Sports

Iconic Surfing Competitions

Name: Iconic Surfing Competitions
Creator: Community curated
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Pipe Masters at Banzai, Bells Beach bell, J-Bay point break or Teahupoo's end of the road - which wave is the CT's crown jewel?

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Updated:4/9/2026

#sports #surfing #wsl #waves #pipeline

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Competition↕	Founded↕	Location↕	Wave Type↕	Tour↕	Known For↕
Pipe Masters (Lexus Pipe Pro)	1971	Banzai Pipeline, Oahu, Hawaii	Shallow reef barrel	WSL Championship Tour	The crown jewel of surfing, deadly reef, Kelly Slater's record wins, season opener since 2023
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach	1961	Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia	Point break	WSL Championship Tour	Oldest continuously running surf contest, the Bell trophy, Easter tradition
J-Bay Open (Corona Open J-Bay)	1984	Jeffreys Bay, South Africa	Right-hand point break	WSL Championship Tour	The longest, fastest right in world surfing, Mick Fanning shark incident 2015
Tahiti Pro Teahupoo	1999	Teahupo'o, Tahiti	Heavy slab reef break	WSL Championship Tour	The end of the road, thick-lipped barrels over shallow reef, 2024 Olympic venue
US Open of Surfing	1959	Huntington Beach, California	Beach break	WSL Challenger Series	Largest surf event in the US, free beach festival, West Coast summer spectacle
Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast	2002	Snapper Rocks, Queensland	Right-hand point break	WSL Championship Tour	Traditional season opener, the Superbank, Mick Fanning country
MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal	2009	Supertubos, Peniche	Beach break	WSL Championship Tour	European stop, powerful Atlantic swells, late-season title implications
Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational	1985	Waimea Bay, Oahu, Hawaii	Big wave outer reef	Invitational (waves permitting)	Only runs if waves exceed 20 feet, The Eddie Would Go, rare holy grail
WSL Finals	2021	Trestles, Lower Trestles, California	Right-hand point break	WSL Championship Tour	Top 5 surfers battle in one-day title decider, new championship format
Margaret River Pro	1985	Surfers Point, Western Australia	Reef break	WSL Championship Tour	Heavy Indian Ocean swells, remote WA wine country, great white concerns
Nazare Tow Surfing Challenge	2016	Praia do Norte, Nazare, Portugal	Big wave tow-in	WSL Big Wave Tour	Record-setting 80 plus foot waves, Garrett McNamara pioneered this cliff-side break
Billabong Pro Pipeline	1971	Banzai Pipeline, Oahu	Reef barrel	WSL	Alternate Pipeline event name through sponsor eras, same deadly reef
Mavericks Surf Competition	1999	Half Moon Bay, California	Cold-water big wave	Invitational	Ice-cold Northern California big wave classic, one-day hold window
Vans Triple Crown of Surfing	1983	North Shore, Oahu	Hawaiian winter swell	Invitational series	Three-event North Shore series including Haleiwa, Sunset and Pipeline
ISA World Surfing Games	1964	Rotating (El Salvador, Puerto Rico, Huntington Beach)	Variable	ISA	International Surfing Association's world championship, Olympic qualifying