The world's best surfers are heading to Peru. From November 6 to 15, 2026, Punta Rocas will host the ISA World Surfing Games 2026, bringing together 239 athletes from 53 countries, including world champions and Olympic medalists.

But this year's edition has something special: competitors won't just be fighting for world championship medals. Two additional Olympic team quota spots for Los Angeles 2028 will also be at stake.

The event will take place at Punta Rocas, in the district of Punta Negra, and El Bosque, both located south of Lima. It will also offer a rare opportunity to watch some of the biggest names in international surfing compete without leaving the Peruvian capital.

Olympic Champions and Surfing Stars Head to Peru

The competition will feature 30 Olympians, including six Olympic medalists.

Among the biggest names are Brazil's Italo Ferreira and Team USA's Carissa Moore, both gold medalists at Tokyo 2020, along with France's Kauli Vaast, who claimed Olympic gold at Paris 2024.

Australia's Jack Robinson, Japan's Kanoa Igarashi, and France's Johanne Defay, all Olympic medalists, will also be competing.

Australia's team will also feature eight-time world surfing champion Stephanie Gilmore, who has already arrived in Peru to prepare for the competition.

In total, 130 men and 109 women will compete for a place on the podium. Australia enters the event as the defending team world champion.

What's at Stake for Los Angeles 2028?

Unlike previous editions, the ISA World Surfing Games 2026 will play a direct role in Olympic qualification. The highest-ranked men's national team and the highest-ranked women's national team will each secure an additional Olympic quota spot for their country at Los Angeles 2028.

These spots do not automatically qualify individual athletes. Instead, they are allocated to the respective National Olympic Committees and may allow a country to field up to three surfers of the same gender, rather than the usual maximum of two, provided all qualification requirements are met.

This means that beyond individual performances, each national team's overall results will be crucial.

Team Peru: Six Surfers Looking to Make History Again

Peru's national team arrives with a history worth remembering. In 2010, when the World Surfing Games were held in Punta Hermosa, Peru claimed the team world title. Four years later, the country won gold again at Punta Rocas.

Now, twelve years after that second victory on home soil, six Peruvian surfers will once again compete for a place among the world's best. The men's team will feature Alonso Correa, Lucca Mesinas, and Miguel Tudela. The women's team will consist of Daniella Rosas, Sol Aguirre, and Catalina Zariquiey.

Correa arrives following an impressive fourth-place finish at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Mesinas and Rosas, meanwhile, won gold medals at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games.

For Punta Hermosa, one athlete will be particularly familiar: Miguel Tudela, a local surfer from the district, will once again represent Peru on the international stage.

Young surfer Catalina Zariquiey completes the team after winning silver in the under-16 division at the 2025 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship, also held at Punta Rocas.

When and Where Will the ISA World Surfing Games 2026 Take Place?

The championship will run for ten days, although competition will begin after the opening ceremony.

The official schedule is as follows:

• November 6: Opening ceremony at the Punta Rocas High Performance Center.
• November 7–14: Competition rounds at Punta Rocas and El Bosque.
• November 15: Finals and closing ceremony.

Competition is expected to take place from morning through afternoon, depending on ocean conditions and the organizers' decisions.

The Punta Rocas High Performance Center will also host the surfing competitions during the Lima 2027 Pan American Games. As a result, this world championship will serve as an important test of both the venue's infrastructure and the event's organization.

How to Get Free Tickets for the World Surfing Games

One of the best pieces of news for surfing fans is that admission to the Punta Rocas High Performance Center will be free, although visitors must reserve a ticket in advance. Tickets are available through Teleticket, with a maximum of three tickets per customer.

All tickets are personal, issued in the attendee's name, and non-transferable. Every visitor, including children, must have a valid ticket. Minors must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Availability is subject to venue capacity and the number of tickets released by the organizers. Additionally, once an attendee leaves the venue, re-entry with the same ticket will not be permitted unless expressly authorized.

For those unable to attend in person, the International Surfing Association will broadcast the championship live through its official website, www.isasurf.org..

Punta Rocas and the Potential of Sports Tourism in Southern Lima

The World Surfing Games are coming to a region with deep historical ties to the sport. Punta Rocas, Punta Hermosa, and other beaches along Lima's southern coastline have hosted international surfing championships and remain popular destinations for both Peruvian and international surfers.

The arrival of national teams, coaching staff, international media, and visitors presents an opportunity for the area's tourism industry, particularly accommodation providers, restaurants, and transportation services.

However, the championship's actual economic impact has not yet been publicly quantified.

On November 4, the Peruvian government declared the ISA World Surfing Games 2026 an event of national interest through Supreme Decree No. 019-2026-MINEDU, establishing a framework for coordination among public institutions involved in organizing the event.

Beyond the sporting results, the championship will provide an opportunity to assess how southern Lima responds to an international competition of this scale, ahead of welcoming the continent's top surfers once again for the 2027 Pan American Games.

For now, all eyes are on the ocean. And for Peruvian surfing fans, few opportunities are as exciting as watching Olympic champions compete on home waves.