The Philippines is set to make a landmark entry into the global longboarding calendar as it hosts the La Union International Pro, the country’s first-ever international longboard qualifying event, from January 20 to 24 off Urbiztondo Beach in San Juan, La Union.
The tournament is expected to draw one of the deepest and most competitive international fields ever assembled for a longboard event, with four coveted slots to the 2026 Longboard Tour of the World Surf League on the line.
For Filipino surfers, the event represents a rare opportunity to compete for world-tour qualification on home waters, while placing the country firmly on the global surfing map.
According to WSL Longboard Tour director Will Hayden-Smith, the new qualifying format reflects the organization’s push to widen access and level the playing field for elite longboarders worldwide.
He said the system was designed to open doors for talent from all regions, noting that world-class longboarders exist far beyond the traditional strongholds of the sport and deserve a pathway to the highest level of competition.
For the Philippine government, the event is also a showcase of the country’s growing sports tourism ambitions. Philippine Sports Commission Chairperson Patrick Gregorio welcomed the staging of the competition, describing it as a major step forward for Philippine surfing and international sports hosting.
He said the event would bring together the world’s best male and female longboarders to compete on the renowned waves of Monalisa Point, long regarded as one of the country’s premier longboarding breaks.
Gregorio, who also heads the National Sports Tourism Inter-Agency Committee formed under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., said the competition aligns with the administration’s drive to promote the Philippines as a destination for high-level international sporting events.
He added that Filipino surfers are already gearing up to display both world-class skill and distinctly Filipino passion in front of a global audience, as the country deepens its partnership with the WSL.
The La Union International Pro will be open to all surfers competing in the WSL Longboard Qualifying Series, with seeding based on the Challenger Series rankings.
Gregorio stressed that this structure gives local athletes a legitimate shot at advancing, especially in a town where longboarding is deeply ingrained in the culture and the waves are tailor-made for performance surfing.
As the countdown begins, La Union is poised not only to host a competition, but to deliver a defining moment for Philippine surfing—one that blends elite sport, coastal culture, and the promise of homegrown talent rising on the world stage.