Philippines Pro 2026: The Siargao Surfing Cup Joins the WSL Championship Tour

On July 1, 2026, Siargao received the biggest surfing news in its history: the World Surf League elevated Cloud 9 to a full Championship Tour stop. The Philippines Pro presented by the Philippine Sports Commission runs from October 31 – November 10, 2026 — the first time the world's elite tour has ever come to the Philippines, and it is happening at our doorstep. Here is everything you need to know — updated on September 30 with the biggest changes since: the Abu Dhabi stop has been cancelled, which makes Cloud 9 the last event before the Pipeline finale, and Siargao's own John Mark Tokong is confirmed in the draw.

I came to Siargao in 2007 and opened Kawayan Villa at Cloud 9 in 2009 — across the road from the contest break. I have watched the Siargao International Surfing Cup grow from a regional event into one of the most important professional contests in Asia. This guide is written from that front-row seat, not from a press release. — David Frachou, owner

Before the contest fires up, this is what Cloud 9 looks like from the water — a surf edit filmed at the break for the Kawayan Villa YouTube channel:

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From Surfing Cup to Championship Tour

The story starts with the Siargao International Surfing Cup — the longest-running international surfing competition in the Philippines. First staged at Cloud 9 in 1996 and part of the WSL Qualifying Series since 2014, the Cup was set to run its 30th edition this October as a QS 6000 event.

Then, on July 1, 2026, the World Surf League announced something bigger: the Cloud 9 event has been elevated to a full Championship Tour stop — renamed the Philippines Pro presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, for both the 2026 and 2027 seasons. The Championship Tour is not the qualifying circuit; it is the show itself — the elite tour where the World Title is decided at waves like Pipeline and Teahupo'o. Cloud 9 now sits on that list, and this is the first CT event ever held in the Philippines.

"Elevating Cloud 9 to CT status reflects both the quality of the wave and the strength of our partnership," said WSL CEO Ryan Crosby of the decision.

For Siargao, this is far more than a sporting event. The Cup was already the single biggest week of the island's year — a festival that fills General Luna with surfers, photographers, media crews and spectators from across the world. A Championship Tour stop, broadcast live to a global audience, takes that to a level the island has never seen. It is held at Cloud 9, the powerful right-hand reef break in the barangay of the same name, in General Luna.

New 2026 Dates & Schedule

The official competition window for the Philippines Pro is October 31 to November 10, 2026, held at Cloud 9 as Stop No. 11 of the 2026 Championship Tour. Since the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro was removed from the calendar on September 4, it is also the last stop before the season-ending Pipe Masters in Hawaii (December 8–20).

If you planned a trip around the old dates, take note: the previously announced QS 6000 window of October 16–25 no longer runs. That event was absorbed into the Championship Tour upgrade — the new window is roughly two weeks later.

One important thing to understand: like all professional surf contests, this is a waiting period, not a fixed daily schedule. Organisers do not run heats every single day. Instead, they watch the forecast and call competition on the days within that window with the cleanest, most powerful swell. The finals are typically held toward the end of the period.

• Competition window: October 31–November 10, 2026
• Venue: Cloud 9 reef break, General Luna, Siargao
• Format: WSL Championship Tour shortboard competition — Stop No. 11 of 12
• Where it sits: Portugal (October 16–25) → Cloud 9 → Pipe Masters, Hawaii (December 8–20)
• Heats called: on the best-swell days inside the window

This timing is no accident. Late October and early November sit at the heart of Siargao's peak surf season, when long-period groundswell — often generated by distant typhoons in the Pacific — pushes into Cloud 9 and lights up the reef. It is the most reliable stretch of the year for the wave that made the island famous.

What Changed on July 1 — CT Upgrade & the Tower Rebuild

From QS 6000 to the Championship Tour

Back in May, the news was that the Surfing Cup had been upgraded to a QS 6000 — the highest Qualifying Series rating it had ever carried. That lasted six weeks. On July 1, the WSL announced the event would skip the qualifying ranks entirely and join the Championship Tour itself, as the Philippines Pro presented by the Philippine Sports Commission — a CT stop for both 2026 and 2027.

