BALINEWS.ID – The 2026 Rip Curl Cup Padang Padang invitees delivered an impressive display of surfing during the Official Event Warm-Up Session on Wednesday afternoon, making the most of powerful 4–6ft waves at Bali’s iconic Padang Padang reef.
Although the swell arrived with less size and consistency than forecast, conditions briefly aligned to produce a three-hour window of quality waves. The Main Event requires a minimum six-hour window, prompting organizers to hold off on competition and instead give all invitees the opportunity to experience the lineup ahead of the official event.
As the swell, wind and tide came together, the surfers took full advantage of the conditions, logging valuable time at Padang Padang while showcasing the world-class potential of the legendary reef break.
The women opened the session with an hour-long heat, producing a succession of impressive barrels. Their performance highlighted the growing strength of women’s tube riding and continued the exceptional standard displayed during last year’s final.
Sixteen-year-old Australian Lucy Darragh was among the standout performers, joined by Hawaiian surfer Vaihitimahana Iso, who demonstrated that her powerful tube-riding style translates seamlessly to Bali’s premier reef break.
Mentawai-born-and-raised Kya Heuer also made a strong impression as the only regular-footer in the women’s field. She repeatedly committed to backside barrels with a fearless approach, raising the possibility that she could become the first regular-footer to claim the women’s Rip Curl Cup title.
The women’s session was followed by two men’s warm-up heats, with the field divided into two groups.
Defending champion Westen Hirst looked sharp in the challenging conditions, once again showing the form that carried him to victory in last year’s event. Bruce Irons also turned heads with powerful lines that recalled his legendary 10-point ride at Padang Padang in 2016, reinforcing the reef break’s reputation as one of the world’s most iconic surfing waves.
Two-time Rip Curl Cup winner Made Adi Putra relied on his deep local knowledge to make the most of the conditions, while Ocean Lancaster, Rajo Saputra and Varun Tandjung highlighted the emerging generation of talent earning their place among the prestigious invitee field.
“Unfortunately, the swell showed up more South and with less size than predicted, so we made the call not to run the Main Event and protect the integrity of the event, while giving all invitees the opportunity to warm up in the best waves possible,” said Harry Mann, Rip Curl’s Product and Marketing Manager and Contest Director.
“Even so, we were stoked to get a three-hour window of epic conditions, allowing us to catch a first look at perhaps one of the most exciting invitees lists we’ve ever had. The women’s heat was a real standout, the waves were firing and the women were charging. It was an epic preview of what we’re going to witness when the main event gets underway,” he added.
Attention now turns to the next major swell opportunity, with official event forecaster Swellnet identifying Thursday, August 20, as another potentially significant swell window for Padang Padang.
Strong south and southwest energy is forecast to build across the Indian Ocean, creating the potential for the powerful and high-quality waves required to stage the Rip Curl Cup Padang Padang Main Event.
2026 Rip Curl Cup Padang Padang Official Invitee List;
Men – International
- Taj Burrow (AUS)
- James Kusitino (FJI)
- Tosh Tudor (USA)
- Craig Anderson (AUS)
- Hughie Vaughan (AUS)
- Mason Ho (HAW)
- Lukas Skinner (GBR)
- Ocean Lancaster (AUS)
Men – Indonesia
- Westen Hirst
- Ketut Agus
- I Made Pajar Ariyana
- Tommy Sobry
- Dylan Wilcoxen
- Made Adi Putra
- Rajo Saputra
- Varun Tandjung
Women – International
- Ruby Berry (AUS)
- Vaihitimahana Iso (HAW)
- Sky Brown (GBR)
- Lucy Darragh (AUS)
Women – Indonesia
- Jasmine Studer
- Kya Heuer
- Taina Izquierdo
- Paris Nalendra
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