The Morocco World Bodyboard Championship is the first event of the year, making it hands-down one of the most important stops of the season for a bunch of reasons.
MEN’S DIVISION
This event is going to set the tone for the whole year in the Men’s Division. It’s huge to start the circuit by scoring points early if you want to climb the rankings. A perfect example of why this matters: last year’s winner here was Brazil’s Uri Valadao, who went on to clinch the World Title by the end of the tour. That just shows how much a solid start counts.
Defending Champ: URI VALADAO (Brazil)
Uri Valadao took the 2025 crown with a heavy, aggressive style, linking big combos on long waves and putting up massive scores. That win gave him a huge confidence boost all season and definitely put his rivals on notice. It also makes him the man to beat this year; he’s coming in fired up to defend two titles: World Champ and the 2025 Taghazout Bay Morocco Pro champ.
JUNIOR MEN’S DIVISION
In the Junior Men’s Division, the Morocco World Bodyboard Championship is the first qualifier to snag one of the 48 spots for the grand finale at the Gran Canaria Frontón King this October. To give you an idea of how much this contest matters: the winner in Morocco last year ended up being the 2025 World Champ in both divisions.
Defending Champ: LOUKA ZANINOTTO (France)
For the Juniors, it was France’s Louka Zaninotto who absolutely killed it. Not only did he take the win with an insane performance, but he also held his own in the Men’s Division, making it through several heats. He’s going in as the favorite here because, just like Uri, he’s defending both his World Title and his Morocco crown.
FEATURED RIDERS
Besides the defending champs Uri Valadao and Louka Zaninotto, keep an eye on last year’s finalists and the Top 16. Also, don’t sleep on the local crew—they’ve shown the world time and again that they’ve got serious game, with some of them becoming the breakout riders of the season.
MEN’S DIVISION: URI VALADAO (Brazil) – PIERRE LOUIS COSTES (France) – CHAJRI BADR EDDINE (Morocco) – GABRIEL BRAGA (Brazil)
JUNIOR MEN’S DIVISION: LOUKA ZANINOTTO (France) – IZZIKI YOUSSEF (Morocco) – TARFAOUI SOUHAIL (Morocco) – AGOUZUL ABDELKARIM (Morocco)
DATES & LOCATION: MOROCCO WORLD BODYBOARD CHAMPIONSHIP 2026
Location: ANZA BEACH, AGADIR, MOROCCO
JUNIOR MEN RISING SERIES / Jan 31st – Feb 1st
- Prize Money: $2,500
- Points: 500 pts
MEN’S PRIME SERIES / Feb 2nd – Feb 12th
- Prize Money: $35,000
- Points: 5,000 pts
The 2026 IBC World Tour kicks off! We can’t stress enough how vital this first tour stop is. We’re expecting some killer conditions and a world-class show. Anza Beach is known for being super consistent, with long waves, hollow barrels, and plenty of sections for big moves. You definitely don’t want to miss this.
The Men’s Division wildcard for the event went to Ali Khushruwa from the Maldives. This guy is a multi-time national champ and has put up some solid results in the IBC events held back in the Maldives.
Check out some of the riders already confirmed for the event:
- Tristan Roberts (South Africa)
- Gabriel Braga (Brazil)
- Cristopher Bayona (Peru)
- Armide Soliveres (Spain)
- Joaquin Soto (Chile)
You can catch the Men’s Prime Series live on the official IBC channels. The crew will pick the best swell days between February 2nd and 12th:
- Web: www.ibcworldtour.com
- YouTube: @IBCWorldTour
The Junior Men’s Rising Series will be streamed live on January 31st and February 1st via local channels.
A huge thanks once again to all the sponsors and partners who make this happen, especially the FRMS (Fédération Royale Marocaine de Surf) and the Imouran Surf Association.
- Web: www.ibcworldtour.com
- YouTube: www.youtube.com/@IBCWorldTour
- IG: @ibcworld_tour
- Facebook: facebook.com/ibc.world.tour
- TikTok: tiktok.com/@ibcworldtour