Bye bye Banzai.

The World Surf League’s 2025 Championship Tour is still months from its debut but surf fans are already tittering with the various and sundry storylines. There is, of course, the return of J-Bay and Snapper, Finals Day being moved from Lower Trestles to Cloudbreak but mostly there is Abu Dhabi and its gleaming Kelly Slater surf tank.

Our heroes and heroines will fly directly to the oil rich Middle East petro kingdom from Oahu’s North Shore, after launching the season at the iconic Banzai Pipeline but will all of them fly? Two-time champ Tyler Wright’s family has raised multiple red flags, openly wondering if their bisexual sister, married to a woman, might receive the death penalty in the land where same sex relationships can lead to criminal penalty. Will others follow, signing on to a petition being circulated by the famously anti-woman advocacy group Surf Equity?

Will the World Surf League decide that the Banzai Pipeline is finally redundant and no longer necessary?

An unforeseen twist!

But you are certainly aware of the enmity felt by the “global home of surfing” for the second jewel of the Triple Crown. Pipeline, of course, used to end the season and crown champions. Now it begins the season and is meaningless. Gone altogether in 2026?

For the petro kingdom of Bahrain, just north of the UAE has just unveiled plans for its own surf tank called “Bahrain Surf Park – Club Hawaii Experience.”

Set to open in two years, the development is a partnership between Edmah, the real estate branch of Bahrain’s soverign wealth fund, and GFH Financial Group. It will include shops, luxury hotels, residences and a Wavegarden Cove.

HE Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, CEO of Mumtalakat and chairman of Edamah, declared the venue “will be transformational for the tourism and recreation sectors in the Kingdom of Bahrain,” continuing, “This pioneering project reflects Edamah’s commitment to innovation and our focus on investing in local initiatives that will strengthen the tourism infrastructure in the kingdom, while also enhancing Bahrain’s attractiveness as a tourist destination.”

And also a World Surf League Championship Tour destination.

Soz Wrights.

Back to Club Hawaii, though. Will Bahrain seek to recreate more of the North Shore, like Spam Musubi and cracks to the head or satisfy itself with deadly waves breaking over shallow reef alone?

More, certainly, as the story develops.

How much will 90 glorious minutes in the tub cost? Come find out!

Kelly Slater’s Abu Dhabi Surf Ranch has had quite the run, lately, as far as newsworthiness goes. The gleaming new facility, largest Kelly Slater Surf Ranch in the world, conjured into existence via the hands of “aggressively-priced” Pakistani workers is stunning by any measure. The World Surf League was so moved that it added Abu Dhabi as the second stop on the 2025 Championship Tour leading Mikey Wright, once recipient of many World Surf League Championship Tour wildcards, to become angry on behalf of his sister Tyler.

The United Arab Emirates where Abu Dhabi finds itself is not as progressive as some European states, you see, and Mikey wondered if Tyler’s open bisexuality, being married to a woman etc., might get her into capital trouble.

“You have no business putting on an event at a location where my sister can be sentenced by law with the death penalty,” he penned in an open comment. “So much for equality and equal rights, only when it’s convenient to wsl. You have supported the LGBTQ flag on her shoulder but now you want to strip it and be hush hush to get her to a location that she’s at risk of this punishment. You have the responsibility to protect your athletes, interested to see how you think you can protect her against the law.”

Thus began the pile on with calls for a boycott growing extremely loud.

Well, all that aside, Abu Dhabi appears ready to open to non-Championship Tour surfers as well. In an overnight email blast, the PR mavens declared:

The wait has been long, and we truly appreciate your patience and excitement for Surf Abu Dhabi. As a member of our community, we wanted you to be the first to know that bookings are officially open!

We’ve been working hard to bring you the best surf experience, and we’re thrilled to announce that Surf Abu Dhabi will open its doors to the public on October 25. Now’s your chance to secure your session and be among the one of the first to share this amazing wave but also the full Surf Abu Dhabi experience!

Our friendly and professional team is here to assist you with any questions and make sure your visit is unforgettable.

The question, I suppose, is how much a session will cost.

What if I told you it was $3500 USD for 90 mins? Would you jump an Emirates flight straight away?

Then get booking because it is not $3500 USD but rather $3500 UAE which is, roughly, $950 USD.

Door bustin!

More as the story develops.

“Those leaving these areas are advised to leave the country or at least to the capital Colombo..."

The United States National Security Council strongly exhorted Israeli surfers in, and around, Sri Lanka’s Arugam Bay to leave the region after receiving what it described as credible threats indicating an imminent attack. “Those leaving these areas are advised to leave the country or at least to the capital Colombo, where there is a high presence of local security forces,” it said in a statement.

Muslim groups in the country have been frustrated during the course of the year-long war in Gaza and increasing Israeli aggression in Lebanon, regularly protesting and drawing in their predominantly Buddhist neighbors as well.

Local police, aware of the potential troubles, declared, “In view of the war situation in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, the police together with intelligence agencies are working on a plan to protect tourists and resorts.”

Sri Lanka is a popular destination for Israeli tourists and passionate Israeli surfers with reports stating that over 20,000 visited the South East Asian nation in the first nine months of this year. Arugum Bay, of course, famous for its user-friendly right handers, yoga retreat centers and delicious green jackfruit curries.

This whole unfortunate wrinkle comes mere days after National Geographic threw its hat into the surf tourism ring, publishing “Why Sri Lanka’s south coast should be your next surfing destination” beginning thusly:

“There’s so much machismo and ego in surfing. Let’s change that,” Portuguese surfing coach José Bernado says to our group of a dozen mostly-female rookies, exemplifying the central mission of Soul & Surf, a game-changing brand of boutique surf camps that selected sleepy Ahangama for its second outpost in 2015. We’re donning rash vests and ferrying our beginner’s softboards over to the fleet of colourful tuk-tuks waiting just beyond the open-sided Canteen cafe, the heart of the jungly, beachfront complex. “The beauty of this sport is that we don’t have to be perfect to enjoy it; we do it for the endorphins, for our mental health,” José tells us. “Look out for each other and don’t be afraid to admit you’re learning. Let’s make a tribe in the water.”

That “tribe in the water” likely extremely on edge for the foreseeable future.