- Kelly Slater Returns as Event Wildcard for 21st Tahiti Pro Showing
- Top Seeds Eye Ultimate Success at The End of the Road
- Homegrown Talent Takes Centre Stage in Tahiti
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Pictured: Tahitian dancers today at the opening ceremony of the Outertknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA. Credit: WSL / Matt Dunbar

TEAHUPO’O, Tahiti, French Polynesia (Friday, August 7, 2026) – The world’s best surfers arrived in Tahiti and are preparing to take on one of the world’s heaviest waves, Teahupo’o, ahead of the Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA, Stop No. 7 of the 2026 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), which holds a window from August 8 to 18, 2026. A solid forecast for the event has drawn both nerves and excitement from the field as the midway point of the 2026 CT season sees the World Title race kick into high gear.

With incoming swell expected to fill in over the coming days, there is high confidence that if local winds stay light, competition will get underway on Day 1 of the window. The first call will be tomorrow, Saturday, August 8, at 7:00 a.m. TAHT for a potential 7:30 a.m. start.

Kelly Slater Returns as Event Wildcard for 21st Teahupo’o Showing

Surfing’s greatest of all time, 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), returns to CT competition this week as an Event Wildcard for a location he has helped define across its tenure on Tour. After winning the event in his first appearance in 2000, Slater went on to claim victory another four times, most recently in 2016, placing in a total of seven Finals out of 20 prior showings. Some of Slater’s finest performances have come in years he didn’t win, including his victory over three-time World Champion John John Florence (HAW) in the Semifinals of the 2014 event, in what is widely considered to be one of the greatest heats of all time. Traveling to Tahiti with his family, including his newborn daughter, the 54-year-old will come up against Maui’s Eli Hanneman (HAW), who will be making his Teahupo’o debut, in Round One.

“I’ve been coming here since 1993 when there was no one even surfing here so it’s always nice to come back,” Slater said. “This year definitely looks different to any other year though having my two young kids here. I’ve had a lot of special moments here over the years but I think winning with my kids here would be the best. It’s going to get big though, so I don’t even know if I’d want them in the boat really. We’ll see though, it’s just cool having them in a place that has meant so much to me over the years. The forecast does look challenging with plenty of swell and lots of wind. I think it will be a bit of a check it on the day situation because it all changes a lot in this part of the world. There’s going to be no shortage of swell, that’s for sure.”

Top Seeds Eye Ultimate Success at The End of the Road

Current World No. 1 Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) will don the Yellow Leader Jersey for the first time in his career when he paddles out at Teahupo’o this week. After a breakout season has seen him finish first and second in the last two events, the 28-year-old Italian will look to lock in his spot at the top of the rankings with another solid showing here in Tahiti. Fioravanti will need to...

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