It’s everything one would hope a surf contest is in 2026. For the lucky crew assembled for the second incarnation of Natural Selection Surf, the itinerary included camping, exploring, and surfing some of the most challenging and rewarding waves of the South African winter.
After five rounds of competition, Mikey Wright and Kirra Pinkerton emerged as the respective men’s and women’s champions, with both titles coming down to consistency, wave selection and a healthy appetite for the biggest waves on offer. The full two-hour competition is now available to watch on demand on Red Bull TV and YouTube .
A South African Swell Delivers
With big wave hero and South African surf legend Grant “Twiggy” Baker monitoring the conditions for the event, the crew tracked a storm moving through the South Atlantic that ultimately generated one of the bigger swells of the South African winter, setting the stage for a week of surfing that steadily improved as the competition progressed.
The early rounds presented plenty of challenges, with shifting peaks and inconsistent wave shapes keeping the surfers on their toes. But as the swell filled in and offshore winds picked up, the conditions opened up into clean, spitting barrels.
The women’s division quickly established itself as one of the event’s defining storylines. Returning finalist Pinkerton was a consistent threat throughout the competition, winning three of five rounds and finding some of the best waves of the event, including a standout double barrel. Fellow San Clemente surfer Eden Walla, who recently turned 17, was right there with her, displaying impressive composure and wave knowledge well beyond her years. Canada’s Sanoa Dempfle-Olin also remained firmly in contention, bringing power and progressive surfing to a field where there was little room for error.
Defending champion Milla Coco Brown was equally impressive, despite having to pull on booties and a thicker wetsuit for the first time. Unfortunately, after sustaining a head injury in the third round, Brown was examined by the medical team and advised to withdraw.
That left Pinkerton, Walla and Dempfle-Olin to battle it out in the final three-woman round. With Walla and Pinkerton both holding two session victories, the championship remained up for grabs until the final waves. Ultimately, Pinkerton’s ability to hunt down the biggest sets out the back secured her the title.
“I actually could not believe I made that wave,” Pinkerton said of one particularly memorable barrel. “It almost felt like a gift because I had my eyes closed and I was literally just feeling it with my hand. Then I just felt white water, everything. And then I just popped out, and I was just like, oh, my God.”
Despite the competitive stakes, Pinkerton said the atmosphere among the women remained supportive throughout the week.
“We were all kind of vibing each other, but at the same time, rooting for each other,” she said.
Wright’s Consistency Pays Off
On the men’s side, Wright put together a five-round performance that showcased the full range of his abundant talent. From deep barrels and powerful turns to above-the-lip progression, the Australian remained near the top of the leaderboard as the conditions and competition evolved.
The race was anything but a runaway. Eithan Osborne, Jarvis Earle, Hughie Vaughan and local standout Eli Beukes all claimed session victories, keeping the leaderboard in constant motion. Heading into the fifth and final round, Wright, Vaughan, Osborne and Beukes all had a legitimate shot at the championship. Vaughan delivered the final-session victory, finding the deep barrels that had been a signature of his surfing throughout the event. But Wright’s consistency across all five rounds ultimately proved decisive.
“I’m just taking each wave as it comes, searching for an air out of a tube,” Wright said. “It’s a star cast out here, the best of the best. Stoked to get the call-up. Camping in the desert, pumping waves, surfing heats. It’s good.”
Ant Fox / Natural Selection Tour
That consistency is central to the Natural Selection format. Rather than allowing one standout heat to determine the outcome, surfers are evaluated across multiple sessions, rewarding adaptability and overall performance.
“The leaderboard changed dynamically from round to round,” said Jason Murray, general manager of NST Surf (and a former photo editor for SURFER). “In the end, the combination of flawless tube-riding, power surfing and above-the-lip progression proved to be the winning formula.”
With both championships decided in the final round, the Western Cape delivered exactly what the Natural Selection format promises: a week of surfing where every wave counts.
2026 Natural Selection Surf Results
Men
- Mikey Wright
- Hughie Vaughan
- Eithan Osborne
- Eli Beukes
Women
- Kirra Pinkerton
- Eden Walla
- Milla Coco Brown
- Sanoa Dempfle-Olin
Related: After Epic South African Score, Natural Selection Surf Reveals Judges