The WSL Pro Taghazout Bay 2026 delivered one of the most exciting weeks of competitive surfing on the European and African Qualifying Series calendar. Held from March 22 to 29 at Anza beach near Agadir, Morocco, this QS 4,000 event crowned two Basque Country champions and reshaped the European qualification standings heading into the 2026 Challenger Series.
Whether you followed the event live or are catching up now, this full recap covers every key moment from opening day through finals day, the standout performances, final results, and what it all means for professional surfing in Morocco and beyond.
What Was the WSL Pro Taghazout Bay 2026?
The Pro Taghazout Bay is a World Surf League Qualifying Series event that takes place along Morocco’s stunning Atlantic coastline. For the 2026 edition, the event received a significant upgrade from a QS 3,000 (as it was rated in 2025) to a QS 4,000. That increase meant more ranking points were on the line, making this stop critical for surfers fighting to qualify for the Challenger Series.
The event was co-sanctioned by WSL Europe and WSL Africa, serving a dual purpose. For Europe, it was the final event of the 2025/2026 QS season. For Africa, it was the second-to-last stop before the season-ending Royal St Andrews Rip Curl Cup in South Africa. Understanding how to read a surf forecast helped fans predict which days would see the best action during the competition window.
The top seven men and top four women from the European QS rankings earned direct spots in the 2026 Challenger Series, the bridge between the regional tour and the elite Championship Tour. With so much at stake, athletes arrived in Taghazout Bay with serious intensity.
The Venue: Anza Beach, Taghazout Bay
Anza beach sits just north of Agadir and served as the primary competition site throughout the week. The break offers both lefts and rights, giving surfers multiple options depending on the swell direction and tide. March falls within Morocco’s prime surf season, and the region typically receives consistent northwest groundswells throughout the month.
Conditions varied across the eight-day competition window. Opening day delivered fun three-to-four-foot surf, while mid-week sessions saw trickier two-to-three-foot onshore conditions. Finals day brought a fresh swell back into Anza with three-to-four-foot waves and plenty of scoring opportunities.
Morocco continues to grow as a world-class surfing destination, and Taghazout Bay in particular has cemented its place on the international stage. Since 2020, the partnership between Taghazout Bay and the WSL has brought consistent high-level competition to the region. If you are planning your own trip, Morocco regularly appears on lists of top surfing destinations for beginners thanks to its warm water, consistent swell, and welcoming culture.
Day-by-Day Competition Breakdown
Opening Day: March 22
The competition kicked off with the opening rounds for both men and women, followed by the men’s Round of 96. Anza pumped waves all day long, and performances improved steadily as the afternoon progressed.
The standout moments came from Nanook Ballerin and Luis Perloiro, who scored the only two excellent single-wave scores of the day. Both earned an 8.33 out of a possible 10 in their respective heats. Ballerin posted a total of 14.93 to win his heat, while Perloiro finished with 14.83.
Kepa Housset-Ezponda also impressed in the Round of 96 with fast and powerful turns that carried him through to the next round. In the women’s draw, Lilou Rumiel and Janina Zeitler pushed each other hard in the first heat, setting the tone for a highly competitive week.
Day 2: March 23 — Top Seeds Enter the Fray
As the top seeds made their debut in the men’s Round of 64, the intensity jumped to another level. South Africa’s Adin Masencamp opened the day with a dominant 14.00 heat total, demonstrating the scoring potential available at Anza.
France’s Charly Quivront was the first to reach the excellent range on day two, scoring an 8.03 for a combination of turns and an air reverse. But the standout was Beyrick de Vries from the Netherlands, who posted an excellent 16.47 heat total with back-to-back scores of 8.17 and 8.30.
On the women’s side, Janina Zeitler continued her strong form with the highest heat total of the round at 14.17. Staying in peak surfing fitness is essential at this level, and the athletes showed exactly why throughout day two.
