The surfers from Australia have never been a disappointment when it comes to competing on the World Surf League Championship Tour, and the year 2026 is not an exception either – although all the scores are subject to change every week now. With six events held already within a completely new 12-event calendar, the Australians can be found in various positions of the rankings, some of them building up real momentum, while others searching for the form that made them tour competitors.
The old winner-take-all WSL Finals shootout has been scrapped, replaced by a points race that now runs all the way to a reimagined Pipe Masters in December. Nothing is locked in yet, but the picture through Saquarema, Brazil, the most recent stop on the calendar, already says plenty about which Australians are building real momentum and which ones need a big result before the tour reaches Lower Trestles in September.
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Which Australian Surfers Have Qualified for the WSL Finals
Clear from the start: There is no such thing as an individual qualification for WSL Finals this year. This competition has been abolished by WSL itself for 2026 season in favor of ranking system where the world champion will be decided simply based on points earned throughout all 12 events, and the season will end in December in Pipeline rather than in September in Lower Trestles. Thus, no Australian has really qualified for anything since there is no such a goalpost anymore. What we can do is to name the Australians who are most likely to become the world champions.
Ethan Ewing has been the standout, stringing together deep runs at nearly every stop and reaching another semifinal at Saquarema. George Pittar has been the breakout story of the year, climbing as high as fifth overall after a stunning win over Gabriel Medina at Margaret River. Stephanie Gilmore, back on tour after time away, has already picked up a win this season, proving the seven-time champion still has plenty left in the tank. On the women’s side, Molly Picklum enters the back half of the year as the reigning world champion, still very much part of the conversation even after a shaky result in Brazil.
Surfers Who Narrowly Missed Out
“Missed out” is definitely an understatement this year, with the lack of a mid-year cut for the first time in five years, and the absence of a final field. However, some Australians have certainly been on the wrong side of things at the worst possible time. Molly Picklum missed the cut after round two of the Saquarema Pro. This is a disappointing performance from someone who is looking to carry the momentum throughout the rest of the season. Tyler Wright also exited in round one of the Saquarema Pro.
Jack Robinson, long tipped as Australia’s best shot at ending the men’s world title drought, is still chasing the breakthrough result many expected of him this year, despite flashes of real quality, including a strong second-round win in Brazil. None of these surfers are in danger of missing the postseason field just yet, since qualification for the reduced Abu Dhabi and Portugal events isn’t decided until Lower Trestles in September, but the margin for error is shrinking fast.
How the Final Rankings Shape the World Title Race
The new formula alters the equation for all those looking to clinch a world title. Instead of five leading surfers facing off in one event during September, this year’s winners will be those who rack up the highest amount of points from their best nine performances from twelve events, including a season-ending Pipe Masters event that is worth twice as much as any other event. Consistency becomes key over the coming months instead of a spectacular one week performance in California. Leonardo Fioravanti from Italy has turned into an unlikely leader for the men’s tour following his first-ever CT win at El Salvador, while Brazilian Luana Silva and Yago Dora have led the women’s and men’s rankings at different points in time.
For Australia, the world title picture depends heavily on Ewing and Pittar carrying their form through Teahupo’o and Cloudbreak, and on Picklum finding the switch that made her world champion last year before Trestles locks in who plays on into the postseason. With no shootout to fall back on this year, every heat between now and September genuinely counts.