
amazing
coast
and
urban
surf
break
to
thousands.
“Few
places
in
New
Zealand
have
a
main
surf
beach
as
central
as
St
Clair.
The
competition
will
put
Dunedin
in
front
of
thousands
of
fans,
over
broadcast
and
in
person,
who
maybe
hadn’t
considered
us
for
their
next
surfing
holiday.
“This
is
a
fantastic
opportunity
to
see
some
of
New
Zealand’s
and
the
world’s
top
surfers
compete
right
at
our
doorstep.
We
look
forward
to
welcoming
them
and
their
families
and
friends
to
our
stunning
beaches,
invite
them
to
explore
our
diverse
experiences,
indulge
in
our
quality
eateries
and
discover
what
makes
our
city
special.”
Enterprise
Dunedin
Acting
Destination
Manager
Teresa
Fogarty
says
the
event
is
intended
to
become
a
regular
fixture
for
Dunedin,
drawing
thousands
of
people
each
time,
driving
awareness
of
the
city
to
bolster
visitor
numbers
across
the
year.
“The
plan
is
for
the
event
to
become
New
Zealand’s
premier
surf
festival.
It
will
include
world
class
surfing,
live
music,
food
and
drink,
ocean
sustainability
programmes,
city
activations
and
community
initiatives.
The
competition
brings
athletes,
officials
and
supporters
to
Dunedin,
where
they
will
not
only
enjoy
a
world-class
sporting
event
but
get
to
experience
everything
else
Dunedin
offers
thanks
to
the
beach’s
central
location.
“Unlike
most
major
sporting
events
that
take
place
indoors,
this
competition
will
showcase
our
city’s
beautiful
and
vibrant
coastal
setting.
As
St
Clair
will
be
the
only
South
Island
location
in
the
circuit,
the
event
presents
a
strategic
opportunity
to
strengthen
Dunedin’s
positioning
within
the
growing
surf
tourism
market,
particularly
with
the
direct
international
flights
from
Gold
Coast,
while
building
our
reputation
as
a
top-level
surf
destination.”
The
Dunedin
Pro
QS
4000
and
Junior
Pro
is
set
to run
from
March
16–21,
2027 at
St
Clair
Beach, Dunedin,
New
Zealand.
Go to Surfing New Zealand
Author: Ben Kennings