North Shore Surf Contests 2026–27: Haleʻiwa Pro, Pipe Masters, The Eddie and More

The waves showed up right on time. The first stop of the North Shore season, the HTA Sunset Pro, wrapped up Sunday at Sunset Beach with what the World Surf League described as 10- to 12-foot wave faces on finals day. Next comes Haleʻiwa, starting Thursday, then a world-title finale at Pipeline in December. Here’s the season at a glance, with dates from each contest’s organizer.

One thing to know before you plan a beach day: surf contests are scheduled as holding periods (also called waiting periods), not fixed dates. Organizers pick the best days within the window and make a call each morning. A contest can run three days in a row, take a week off or finish early.

Just finished: HTA Sunset Pro (Oct. 26–Nov. 2)

Sunset Beach hosted the first of the World Surf League’s three North Shore Qualifying Series stops. According to the WSL, Zoie Zietz of the Netherlands and Levi Young of Hawaiʻi won Sunday’s finals, and both were first-ever QS victories. Young posted a 16.40 heat total in the men’s final. North Shore surfers Zoe McDougall and Shion Crawford finished second. Ezekiel Lau placed third in the men’s final, and Chesney Guinotte placed third in the women’s.

Up next: HTA Haleʻiwa Pro, Nov. 5–14

The HTA Haleʻiwa Pro, presented by Hurley, has a holding period from Thursday, Nov. 5, through Saturday, Nov. 14. It’s a QS 2,000 event, and the WSL is running a Longboard Qualifying Series event (LQS 1,000) in the same window. That means both shortboards and longboards in Haleʻiwa. The contest is held off Haleʻiwa Aliʻi Beach Park.

Thursday is the first possible contest day, not a guaranteed start. The WSL posts daily calls on the event page. Among the longboarders to watch is Natalia Wunderlich, who, as the WSL noted in a preview, grew up learning to surf at Haleʻiwa.

Haleʻiwa town is right there, so a contest morning pairs easily with lunch and shave ice. Our Haleʻiwa events guide has more of what’s happening in town.

The big one: Lexus Pipe Masters, Dec. 8–20

This is the first year that Pipeline hosts the final event of the WSL Championship Tour under the league’s new format. The Lexus Pipe Masters is CT Event 12, and its holding period is Dec. 8 to 20, 2026. When the WSL announced the change, it said the Pipe Masters would award 15,000 points, 1.5 times a standard tour event. It also said the full men’s and women’s tour fields would return for the finale, where the 2026 world titles will be decided.

In other words, world titles could be won on Ehukai Beach. Expect big crowds and heavy traffic on Kamehameha Highway on contest days. Plan to arrive early or carpool.

The Eddie waiting period: Dec. 6, 2026, to March 4, 2027

The Rip Curl Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational at Waimea Bay only runs when waves hit the size that honors Eddie Aikau. The Inertia reports that means consistent 40-foot wave faces. The contest has run just 10 times since 1984. The Inertia reports that the 2026–27 waiting period runs from Dec. 6 to March 4, 2027, with an opening ceremony at Waimea Bay on Dec. 3. Organizers announced 32 invitees on Oct. 29. They include past winners Luke Shepardson, Landon McNamara, John John Florence and Bruce Irons. If it gets the green light, watch The Eddie’s official channels for the call.

In the new year: Billabong Pipe Pro, Jan. 29–Feb. 7, 2027

The WSL says the third North Shore Qualifying Series stop, the Billabong Pipe Pro at Pipeline, has been raised to a QS 6,000 event this season. That’s more points and a deeper field for surfers chasing a spot on the Challenger Series. The holding period runs from Jan. 29 to Feb. 7, 2027.

How to follow along

• Check the call every morning. WSL event pages for the Haleʻiwa Pro and the Pipe Masters post whether the contest is on, off or on hold.
• Watch from home. The WSL streams its events live on its website and app, so you can see if it’s pumping before you drive.
• Be a good neighbor. Park legally, don’t block driveways and take your trash with you.

Sources

• World Surf League, HTA Sunset Pro results and “Zoie Zietz and Levi Young Win 2026 HTA Sunset Pro” (Nov. 1, 2026): https://www.worldsurfleague.com/events/2026/qs/560/hta-sunset-pro/results and https://www.worldsurfleague.com/posts/562581/zoie-zietz-and-levi-young-win-2026-hta-sunset-pro
• World Surf League, HTA Haleʻiwa Pro 2026 event page: https://www.worldsurfleague.com/events/2026/qs/561/hta-haleiwa-pro/main and event schedule: https://www.worldsurfleague.com/events
• World Surf League, “The North Shore gauntlet is BACK! Sunset Beach, Hale’iwa, and Pipeline return” (Oct. 6, 2026): https://www.worldsurfleague.com/posts/560787/the-north-shore-gauntlet-is-back-sunset-beach-haleiwa-and-pipeline-return
• World Surf League, Lexus Pipe Masters 2026 event page: https://www.worldsurfleague.com/events/2026/ct/446/lexus-pipe-masters/main and “World Surf League Announces Return to Pipeline for Championship Tour Finale Starting in 2026” (May 2, 2025): https://www.worldsurfleague.com/posts/542489/world-surf-league-announces-return-to-pipeline-for-championship-tour-finale-starting-in-2026
• The Inertia, “Eddie Aikau Invitational Announces 2026-2027 Invitees” (Oct. 30, 2026): https://www.theinertia.com/surf/eddie-aikau-invitational-announces-2026-2027-invitees/