The upgrade deepens the partnership between the World Surf League and the Philippine Sports Commission. "This will be a historic moment for Philippine surfing," said PSC Chairman Patrick Gregorio. A sister event — the La Union Longboard Classic — still joins the WSL Longboard Tour in January 2027, anchoring year-round professional surfing in the Philippines.

There is a schedule story behind the move, too. When Cloud 9 was added, the WSL said it would guarantee a twelve-event season should the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro be unable to run. On September 4 that is exactly what happened: the WSL removed Abu Dhabi from the 2026 calendar, citing constraints on international flights and the situation in the region. Cloud 9 is no longer a stop along the way — it is the final event before the World Title is settled at Pipeline. And the WSL is unambiguous that Cloud 9 earned its place on merit — a world-class reef with three decades of contest history.

The Cloud 9 Towers rebuild

Ahead of the contest, the iconic Cloud 9 boardwalk towers are being rebuilt. The original three-storey tower — built in 2003 and the most photographed structure on the island — was destroyed by Super Typhoon Odette (Rai) in December 2021.

Update, late September: the new tower is almost done, and it will be finished in time for the contest.

The renovation was formally launched in April 2026 and was fast-tracked for the contest window. The Philippine Sports Commission, with the General Luna local government and the province of Surigao del Norte, is leading the reconstruction:

• A new three-storey watchtower as the premier viewing platform for spectators and media
• A proposed two-storey viewing platform and event space
• A solar energy system powering the complex, with a storm-resilient design

"Restoring Cloud 9 Towers is about elevating Siargao's surfing heritage to the global stage," said PSC Chairman Patrick Gregorio. For anyone visiting for the Philippines Pro, it means the world tour will be watched from a brand-new boardwalk landmark.

Who Competes

This is where the upgrade changes everything. A Qualifying Series event brings hopefuls chasing ranking points; a Championship Tour event brings the best surfers on the planet. The Philippines Pro runs the tour's reduced late-season format:

• A men's field of 24 — the 22 qualified surfers still in the season, plus 2 event wildcards
• A women's field of 16 — the 14 qualified surfers, plus 2 event wildcards
• By Stop No. 11, these are the World Title contenders — every heat at Cloud 9 can shape the world championship race

The field was locked in on September 18, when the regular season ended at Lower Trestles. Every heat is head-to-head elimination — the 2026 format removed the old non-elimination rounds — and a surfer's best nine results from the twelve events decide the World Title.

The men. Brazil's Yago Dora arrives as World No. 1, with Leonardo Fioravanti, Italo Ferreira and Miguel Pupo all close behind and Gabriel Medina in fifth. Griffin Colapinto, Kanoa Igarashi, Ethan Ewing, Jack Robinson and Filipe Toledo are also among the 22.

The women. Gabriela Bryan leads Carissa Moore by only a few hundred points. Erin Brooks arrives having won three Championship Tour events in a row, and Molly Picklum, Caitlin Simmers, Caroline Marks and Tyler Wright are all in the 14.

Rankings as of September 18, 2026 — see the official WSL men's and women's standings. They will move again after Portugal (October 16–25), and injuries can change the draw.

The local story is now real. On July 14 the WSL confirmed Siargao's own John Mark "Marama" Tokong as an event wildcard. "Getting the chance to compete in a CT event at my home break is one of my biggest dreams," he said. One more Filipino will join him: the winner of the national competition at Cloud 9, held before the main event, takes the remaining local wildcard. (The WSL's announcement describes trials for both a men's and a women's place.)

The pros are already talking about the venue: "I think it's gonna be super super exciting," said Leonardo Fioravanti — World No. 1 at the time — of the barrels on offer. No event-specific prize purse has been published; the standard Championship Tour prize table this season pays US$80,000 to each event winner, equal for men and women.

How to Watch from Cloud 9

Here is the best part: viewing at Cloud 9 has always been free, and it is some of the best in world surfing. The contest runs directly off the Cloud 9 boardwalk, so spectators stand just metres from where the heats unfold. No ticketing has been announced for the Philippines Pro as of late September — we will update this guide if that changes.