Mid-Week: Rounds Narrow the Field
The middle days of competition saw the men’s Round of 32 and women’s Round of 16 completed under challenging onshore conditions. Two-to-three-foot surf at Anza tested everyone’s wave selection and mental toughness.
Sean Gunning delivered one of the week’s most memorable moments when he launched a clean grab-rail air for an excellent 8.00, then backed it up with an air reverse for 7.50, posting a heat total of 15.50.
In the women’s draw, Alys Barton posted the highest single wave score of the entire event, a massive 9.33 on a wave that allowed her to unleash three critical backhand turns. The mental health benefits of surfing are well documented, but competition surfing at this level tests psychological resilience in ways that recreational surfing does not.
Quarterfinals and Semifinals: March 28
With the competition narrowing to the business end, clean two-to-three-foot conditions returned to Anza. Janire Gonzalez Etxabarri opened her quarterfinal with a huge one-turn maneuver for a 7.33 and backed it up with a 7.23 to advance past Naïa Monte.
In a dramatic women’s quarterfinal, Alys Barton and Janina Zeitler were locked on the exact same total with less than three minutes remaining. Priority swung in Barton’s favour, and she found the best wave of the heat to edge ahead and reach the semifinals.
Finals Day: March 29 — Basque Country Sweeps Both Titles
Women’s Final: Janire Gonzalez Etxabarri vs. Alys Barton
The women’s final was a story of redemption. Janire Gonzalez Etxabarri had finished runner-up at this exact event in 2025, losing to Francisca Veselko, who has since qualified for the Championship Tour. Coming into the 2026 edition ranked third in Europe, Etxabarri had endured a season of near-misses with four finals appearances but no wins since Pantin in 2023.
Against Alys Barton of Great Britain, Etxabarri built her scoreline with powerful single-turn maneuvers in critical sections. She then raised the intensity significantly when she found a quality right-hander, delivering three strong backhand turns that earned an excellent 8.00.
She later improved her backup score to 6.83 with a smart defensive move using priority, finishing with a winning total of 14.83. Barton struggled to find her rhythm in the final and could not catch Etxabarri, finishing on 11.33.
Despite the loss, Barton’s run to the final was a breakthrough. She climbed from 12th to fifth on the rankings, securing her spot in the 2026 Challenger Series. Her 9.33 earlier in the week remained the highest single-wave score of the entire competition.
Men’s Final: Adur Amatriain vs. Conor Donegan Dos Santos
The men’s final was an intense back-and-forth battle between two surfers making career-defining performances. Adur Amatriain, coached by Basque surfing legend Aritz Aranburu, had been dominant all week with consistently excellent scores and smart wave selection.
Amatriain first had to overcome France’s Justin Becret in a nail-biting semifinal, winning 13.50 to 12.96. That tight victory gave him a visible boost of confidence heading into the final against Spain’s Conor Donegan Dos Santos.
The final was a tense affair with the lead changing hands multiple times. Amatriain eventually pulled ahead with a key score of 6.80 on a well-executed right-hander. In the closing seconds, Dos Santos nearly turned the final with a strong wave, but Amatriain held on to win 13.40 to 12.10.
Having entered the event ranked 25th in Europe, Amatriain’s victory was a remarkable underdog story. Learning to surf is one thing, but reaching the top of the European QS rankings requires years of dedication, smart coaching, and the ability to perform when it matters most.
