The World Surf League (WSL) has officially announced that the waiting period is now open for the TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge, the big wave competition returning to the iconic Praia do Norte in Nazaré for the 2025/26 season.

The TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge is one of the most anticipated big wave competitions in the world, bringing together the most experienced and fearless surfers, ready to take action as soon as the ocean presents truly epic conditions.

Official launch poster for the competition – via WSL

📅 Event Waiting Period

The waiting period is now open and runs until March 31, 2026. During this time, the WSL monitors daily swell, wind, and tide forecasts to identify the best possible day for the competition.

The event date is not fixed. Activation only occurs when a very solid swell appears in the North Atlantic, capable of generating waves over 8 meters with a high likelihood of suitable conditions for the event. At that time, the WSL may issue:

• ⚠️ Big Wave Yellow Alert: issued up to 72 hours in advance, indicating the event may be activated.
• ✅ Big Wave Green Alert: confirms the competition will take place within the next 24 hours.

This short notice period is the most accurate possible with current forecast technology, ensuring the competition occurs on the biggest and best waves of the winter.

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We will send all relevant notifications — Yellow Alert, Green Alert, and final activation confirmation with the event date — as soon as they are announced by the WSL.

🎬 Official WSL Big Wave Competition Launch Video

🏄‍♂️ Format and Location

The TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge is a one-day competition in the tow-in format (pulled by jet ski), contested in teams. If conditions do not allow all heats to be completed in one day, the competition may continue the following day.

The event takes place at Praia do Norte — Nazaré, Portugal, one of the most iconic surf locations in the world. The competition is open to the public, both at the lighthouse area and on the beach, attracting thousands of visitors, photographers, journalists, and surf fans from all continents.

Expected athletes include Nic von Rupp, Lucas “Chumbo” Chianca, Justine Dupont, Kai Lenny, António Laureano, among others — official list to be confirmed by the WSL closer to the event date.

🌍 Impact and Significance

The giant waves of Nazaré demand extreme levels of physical, technical, and mental preparation from athletes. Each edition redefines the limits of the sport and reinforces Nazaré’s status as the world capital of big waves.

🏆 Previous Edition

The previous edition of the TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge took place on February 18, 2025, marking the 8th edition of the competition. (See the full report of the previous edition here.)

🔗 More information is available in the official WSL announcement, the official event page, and also on our info page:
➡️ Useful information about the event – Nazaré Waves