• Where: the Cloud 9 boardwalk and the new watchtower
• Best time of day: mornings, when the wind is lightest and conditions cleanest
• Bring: reef-safe sunscreen, water, a hat, and a camera — there is little shade on the boardwalk
• Atmosphere: expect live commentary, music, food stalls and a festival crowd across the village
• Online: the WSL streams every Championship Tour event live on WorldSurfLeague.com, its app and YouTube channel

If the forecast looks marginal on a given morning, check the contest's official channels before heading down — on a "lay day" with poor swell, no heats will run. Staying close to the break, as our guests do, means you can simply step out and check the wave yourself.

Where to Stay During the Philippines Pro

If you are wondering where to stay in Siargao for the Philippines Pro 2026, the short answer is: as close to Cloud 9 as you can get, booked as early as you can manage. The contest falls in peak surf season, and a Championship Tour event draws a bigger travelling circus than anything the island has hosted — surfers, coaches, film crews, media and fans. That combination makes late October to mid-November the single busiest window of the Siargao year. Villas, resorts and guesthouses around Cloud 9 book out months in advance. This is not a trip to leave to the last minute.

Which area to choose for the contest

• Cloud 9 (the contest site). The only area where you can walk to the heats. When the horn sounds for a marquee match-up, you are on the boardwalk in minutes — no scooter, no parking, no traffic. Options are few (this is a small barangay, not a resort strip), which is exactly why they go first: Kawayan Villa, Kalinaw Resort and a handful of boardwalk hotels.
• Tourism Road & General Luna town. The island's main strip — the biggest choice of resorts, hostels and restaurants, 5–15 minutes from Cloud 9 by scooter on a normal day. During the contest, expect that road to be the busiest it has ever been, and expect village traffic controls around the venue on finals days.
• Pacifico, Santa Monica & Del Carmen. Quieter, cheaper, and great for uncrowded surf — but 40–60 minutes from Cloud 9 each way. A reasonable fallback if everything near the break is gone, or a deliberate choice if you only plan to come down for the finals.

Kawayan Villa — across the road from the contest

Kawayan Villa Siargao is the only fully private villa directly at the Cloud 9 surf break — roughly 200 metres from the wave and a short walk from the boardwalk where the contest runs. For a family, a couple, or a crew of friends who want to be at the centre of the action by day and have a private, quiet retreat to return to each evening, it is an ideal base for the Cup.

• Walking distance to the Cloud 9 boardwalk and the competition site
• Private mirror pool and a 2,450m² tropical garden — your own calm away from the festival crowds
• Room for up to 8 guests across 2 air-conditioned 50m² bedrooms
• Daily Kawayan Gourmand breakfast delivered to the pool before you head to the boardwalk

Planning Your Trip

A few practical notes for building a trip around the Philippines Pro:

• Allow a full week. Because heats float across the October 31–November 10 window, a stay of seven nights or more gives you the best chance of catching the marquee rounds and the finals.
• Book flights early. Siargao is served by Sayak Airport (IAO), with direct routes via Cebu, Clark and Davao (the Manila NAIA direct ended in 2025). For the full route picture, current carriers and all-in fare ranges, see our How to Get to Siargao in 2026 guide. Seats — and fares — tighten sharply for the contest period, and a CT crowd will only add pressure.
• Build in non-surf days. On lay days, Siargao is yours to explore. See our Siargao itinerary guide and activities for island hopping, Magpupungko rock pools and Sugba Lagoon.
• Surf it yourself. Inspired by the pros? Cloud 9 is for experienced surfers, but Siargao has gentle breaks for every level — see our surf retreat page.

The Philippines Pro will be the best week in this island's history to experience Siargao at full energy — the world's best surfers, a festival atmosphere, and Cloud 9 exactly as it was meant to be seen. Plan early, and you will be right in the middle of it.

Cloud 9 in Photos

The wave that now hosts a Championship Tour stop, shot from the water by our team over the years. This is the reef break the world's best surfers will ride this October and November — and the view our guests wake up to.

Tap any photo to view it full screen.

Frequently Asked Questions