Full Results: WSL Pro Taghazout Bay 2026
Men’s Final Standings
| Place | Surfer | Country | Points | Prize | |
| 1st | Adur Amatriain | EUK (Basque Country) | 4,000 | $8,000 | |
| 2nd | Conor Donegan Dos Santos | ESP | 3,120 | $4,000 | |
| 3rd | Yago Dominguez | EUK (Basque Country) | 2,440 | $2,000 | |
| 3rd | Justin Becret | FRA | 2,440 | $2,000 | |
| 5th | Adin Masencamp | RSA | 1,900 | $1,000 | |
| 5th | Keoni Lasa | EUK (Basque Country) | 1,900 | $1,000 |
Women’s Final Standings
| Place | Surfer | Country |
| 1st | Janire Gonzalez Etxabarri | EUK (Basque Country) |
| 2nd | Alys Barton | GBR |
| 3rd | Maria Salgado | POR |
| 3rd | Ariane Ochoa | EUK (Basque Country) |
2026 European Challenger Series Qualifiers
The Pro Taghazout Bay finalized the European QS standings and determined the athletes who will compete on the 2026 Challenger Series.
Men: Adur Amatriain (EUK), Guilherme Ribeiro (POR), Ido Hagag (WRL), Yago Dominguez (EUK), Sean Gunning (ESP), Conor Donegan Dos Santos (ESP), Tiago Carrique (FRA).
Women: Janire Gonzalez Etxabarri (EUK), Maria Salgado (POR), Alys Barton (GBR), Ariane Ochoa (EUK).
Additional wildcards for both men and women are still to be announced. The Basque Country’s dominance across both draws was one of the defining stories of the entire 2025/2026 European QS season.
Key Storylines From the WSL Pro Taghazout Bay 2026
Basque Country’s Golden Generation
Three of the seven men and two of the four women who qualified for the Challenger Series from Europe represent the Basque Country. The region’s investment in coaching and development, highlighted by the involvement of Aritz Aranburu as Amatriain’s coach, is clearly paying dividends.
Alys Barton’s Breakthrough
Barton’s run from 12th to fifth on the European rankings, combined with her event-high 9.33 single-wave score, marks her as one of the most exciting emerging talents in British surfing. Her first QS final since Caparica and subsequent Challenger Series qualification are the result of consistent improvement and fearless surfing.
Morocco’s Growing Role in Professional Surfing
Taghazout Bay has hosted WSL events since 2020, and the partnership continues to strengthen. The event is supported by regional government institutions and major Moroccan brands. The famous waves along this coastline, combined with Morocco’s rich surf culture and history, make it a natural home for professional competition.
The Importance of Wave Selection
Throughout the event, wave selection proved to be the decisive factor in most heats. In inconsistent two-to-three-foot conditions, surfers who read the ocean well consistently outperformed more talented opponents who picked poorly. Understanding ocean safety and conditions is crucial not only for recreational surfers but also for professionals navigating a contest lineup.
What Comes Next?
With the European QS season wrapped up, the Africa region had one final stop at the Royal St Andrews Rip Curl Cup QS 4,000 in Port Alfred, South Africa, which ran from April 3 to 6, 2026. The qualified Europeans will now prepare for the 2026 Challenger Series.
For those inspired to get into surfing after watching the action from Taghazout Bay, the journey starts with finding the right equipment. Choosing the right surfboard for beginners and knowing what to wear when surfing are the first steps toward riding your own waves.
If you are shopping for your first board, understanding how to choose the right surfboard size will save you months of frustration. And if the cool Atlantic water off Morocco’s coast is calling your name, make sure you read up on how to choose a wetsuit before you paddle out.
Final Thoughts on the WSL Pro Taghazout Bay 2026
The 2026 edition of the Pro Taghazout Bay lived up to every expectation. From the drama of the opening rounds through to the Basque double triumph on finals day, this QS 4,000 event showcased the depth of talent on the European and African circuits.
Janire Gonzalez Etxabarri’s redemption story and Adur Amatriain’s underdog victory will be remembered as defining moments of the 2025/2026 season. Meanwhile, Taghazout Bay continues to prove itself as one of the most exciting venues on the global surfing calendar.
For surfers at every level, this event is a reminder that perseverance, preparation, and smart decision-making in the water can overcome any obstacle. Whether you are waxing your board for your first session or chasing Challenger Series qualification, the path forward always starts with the next wave.
