The 2026 Hainan Provincial Surfing Championship will run from 17 to 22 November at the National Surfing Training Base in Riyue Bay, Wanning. The programme lists 16 events across four divisions, with the first day, 17 November, set aside for team check-in.
The main change this year is the addition of two youth divisions. In 2025, the championship had only open and club divisions. This year, under-18 and under-16 categories have been added, giving younger surfers more opportunities to compete.
All four divisions will have men’s and women’s shortboard and longboard events. According to the published competition rules, the aim is to develop more surfing talent in Hainan and assess the results of training programmes.
The under-18 division is open to athletes born after 1 January 2008, while the under-16 division is for those born after 1 January 2010. Athletes competing in the open division must have registered with the provincial tourism and sports department before 31 January 2026.
Each participating unit can register one team leader, two coaches and two staff members, along with up to six athletes per event. Individual athletes can compete in no more than two events.
Referees will be appointed by the provincial tourism and sports department. If more are needed, they will be selected from the organisation responsible for running the championship.
Teams must check in at the training base between 10:00 and 17:00 on 17 November. Once competition begins, heats will last between 15 and 25 minutes, depending on wave conditions. Judging will follow the rules of the International Surfing Association and the national water-sports centre.
Wanning has 109 kilometres of coastline and has become an important destination for surfing and sports tourism.
In 2025, the city hosted more than 40 domestic and international sports-tourism events, attracting 400,000 visits, according to the provincial tourism department.
The department describes Riyue Bay as China’s first surfing-themed resort destination and says Wanning has built an “event economy” around sports competitions.
Wanning has also hosted the national surfing championships for nine consecutive years. In December 2025, the World Surf League’s points tour returned to the city for the first time in five years.
The championship concludes on 22 November.
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