CHENNAI: The World Surf League (WSL) is excited to announce that Qualifying Series (QS) and Junior Tour competition will return to India for the Shore Temple Classic QS 2000 and Pro Junior event, to be held from August 12 to August 16, 2026.
The region’s best surfers will come up against a strong contingent of India’s top talent in the long right-handers of Mahabalipuram Beach for the first time since India’s inaugural WSL event was held in 2023. Mahabalipuram Beach returns as the venue for the second edition of the WSL QS in India and the country’s first-ever Pro Junior. Breaking along a lengthy right-hand sandbar beside the Mahabalipuram Shore Temple, the wave offers a mix of open-face sections suited to powerful rail surfing, progressive airs and, on the right swell, the occasional barrel.
Having established itself as a proven competition venue through numerous national and international events, Mahabalipuram continues to showcase India’s growing surf scene. The event is once again delivered in partnership with the Tamil Nadu Surfing Association (TNSA) and the Surfing Federation of India (SFI), continuing a collaboration that began with the in- augural event in 2023.
“India made history in 2023 by hosting its first-ever World Surf League event, a QS 3000, in a landmark moment for surfing in our country. This year, we are proud to build on that foundation with the QS 2000 and Pro Junior,” Arun Vasu, Surfing Federation of India’s president said.
“Our goal is to grow this into four additional WSL events in India, creating a clear pathway for our surfers toward Challenger Series and Championship Tour contention.”