SURFIVAL LEAGUE

Official Terms and Conditions

Effective: 2026 WSL Season

1. Nature of the Contest

The Surfival League is a season-long, skill-based survival contest that follows the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour. Participants use skill, knowledge, and judgment to select surfers over the course of the WSL season. The Surfival League is NOT a gambling website, sportsbook, or daily fantasy sports platform. It is a skill-based contest of knowledge and prediction. All prizes are fixed and stated in advance and do not vary with the number of participants. No wagers are accepted.

2. Eligibility

To participate in the Surfival League, you must:

  • Be at least 18 years of age at the time of entry

  • Have a valid email address and agree to these Terms and Conditions

  • Ensure your participation is lawful in your jurisdiction

3. Geographic Eligibility

3a. Open Participation

The Surfival League is open to participants worldwide. Residents of all countries and US states may enter, provided their participation is lawful under their local laws. By entering, you take sole responsibility for determining whether your participation is legal in your jurisdiction.

3b. Void Where Prohibited

This contest is void where prohibited by applicable law. The Surfival League makes no representation that participation is lawful in all locations. If you are uncertain whether your participation is permitted, consult a legal professional in your jurisdiction before entering.

3c. Prize Eligibility

Cash prizes are paid via PayPal or bank transfer. Winners outside continental USA and Australia are responsible for any board shipping costs associated with merchandise prizes. International winners may elect to receive $400 per board in lieu of physical delivery. Winners are responsible for compliance with all applicable import regulations and taxes in their country.

4. Entry and Fees

Entry fees are posted on the Surfival League website prior to the start of each season. The 2026 Main League entry fee is $25. The 2026 Second Chance League entry fee is $20. Entry fees are non-refundable once the season begins, except in the event of contest cancellation by the Surfival League. By submitting an entry fee, you confirm that you have read and agree to these Terms and Conditions in full. One entry per person. Duplicate entries will be disqualified and will not be eligible for prizes.

5. How to Play

5a. General

Each event, participants select one WSL surfer. If your selected surfer advances past the elimination threshold for that event, you survive. If your surfer is eliminated, you are out for the season. Each surfer may only be selected once per season.

5b. Survival Rule - Events 1 through 11 (Bells Beach through Portugal)

Men's: your surfer must win their Round 2 heat to survive (advance to Round 3). A loss in Round 1 or Round 2 eliminates you. Women's: your surfer must win their Round 2 heat to survive (advance to the Quarterfinals). A loss in Round 1 or Round 2 eliminates you. Events 10 and 11 (Abu Dhabi and Portugal) feature a reduced field of 24 men and 16 women. Participants may pick any surfer from the qualified field for those events.

5c. Survival Rule - Event 12 (Pipe Masters)

The full CT field returns for Pipe Masters. Participants may pick any surfer in the field. The same survival rule applies: your surfer must win their Round 2 heat to survive. When submitting your Pipe Masters pick, participants must also submit two tiebreaker guesses: (1) the Pipe Masters winner's Final heat score, and (2) the combined heat score of both finalists in the Pipe Masters Final.

5d. Tiebreakers at Pipe Masters

If multiple participants survive Pipe Masters, the winner is determined in this order:

  • Furthest advance at Pipe Masters wins. Finalist beats semifinalist, semifinalist beats quarterfinalist, and so on.

  • If still tied: closest guess to the Pipe Masters winner's Final heat score. If equidistant, the lower guess wins.

  • If still tied: closest guess to the combined heat score of both finalists in the Pipe Masters Final. If equidistant, the lower guess wins.

5e. Wipeout Rounds

If every surviving participant's surfer is eliminated in the same event, all participants from that event advance and no one is eliminated. At Pipe Masters, if no participant survives Round 2, all remaining participants are considered survivors and tiebreakers apply as described in Section 5d.

5f. Second Chance League

The Second Chance League opens mid-season and follows identical rules to the Main League. The Main League and Second Chance League are separate contests with separate prize pools. Entry into one does not constitute entry into the other.

6. Picks and Deadlines

Picks are accepted up until the first heat of each WSL event starts. To submit or change your pick, log in to your Surfival League account and submit a surfer selection. Your most recent submission before the deadline is the pick that counts. Pick deadlines are communicated via email reminder and posted on the Surfival League website. It is the participant's sole responsibility to submit picks on time. Failure to submit a pick before the first heat starts results in elimination. The Surfival League is not responsible for technical failures, internet outages, or time zone errors on the participant's end.

7. Time Zones

The WSL Championship Tour takes place globally across multiple time zones. All deadlines are posted in Pacific Time (PT) unless otherwise stated. Participants are responsible for converting deadlines to their local time zone. The Surfival League will make reasonable efforts to send reminder emails before each event but accepts no liability for participant confusion regarding event timing.

8. Surfer Withdrawals and Injuries

Participants may change their pick at any time before the first heat of each event starts. If a surfer withdraws from competition after the first heat has begun, the participant who selected that surfer is eliminated. No exceptions. The Surfival League is not responsible for surfer injuries, withdrawals, or WSL scheduling changes.

