Gran Canaria GLORIA Windsurf World Cup is confirmed as a 2026 WWT 5-Star Major event

by International Windsurfing Tour 14 Mar 22:58 PDT 4–12 July 2026

The World Wave Tour (WWT) today confirms that Spain's Gran Canaria will host the 2026 5-STAR MAJOR World Cup event, delivered in official partnership with WWT to deliver world class competition, premium global media, live broadcast advertising, guaranteed athlete revenue, and 60% athlete rev-share upside. Gran Canaria is the undisputed big air pinnacle of the World Wave Tour - internationally recognised as the benchmark for high performance wave and jumping competition.

In 2026 Gran Canaria will sit at the top of the World Wave Tour 5-Star Pyramid, with the unified PWA WWT World Tour ranking structure designed to bring stability, certainty, and long term growth to professional windsurfing.

Gran Canaria GLORIA Windsurf World Cup: The Global Benchmark

Held in Pozo Izquierdo, Gran Canaria has long been recognised as the ultimate proving ground for elite windsurfing, producing some of the most spectacular performances in the history of the sport. Its powerful wind conditions and world class waves make it the natural home of the sport's most exciting spectacle discipline. Bjorn Dunkerbeck, event organizer and windsurfing legend, said:

"We need big partners to grow windsurfing to where it belongs. Partnering with WWT brings the enhanced commercial opportunities and global reach this iconic event deserves, helping us build on 35 years of history while driving the sport forward."

A 5-STAR MAJOR within the unified PWA WWT framework

As a 5-Star Major, the Gran Canaria GLORIA Windsurf World Cup will:

• Award maximum World Ranking points
• Host the world's leading riders
• Deliver elite judging standards with world class event infrastructure
• Integrate fully with the WWT Digital HUB platform
• Feature enhanced global live broadcast production

The event will be streamed worldwide through the WWT broadcast network, delivering live competition, highlights, interviews, and global media distribution. This builds on the close collaboration with the PWA as the enduring athlete led governance body, while advancing WWT's commercial innovations to support the sport's future.

A New Commercial Model for the Sport

The 2026 season introduces a new commercial structure for professional windsurfing events, designed to improve financial stability and deliver long term value for athletes, organisers, brands and partners.

Key elements include:

• Co-produced global live broadcast in partnership with the event organiser
• Structured Broadcast Advertising model
• Guarantee 60% ad-revenue to athletes
• Guarantee rapid athlete revenue distribution
• Digital services HUB platform for Windsurf Ai supported media distribution
• Digital services HUB platform with complete regional and world rankings with athlete profiles

This model aligns event economics with modern sports media and provides a scalable commercial framework for the future of the sport. Following a successful 2025 season, where live broadcast peak audiences grew from 25,000-35,000 views to 33,000-66,000 views across key events - representing a doubling in viewership and positioning windsurfing at 11-14% of World Surf League Championship Tour peaks - the World Wave Tour broadcasts are demonstrating clear momentum in audience growth and engagement.

Event Details:

Event: Gran Canaria GLORIA Windsurf World Cup
Dates: 4-12 July 2026
Location: Pozo Izquierdo, Gran Canaria
Status: WWT 5-Star Major Event = 100% world ranking points