The 2026 Lexus Trestles Pro marks the final stop of the WSL regular season, with Monster Energy athletes chasing rankings points, playoff qualification, and momentum as the Championship Tour heads to California's iconic Lower Trestles.
Location, Location, Location
A twenty minute walk from the southern end of San Clemente, CA, down a dirt trail and under the I-5, San Mateo Creek dumps cobblestones into the Pacific and builds the closest thing surfing has to a skate park. Lower Trestles is an A-frame that bends south swell into ramps forgiving enough to try anything and long enough to refine your approach and do it three or four more times. It’s a wave of inconsequence. Playful. No big barrels. No real risk. Lowers levels the playing field in that whoever is actually surfing the best, wins. It's why the tour keeps coming back, and why San Clemente has become the most concentrated pocket of professional surfing talent on the planet.
The 2026 Lexus Trestles Pro runs September 11–20. Cheer on the Monster crew atworldsurfleague.com!
Monster Threats
Gabriel Medina: Runner-up in Fiji and now up to fourth in the world. Medina arrives in San Clemente with momentum that should make everyone nervous.
Yago Dora: Won here last year, then won the world title. The rail-to-air combination this wave allows happens to be the thing Yago does better than anyone.
Ethan Ewing: If the judges are rewarding dynamic rail surfing over airs, Ethan is the guy to beat. Lowers is nothing but open face, and nobody uses one better.
Filipe Toledo: Sitting 21st with the cut at 22, he’s at risk. But he’s also surfing in his adopted hometown and has won here three times. He’s got this.
Crosby Colapinto: Crosby's challenge at Lowers isn't ability or knowledge, it's that everybody expects him to do well, because he grew up here.
Seth Moniz: A maiden win at Teahupo'o clearly unlocked something. Lowers is a completely different test — no consequence, all execution. But confidence travels.
Al Cleland Jr.: Running short on his requalification runway, it’s time for Al to put his progression on display at Lowers.
Joel Vaughan: He’s one of the most dynamic and exciting surfers on tour, and Lowers is the perfect venue for Joel to put that on display.
Bettylou Sakura Johnson: The defending event champion, and she's above the cut line with the post-season in reach. We wouldn't bet against her.
Three Questions
What's the forecast? Modest. Small-to-moderate south swell, with decent odds a tropical system spins up off Mexico inside the window. But Lowers has never needed size to produce a good contest.
Why does Trestles matter more than usual? Abu Dhabi got canned, so this is now the last event of the regular season. The cut comes immediately after: top 22 men, top 14 women, and everyone else is watching until Pipe.
Doesn't Lowers usually decide the world title? It used to. As the Finals venue from 2021 through 2024, this wave crowned four straight world champions. Now it's stop nine, and the title gets settled at Pipe.
