WAI KAI HAPPENINGS

WAI KAI to host inaugural citywave world championships in Hawai‘i

World’s top surfers to compete for record $50,000 prize Feb. 25-28, 2027

Wai Kai and citywave® will partner to host the inaugural citywave World Championships Feb. 25-28, 2027, in a competition that will crown the sport’s first-ever standing wave men’s and women’s world champions and award a record $50,000 prize purse.

“Hawai‘i is the birthplace of surfing, and there’s no place more fitting to name history’s first citywave World Champions,” said Adam Muller, Director of guest experience, local marketing and event promotions at Wai Kai. “We are stoked to bring the global standing surf wave community together on Oahu, showcasing some of the world’s best athletes.”

The four-day international competition will be held on citywave Hawaii, also known as the Wai Kai Wave. For the championships, the wave will open to its full 100-foot configuration, creating the biggest stage the sport has ever seen. The event will bring together top invited athletes and surfers who earn their spots through qualifying events, with competitors expected from Hawai‘i, the continental U.S., the Americas, Europe, Asia and beyond.

“This is the moment this sport has been building toward,” said Rainer Klimaschewski, founder and creator of citywave. “Bringing the world’s top athletes together on a wave opened to its full scale lets us show exactly where this sport is headed. With the wave at full scale, we will see a level of surfing that has not been possible in competition until now.””

The citywave World Championships are free to attend, giving spectators the chance to watch the competition up close. The four-day event will also include live music, sponsor activities, giveaways, food and beverage offerings and other entertainment.

Additional details, including invited athletes, regional qualifying events, competition format, event schedule, sponsors and livestream coverage, will be announced in the coming months. Stay social via @waikailineup

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About the Citywave World Championships
The inaugural Citywave World Championships will bring together leading surfers from around the world to compete on Wai Kai's 100-foot standing wave. The event is designed to showcase the sport's progression, create new competitive opportunities for athletes and help build a global platform for its future.

Media, sponsorship & partnership inquiries:
Adam@atthelineup.com

alyssa@beckercommunications.com

caroline@beckercommunications.com

e.kuhn@citywave.de

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