9. Prizes

9a. 2026 Prize Structure

Main League Men's winner: $7,000 cash and three (3) custom PANDA surfboards. Main League Women's winner: $2,000 cash and one (1) custom PANDA surfboard. Second Chance League Men's winner: $1,000 cash and one (1) custom PANDA surfboard. Second Chance League Women's winner: $1,000 cash and one (1) custom PANDA surfboard.

9b. Prize Claiming

Winners must claim their prize within 30 days of notification. Prizes unclaimed after 30 days are forfeited. To claim a prize, winners must provide:

  • Full legal name and mailing address

  • A completed W-9 form (US residents receiving prizes over $600)

  • A completed W-8BEN form (international participants receiving prizes over $600)

  • Proof of age and identity upon request

9c. Tax Responsibility

All prizes are subject to applicable federal, state, and local taxes. Winners are solely responsible for all taxes on prizes received. The Surfival League will issue IRS Form 1099-MISC to US winners receiving prizes valued at $600 or more in a calendar year, as required by law. International winners are responsible for compliance with their own local tax laws. The Surfival League does not provide tax advice.

9d. Merchandise Prizes

Surfboard prizes are custom shaped by PANDA Surfboards and awarded at their stated retail value. Winners outside continental USA and Australia are responsible for board shipping costs. A cash alternative of $400 per board may be offered at the Surfival League's discretion. The Surfival League reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value if the stated prize becomes unavailable. Boards are polyurethane (PU) construction. Custom artwork requests are not available.

10. Conduct and Fair Play

Participants agree to:

  • Participate honestly and in good faith

  • Not use bots, scripts, or automated tools to submit picks

  • Not share account credentials or allow others to submit picks on their behalf

  • Not attempt to manipulate, exploit, or abuse the contest format

The Surfival League reserves the right to disqualify any participant found to be acting in bad faith, using prohibited tools, or otherwise violating these Terms. Disqualified participants forfeit all prizes and entry fees.

11. WSL Schedule Changes and Cancellations

If the WSL postpones or cancels an individual event, that event does not count for Surfival League purposes and the season continues with the next scheduled event. If the entire WSL Championship Tour season is cancelled, entry fees will be refunded in full or rolled over to the following season at the participant's election. No refunds are issued for individual event cancellations after the season has begun.

12. Modifications and Cancellation

The Surfival League reserves the right to modify these Terms and Conditions, contest rules, prize structures, or deadlines at any time. Material changes will be communicated to participants via email or website notice. The Surfival League also reserves the right to cancel or suspend the contest at any time. In the event of cancellation prior to the season start, entry fees will be refunded in full.

13. Disputes

All decisions made by the Surfival League regarding picks, scoring, eligibility, and prizes are final and binding. Any disputes must be submitted in writing to admin@surfival-league.com within 14 days of the disputed event. The Surfival League will review disputes in good faith but its decisions are final. These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of the State of California. Any legal action arising from participation must be brought in the courts of California.

14. Arbitration

Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or participation in the Surfival League shall be resolved by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, rather than in court. You and the Surfival League each waive the right to a jury trial and the right to participate in a class action. The arbitration will take place in San Luis Obispo County, California, or by remote hearing. This arbitration clause does not prevent either party from seeking injunctive or other equitable relief from a court for matters involving intellectual property or unauthorized use of the Service.

15. Limitation of Liability

The Surfival League, its operators, employees, and sponsors are not liable for any damages, losses, or injuries arising from participation in the contest, including but not limited to technical failures, prize disputes, WSL scheduling changes, surfer withdrawals, or inability to participate due to geographic restrictions. Participation is at the sole risk of the participant. Total liability of the Surfival League shall not exceed the amount of entry fees paid by the relevant participant.

16. Privacy

Personal information collected during registration and prize claiming (including name, address, and tax documentation) is used for contest administration and tax reporting purposes. We may share your email address with promotional partners for purposes related to surf industry communications. We do not sell personal information. You may opt out of partner communications at any time by contacting us at admin@surfival-league.com. By participating, you consent to the use of your name and general location for winner announcements and promotional purposes.

17. Sponsors

The Surfival League partners with sponsors including PANDA Surfboards and BeachGrit. Sponsor involvement is limited to prize contribution and promotional support. Sponsors are not responsible for contest administration, pick results, or prize disputes beyond the merchandise or funds they provide. The Surfival League is independently operated and all contest decisions are made solely by its administrators.

18. Intellectual Property

The Surfival League name, logo, website, and all associated content are the property of the Surfival League and its operators. Participants may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from Surfival League content without prior written permission. The Surfival League is an independent contest and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the World Surf League (WSL).

19. Agreement

By entering the Surfival League and submitting an entry fee, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to these Terms and Conditions in full. You confirm that you are at least 18 years of age and that your participation is lawful in your jurisdiction. These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and the Surfival League with respect to your participation in the contest.

Surfival League  |  2026 Season  |  Questions? Email admin@surfival-league.com