The 2026 IBC World Tour is about to kick off in Morocco! To get things started, we’re rolling out some key updates and changes across all divisions that you’ll need to keep on your radar for this season.
The IBC introduces these changes with one goal in mind: leveling up the competition and doing what’s best for the athletes. By learning from past seasons and fixing what didn’t work, we’re pushing to make things more professional and as fair as possible for everyone on the tour.
BREAKDOWN BY DIVISION
JUNIOR DIVISIONS (Major Changes)
Heads up on the new age cutoff dates for Junior athletes. We’ve aligned our dates with most international federations so that our events can now count toward your national or local rankings.
MAX AGE:
- Juniors in all divisions must be 18 or under as of December 31, 2026.
JUNIOR MEN
- Only the best result will count towards the rankings, if there´s a tie, the second best result will come into play as a tiebraker.
- The World Champion will be the winner of the Grand Final, held at El Frontón, Gran Canaria, during the waiting period from October 17–31.
JUNIOR WOMEN
- The Junior Women’s title will be decided at a single event: the Arcelormittal Wahine Bodyboard Pro in Jacaraipe, Brazil. The winner of this event (waiting period Sept 10–20) will be crowned World Champ.
MASTERS WOMEN (Major Change)
- For the 2026 season, the new minimum age for Masters Women is 40+.
- The title will be decided at a single event: the Arcelormittal Wahine Bodyboard Pro. If you’re 40 or older, you’re in.
- There are no restrictions regarding past or current divisions.
- The winner of this event in Brazil (Sept 10–20) takes the World Title.
DROPKNEE (Major Change)
As we’ve mentioned before, the radical and stylish DropKnee (DK) division is back! Here are the specifics for the DK riders this year:
- No age limit. We want to grow the DK scene as much as possible, so it’s open to everyone.
- No gender categories. This is an open division for all riders.
- Total compatibility. Competing in DK won’t stop you from entering other divisions.
- Single Event Title: The DK World Title will be decided at the Antofagasta Bodyboard Festival in Chile. The winner at “La Nilda” (waiting period April 24–May 5) will be the World Champ.
WOMEN’S DIVISION (Format Changes)
We’ve revamped a few things in the Women’s Division:
- This season, we’ll count your top 3 results for both the final rankings and the World Title.
- Top 8 Seeding Rules:
- The Top 8 will have fixed seeding across the three events.
- Seeding rotation will only happen among these top 8 athletes.
- After the first event, the Top 8 seeding will be based strictly on the 2026 rankings.
- The same logic applies to athletes outside the Top 8—they will rotate seeds based on updated 2026 rankings after the first contest.
- No Cut: There will be no mid-season cut in the Women’s Division.
MEN’S DIVISION (Seeding & Safety)
For the Men’s Division, we will count your top 4 results toward the 2026 rankings and the World Title.
Event #1: Morocco World Bodyboard Championship
- Seeding is based on 2025 rankings.
- Top 16: Will rotate seeds among themselves.
After Morocco:
- Seeding will shift to the 2026 rankings, with top-seeded athletes rotating among each other.
- The 2025 Top 16 will shuffle based on their performance in Morocco.
- Seeds 17–32 (The “Back 16”): Seeding will be a combo of 2025 and 2026 rankings from the first event through Itacoatiara.
After the Itacoatiara Pro:
- All seeding will be based 100% on 2026 rankings.
- This is a big move. From Itacoatiara onward, only this season’s results matter. This opens the door for hungry riders who are having a breakout year.
Gran Canaria Frontón King (Season Finale):
- Seeding based exclusively on 2026 rankings.
- There is no longer a fixed Top 16 based on the previous year.
- Helmets are mandatory for all athletes.
- Note: The IBC and Frontón King organizers have made helmets mandatory for all divisions at this event. Since El Frontón is one of the world’s heaviest waves breaking over shallow volcanic rock, safety is the priority. This is a historic first for the Men’s Division, following years of successful helmet use in the Junior Men’s division.
For the full breakdown of the rules, check out the official Rule Book at www.ibcworldtour.com
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