National Surfing Championships 2027

Spectacular view from Midway Beach with Young Nick's Head in the background, Gisborne NZ

When: Expected January 2027

Where: Gisborne Beaches • Dates To Be Confirmed

For updates: www.surfing.co.nz

Some events feel perfectly matched to the place that hosts them.

The National Surfing Championships returning to Gisborne feels like one of those events.

Gisborne has become one of the natural homes of New Zealand surfing, with the region regularly hosting major national competitions and producing some of the country's most recognised surfers.

For a week each summer, the country's surfing community gathers to compete across multiple divisions ranging from junior surfers and rising talent through to longboarders, masters competitors and New Zealand's elite open surfers. The Championships remain the most prestigious domestic surfing event in the country and have been a cornerstone of New Zealand surfing since the 1960s.

When the event returns to Gisborne in 2027, visitors can expect much more than a sporting competition.

The Championships transform the coastline into a moving festival of surf culture.

Depending on conditions, competition can shift between some of the region's best-known breaks including Wainui, Makorori and surrounding beaches, creating an atmosphere where spectators spend as much time following the swell as they do following the draw.

What makes Gisborne particularly suited to the Nationals is not simply the surf.

It is the culture surrounding it.

Surfing is woven deeply into the identity of the city. Generations of local surfers have grown up on these beaches, with Gisborne producing national champions and internationally recognised talent including Maz Quinn and Olympian Saffi Vette.

For visitors, the appeal is equally strong.

Warm summer weather, beachside viewing, local cafés, evening events and a relaxed coastal atmosphere make the Championships one of the most enjoyable sporting events on the Gisborne calendar. Even those who have never surfed before often find themselves drawn into the energy of the week.

There is something compelling about standing on the sand at sunrise watching New Zealand's best surfers paddle into clean Gisborne lines while the city slowly wakes behind them.

In Gisborne, surfing does not feel like a niche sport.

It feels like part of the landscape.