The World Surf League (WSL) has officially announced the return of the TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge for the 2026/27 season. The competition window opens on November 1, 2026 and runs until March 31, 2027, with the iconic Praia do Norte in Nazaré, Portugal, once again serving as its stage.

The TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge is one of the world's most anticipated giant-wave surfing competitions, bringing together some of the best specialists in the sport. The event takes place over a single day, when the Atlantic delivers a solid swell of at least 25 feet (around 7.6 metres) and wind, tide and safety conditions are favourable. The competition typically takes place in much bigger waves, which can exceed 10 or even 15 metres when conditions allow.

📅 Competition Window and WSL Alerts

The competition window runs from November 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027. Throughout these months, the WSL Tours and Competition team monitors swells heading towards Nazaré, looking for the ideal window to hold the event.

The competition date is not fixed. The organisers wait for a sufficiently powerful swell and favourable conditions to ensure athletes can compete safely. As a potential event window approaches, the WSL may issue two alerts:

• ⚠️ TUDOR Big Wave Yellow Alert: may be issued up to 72 hours before the potential competition date, indicating that the event may be activated.
• ✅ TUDOR Big Wave Green Alert: confirms that the competition will take place within the following 24 hours, provided conditions remain favourable.

As giant-wave forecasts can change, final confirmation depends on how the swell, wind and tide develop.

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Highlights from the previous edition of the Nazaré Big Wave Challenge (2025/26) — via WSL

🏄‍♂️ Nazaré Local Dino Carmo Joins Justine Dupont as Driver

One of the highlights for the 2026/27 season is the participation of Nazaré local Dino Carmo, who joins French surfer Justine Dupont as her jet ski driver.

In tow-in giant-wave surfing, the driver plays a crucial role: towing the surfer into the wave and providing support throughout the session, including safety and rescue operations. Experience and coordination between both team members are essential when tackling the extreme conditions at Praia do Norte.

The initial list announced by the WSL includes nine invited teams, six men's teams and three women's teams. The organisation notes that invitations may change closer to the confirmed competition date.

🏄‍♂️ Invited Teams for 2026/27

Men's Teams

• Nic von Rupp (Portugal) / Clement Roseyro (France)
• Rodrigo Koxa (Brazil) / Vitor Faria (Brazil)
• Will Santana (Brazil) / Gabriel Sampaio (Brazil)
• Lucas Chianca (Brazil) / Pedro Scooby (Brazil)
• Andrew Cotton (United Kingdom) / James Carew (Australia)
• Benjamin Sanchis (France) / Jerome Sayhoun (Morocco)

Women's Teams

• Justine Dupont (France) / driver: Dino Carmo (Portugal)
• Michelle des Bouillons (Brazil) / driver: Ian Cosenza (Brazil)
• Laura Crane (United Kingdom) / driver: Eric Rebiere (France)

Official invitee list published by the WSL. Teams may change up to the day of the competition.

🏆 New Competition Format for 2026/27

The 2026/27 edition introduces changes to the format of both the men's and women's divisions, aiming to create a more balanced competition and give athletes more time to compete in their respective heats.

In the men's division, the six teams will be split into two semifinals. The winning team from each semifinal will advance directly to the final. The third place in the final will go to the runner-up team with the highest total score across the two semifinals. The final will therefore feature three teams competing for the Best Men's Team Performance Award.

Individual scores from the male surfers will also count towards the Men's Best Performance Award.

In the women's division, the three teams will compete in a single final to determine the Women's Best Performance Award. Each team will feature just one female surfer, towed into waves by her jet ski driver.

📊 How Does the Scoring Work?

Each surfer's individual score is based on their two highest-scoring waves, with the highest-scoring wave counting double. Each wave is scored from 0 to 10 points, giving each surfer a maximum individual score of 30 points.

The awards are:

• Men's Best Performance: the highest individual score in the men's division.
• Women's Best Performance: the highest individual score in the women's division.
• Best Men's Team Performance: the best overall men's team result, calculated using the two highest-scoring rides from each of the team's two surfers.

Safety is a priority throughout the competition. All team members must have the experience and ability to tow in and rescue their partners in the challenging conditions at Praia do Norte.

🌍 Nazaré at the Heart of Giant-Wave Surfing

The TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge reinforces Nazaré's status as one of the world's leading destinations for giant-wave surfing. The combination of powerful North Atlantic swells and the unique underwater features of the Nazaré Canyon can generate exceptional waves, attracting athletes, photographers, journalists and visitors from around the world.

As the competition window opens on November 1, anticipation builds for another season of big waves at Praia do Norte. The event will only be called on when the WSL determines that the necessary conditions are in place.

🏆 Previous Edition

The 2025/26 edition ended with a consecutive victory for Nic von Rupp and Clement Roseyro, while Justine Dupont claimed the women's individual title once again. Lucas Chianca was also among the standout performers, returning to the top of the men's individual podium.

🔗 Read the official WSL announcement and visit our information page:
➡️ Useful Information About the Event — Nazaré Waves