Surfing is rapidly becoming a favorite in the sports betting world, particularly after its inclusion in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics. With a growing audience, more sportsbooks are now offering surfing markets, making it a unique and exciting sport to bet on. If you’re looking to get into surfing betting, here’s everything you need to know, including the 2025 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour schedule and the most popular types of bets available.
Why Surfing is Gaining Popularity in Betting
Surfing has gained momentum as a betting sport due to its unpredictability and the growing number of high-profile competitions. Events like the WSL Championship Tour and the Olympics bring together the best surfers globally, allowing sportsbooks to offer an increasing range of bets. The 2025 WSL Championship Tour is set to elevate this even further with iconic surf spots such as Pipeline (Hawaii) and Teahupo’o (Tahiti), creating even more opportunities for bettors to engage with the sport.
Types of Surfing Bets You Can Make
There are several types of bets that you can place on surfing events:
- Outright Winner: Bet on which surfer will win a specific event or competition, like a stop on the WSL Championship Tour or an Olympic event.
- Futures Bets: Place a bet in advance of an event, wagering on potential outcomes weeks or months before the competition begins. While unpredictable, futures bets can offer high payouts.
- Top 3 Finishes: Bet on whether a surfer will finish in the top 3 of an event, which is particularly popular in larger tournaments like the Olympics.
- Heat Winner: During an event, surfers compete in heats. You can bet on who will win individual heats, offering more frequent opportunities to place wagers.
- Head-to-Head Bets: Instead of betting on the overall winner, head-to-head bets allow you to wager on which of two surfers will outperform the other.
- Prop Bets: These are more niche bets on specific outcomes during an event, such as whether a surfer will score a perfect 10 or how many barrels they will catch.
- Parlay Bets: Combine multiple bets across different heats or events. All selections must win for the bet to pay out, making it a high-risk but high-reward option.
These bet types can be placed on major events like the WSL Championship Tour, the Olympic Games, and big wave competitions such as the Big Wave Tour.
Major Surfing Events to Bet On in 2025
- World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour: The WSL Championship Tour is the premier competition in surfing, featuring stops at iconic surf locations like J-Bay (South Africa), Teahupo’o (Tahiti), and Pipeline (Hawaii). The 2025 WSL schedule, with 11 stops, will offer plenty of opportunities for outright winner, heat winner, and top 3 finish bets.
- Big Wave Tour: Known for its jaw-dropping conditions, the Big Wave Tour includes competitions at extreme locations like Nazaré (Portugal). This tour offers high-stakes betting options, including prop bets on the biggest waves and most daring maneuvers.
Where to Bet on Surfing
Top sportsbooks offering surfing bets include:
- Bet365: Known for its wide range of sports and betting markets, Bet365 offers outright and in-play betting options on major surfing events.
- DraftKings: DraftKings is quickly expanding its offerings and now includes surfing among its available markets, particularly during the WSL Championship Tour.
- Betfred: For U.S.-based bettors, Betfred is a popular choice, offering a variety of bets on surfing events, including futures and top 3 finishes.
2025 World Surf League Stops
Here is the full list of stops for the 2025 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour:
- Banzai Pipeline, Hawaii, USA: January 27 – February 8
- Surf Abu Dhabi, UAE: February 14 – 16 (Tour debut)
- Peniche, Portugal: March 15 – 25
- Punta Roca, El Salvador: April 2 – 12
- Bells Beach, Australia: April 18 – 28
- Snapper Rocks, Australia: May 3 – 13
- Margaret River, Australia: May 17 – 27 (Mid-Season Cut after this stop)
- Lower Trestles, USA: June 9 – 17
- Saquarema, Brazil: June 21 – 29
- Jeffreys Bay, South Africa: July 11 – 20
- Teahupo’o, Tahiti: August 7 – 16
- WSL Finals – Cloudbreak, Fiji: August 27 – September 4
The 2025 season introduces Surf Abu Dhabi, featuring the world’s largest human-made wave, and marks the return of iconic locations like Snapper Rocks and Jeffreys Bay. The WSL Finals will occur at Cloudbreak, Fiji, a legendary surf spot known for its powerful barrels. The Mid-Season Cut will occur after the Margaret River stop, reducing the field for the final events leading to the WSL Finals, where the top 5 men and women will compete for the World Title.
Tips for Betting on Surfing
- Monitor the Forecast: Surf conditions—wind, swell, and tide—are crucial in determining a surfer’s performance. Keep an eye on the surf forecast for upcoming events to inform your bets.
- Study the Surfers: Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of individual surfers is key. Some excel in large, heavy waves, while others perform better in smaller, more technical conditions.
- Watch the Locations: Certain surf spots favor particular styles of surfing. For example, Teahupo’o’s heavy, barreling waves are suited to big-wave specialists, while J-Bay’s fast, long rides may favor surfers with excellent carving skills.
Surfing News
When placing bets on surfing, it’s critical to stay updated on which athletes are in top form. Several big names struggled with injuries last season, and knowing who’s fit and ready to compete can give you an edge in your betting decisions.
To stay informed, Surfline is a great resource for live event coverage and detailed surf forecasts. Additionally, the World Surf League (WSL) website provides in-depth profiles of the athletes, updates on their performance, and insights into the key events of the season. Both sites will help you stay up to date as we head into next year’s Olympics and the 2025 WSL season.
Where to watch surfing live and on TV
The surfing community is very well served with TV coverage after Facebook joined forces with the World Surf League to offer live coverage of all Championship Tour Events and Big Wave Events, facebook.com/WSL. You can also follow on Youtube.
The surfing at the Olympic Games will be on domestic channels in Europe such as the BBC in the United Kingdom, the Seven Network in Australia and NBC in the United States, along with several other US channels.
History of Surfing
The art of surfing has been part of Polynesian culture – an area of islands in the central and southern Pacific Ocean – for centuries. There are records of observations of surfing made by British explorers around Tahiti in the late 18th century. It emerged as a spectacle on the Californian coast in the early part of the 20th century. To entice visitors to Redondo Beach, wealthy landowner Henry Huntington hired a Hawaiian called George Freeth to ride surfboards. Freeth cut a hardwood board in half to create the first ‘long board’, displaying his skills twice a day outside the Hotel Redondo.
It progressed to become a world championship sport in the early 1960s with a tournament held biennially from 1964.
