When is the 2026 ISA World Longboard Championship? The ISA Longboard 2026 world title runs from October 16 to 22, 2026, at El Sunzal, the long right-hand point on El Salvador's Pacific coast. Competition is scheduled from October 17 to 22, with the finals on the last day. It is less than two weeks away.
Unlike the Challenger Series or the Championship Tour, this is a national-teams event run by the International Surfing Association (ISA): each country sends a squad, and the results count for both individual medals and the team title.
2026 ISA World Longboard Championship: quick facts
Event: 2026 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Longboard Championship
Where: El Sunzal, La Libertad coast, El Salvador
Dates: October 16 to 22, 2026
Schedule: press conference on Thursday, October 15; opening ceremony on Friday, October 16; heats from Saturday, October 17 to Wednesday, October 21, sunrise to sunset; finals on Thursday, October 22, followed by the closing ceremony
Format: national teams, with individual and team medals
Defending champions: Edouard Delpero (France) and Rachael Tilly (USA); France won the 2025 team title
Dates and schedules can move, so confirm on the ISA event page before you plan a trip.
Teams and surfers at the 2026 World Longboard Championship
National federations are still announcing their squads. The ones public so far:
Australia: Emma Perrier and Kirra Molnar on the women's side, Archy Bemrose and Landen Smales on the men's
South Africa: Sam Christianson and Shane Fourie, Christy Gilmour and Cally Taylor
France, the four-time team champion, arrives as the team to beat, with Delpero defending his individual title
USA, with Rachael Tilly defending the women's title
We will add more squads here as they are confirmed.
Why El Sunzal is a longboard wave
El Sunzal is a long right-hand point break, the kind of wave longboarders dream about: a soft, peeling shoulder that lets you draw long lines, cross-step and hang ten instead of racing a hollow section. It is also one of the most consistent waves in the country, which is why it hosts the biggest events in Surf City El Salvador.
In the 2025 edition the contest ran in clean 3 to 5 ft swell, and Delpero and Tilly took the individual gold medals.
El Sunzal surf forecast for the championship
For the contest, a medium south-southwest swell with a long period is the best case: it wraps down the point in clean lines with a long ride. Offshore wind in the morning keeps the face smooth, and the heats run sunrise to sunset, so the wind's afternoon behavior matters too. We will update this page once the swell for the event week is in range of the models. Until then, follow the El Sunzal surf forecast on ariasurf for wave height, swell period and wind hour by hour.
Ideal longboard conditions: size, period, wind and wave type
This part applies to any longboard session, contest or not:
Size: waist to head high (about 0.6 to 1.5 m, 2 to 5 ft) is the sweet spot. Longboards catch small waves easily, but big days need a board built for them
Period: 10 seconds or more gives the wave the shape and push a heavy board needs. Short-period windswell at 6 to 7 seconds is often too weak and bumpy
Wind: light offshore or no wind. Onshore chop kills the glide that longboarding is about
Wave type: points, long rolling beach breaks and soft reefs beat steep, hollow waves. Slower walls give you time to walk the board
Tide: many points work best mid to high, when the wave stays soft
Not sure which board suits you? Read how to choose a surfboard.
Surf near El Sunzal
Going to watch, or to surf between heats? El Sunzal sits on a short stretch of the La Libertad coast packed with waves, most of them rights:
El Tunco: the beach right next door, with a beach break and the village where most surfers stay
Punta Roca: the famous rock point at Puerto de La Libertad, faster and heavier than El Sunzal, best left to experienced surfers on bigger days
El Zonte: a right point a few kilometers west, known as Bitcoin Beach
K59: another right point further west, usually less crowded
Check each spot's forecast before you go: the same swell can be perfect at one point and too small or too big at the next.
FAQ
When is the 2026 ISA World Longboard Championship?
October 16 to 22, 2026, with heats from October 17 and finals on October 22.
Where is it?
At El Sunzal, on El Salvador's La Libertad coast, a long right-hand point break.
Who won in 2025?
Edouard Delpero (France) and Rachael Tilly (USA) won the individual titles, and France won the team title.
Is El Sunzal good for longboarding?
Yes. It is a long, soft right-hand point that peels slowly, which is exactly why the ISA holds its longboard world championship there. Beginners usually stay on the inside, while the outside peak handles bigger swells.
How can I check the surf at El Sunzal?
Use the El Sunzal surf forecast on ariasurf, with wave height, swell period and direction, and wind hour by hour.
Where can I watch it?
The ISA streams its championships live. Check the ISA event page for the broadcast link.
Cover photo: surfers in La Libertad, El Salvador, the stretch of coast that is home to El Sunzal, by L. E. MacDonald, CC BY-SA 2.0.
