Australia to host first three events of 2026 WSL Champions TourTopic:Surfing1h ago1 hours agoSat 3 May 2025 at 2:39amSally Fitzgibbons surfing at Bells Beach, where the 2026 WSL Champions Tour will begin the season. (AAP: World Surf League/Ed Sloane)In short:The first three rounds of the 2026 World Surf League Champions Tour will be held in Australia.Organisers have axed the divisive finals day to decide the world champions.What's next?The season will begin in April at Bells Beach, followed by events at Margaret River and Snapper Rocks.abc.net.au/news/australia-to-host-first-three-events-of-2026-wsl-champions-tour/105247318Link copiedShareShare articleAustralian surfers are the big winners in a revamped 2026 World Surf League (WSL) calendar that has axed the divisive finals day to decide the world champions.The WSL has announced a new schedule, pushing the Championship Tour back from a January start to kick off at Bells Beach in April.This is followed by events at Margaret River and Snapper Rocks, giving Australian surfers a flying start in their home breaks.Surfing legend Gilmore still driven to take on the worldPhoto shows Female surfer speaking to media, smiling, prior to a surfing eventSurfing legend Stephanie Gilmore has said the competitive fires are still burning as she prepares to return to the World Surf League this weekend on the Gold Coast."I think kicking off the tour in Australia is a great way to start," WSL boss Ryan Crosby told AAP."There's so many amazing and iconic waves in Australia, it was a really good opportunity for us to start the season here and we're excited to do that."This change actually does a lot of things for us as it puts us into a lot of really good swell periods for all of our venues."It also allows us to bring the European leg into October, which is a big help for us because that's a really good window for them so that'll be a big improvement."Portugal will now be in a time of year when the wave will actually be better."ABC Sport Daily podcastABC Sport Daily is your daily sports conversation. We dive into the biggest story of the day and get you up to speed with everything else that's making headlines.There are still 12 events, with the Pipe Masters in Hawaii held in December the tour finale, with a win in that event worth 15,000 points instead of the usual 10,000.The controversial mid-season cut has been softened, coming after the ninth tour stop at Lower Trestles in California, and that will be determined by a surfer's best seven results.The fields of 36 men and 24 women will then be narrowed to 24 men and 16 women for stops 10 and 11 before all surfers return for the iconic North Shore event, with the top eight seeded.Crosby said surfers were surveyed and represented by a new advisory council in discussions about the changes."We were talking about what's the optimal form for the league and what do we want it to look like, and the answer that kept popping up for us was finishing at the world's most iconic wave," Crosby said."We were listening to surfer feedback, to fan feedback — we spent a lot of time actually talking to the surfers."Jack Robinson celebrates winning the final at Bells Beach with fans. (AAP: World Surf League/Ed Sloane)West Australian Jack Robinson, who won at Bells Beach last month and has competed in the one-day finals over the three years its been held, backed crowning the world champion at Pipeline."Pipeline is what it's all about — there's a reason so many people dedicate their lives to mastering it," he said in a statement."Starting my 2023 season with a win at Pipe was huge, but I can only imagine how incredible it would be to end the season winning both the event and the world title there."It's exciting to see the CT keep evolving, and I'm stoked the WSL is listening to feedback and working hard to make the tour better for everyone."World Surf League Champions Tour calendar 2026Round 1: Bells Beach, VictoriaRound 2: Margaret River, Western AustraliaRound 3: Snapper Rocks, QueenslandRound 4: Punta Roca, El SalvadorRound 5: Saquarema, BrazilRound 6: Jeffreys Bay, South AfricaRound 7: Teahupo'o, TahitiRound 8: Cloudbreak, FijiRound 9: Lower Trestles, United StatesStart of post-seasonRound 10: Surf Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesRound 11: Peniche, PortugalRound 12: Pipe Masters, HawaiiAAPThe ABC of SPORTSports content to make you think... or allow you not to. 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