Team USA Successfully Defends Team Overall Title at 2026 IWWF World Wakesurf Championships
HANGZHOU, China — October 18, 2026 — Team USA has successfully defended its Team Overall title at the 2026 IWWF World Wakesurf Championships, held at Xiang Lake in Hangzhou’s Xiaoshan District.
The victory marks back-to-back team titles for the United States, which first claimed the honour at the inaugural IWWF World Wakesurf Championships in Hong Kong in 2024.
Held from October 9–17, the Championships brought together more than 120 athletes from 20 countries to compete for individual world titles and national team honours. In the Open Men’s and Women’s Surf and Skim divisions, athletes also competed for a share of a US$30,000 prize purse.
The event’s official towboat, the Malibu LSV23, provided world-class conditions throughout the competition.
After nine days of action, the United States topped the Team Overall standings with eight of the 18 world titles and 15 medals. Chinese Taipei finished second with three titles and nine medals, followed by Korea, also with nine medals and one world title.
Team Overall Results
United States of America
Chinese Taipei
Korea
Team USA’s second consecutive title underlines the country’s strength in a sport whose international reach continues to grow.
Open Divisions
Open Women Surf
Brynnlee Hall (USA)
Xia Chenxi (China)
Park Jeongeun (Korea)
Open Men Surf
Tyler Stewart (USA) — Defending champion
Jeong Suho (Korea)
Lam Wai Kit (Hong Kong, China)
Open Women Skim
Whitley Stewart (USA) — Defending champion
Sofia Sokolova (Ukraine)
Annissa Flynn (Thailand)
Open Men Skim
Jett Lambert (USA)
Tyler Stewart (USA)
Olivier Scokaert (France)
Junior Divisions
Junior Women Surf
Yang Yi-Nin (Chinese Taipei)
Jeon Yeolyeong (Korea)
Mariia Blanket (IWWF)
Junior Men Surf
Matvei Savichev (IWWF)
Sawyer Brandstad (USA)
Cha Gon (Korea)
Junior Women Skim
Victoria Moroski Simpson (USA)
Gemma Kaitlyn Wong (Hong Kong, China)
Antonyna Mikhnevych (Ukraine)
Junior Men Skim
Matvei Savichev (IWWF)
Tucker Reed Cole (USA)
Bang Chan Yeong (Korea)
Grom Divisions
Grom Girls Surf
Beau Walters (USA)
Abygaelle Perren (Switzerland)
Laetitia Pinna (Italy)
Grom Boys Surf
Kuo Yu-Si (Chinese Taipei)
Andrei Solovev (IWWF)
Lin Hao Ze (Chinese Taipei)
Grom Girls Skim
Abygaelle Perren (Switzerland)
Clair Hurta (USA)
Emma Proudfit (USA)
Grom Boys Skim
Declyn Van Der Riet (USA)
Andrei Solovev (IWWF)
Quinnton Tze Hin Wong (Hong Kong, China)
Masters Divisions
Masters athletes delivered standout performances throughout the week, showcasing the depth of talent and experience across the sport. Several former champions once again proved their world-class ability on the international stage.
Master Women Surf
Lin Szu Hsuan (Chinese Taipei)
Rahel Seger (Switzerland)
Alessandra Zanicotti (Italy)
Master Men Surf
Kim Sang Hyun (Korea)
Michael Steinlesberger (Austria)
Kang Jinhyeop (Korea)
Master Women Skim
Rahel Seger (Switzerland)
Tatiana Ryzhak (IWWF)
Alessandra Zanicotti (Italy)
Master Men Skim
Sean Silveira (United States of America)
Gianmarco Panaccione (Italy)
Matthew Lucini (Italy)
Veteran Divisions
Veteran competitors brought skill and consistency to the water, demonstrating that high-level wakesurfing continues across generations.
Veteran 1 Men Surf
Keith Pohl (United States of America)
Lee Sunghee (Korea)
Lin Hao-Ting (Chinese Taipei)
Veteran 1 Women Skim
Amelie Zhang (United Arab Emirates)
Nicole Hudson (United States of America)
Nina Ryzhenkova (Spain)
Veteran 1 Men Skim
Volodymyr Chuba (Ukraine)
Eric Gamboa Ordonez (Philippines)
Martin Vlcek (Czech Republic)
A Growing Global Stage
Athletes representing 20 nations, across North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, highlighted the sport’s growing international reach. In total, medals were earned by athletes from 16 different federations across the Wake Surf and Wake Skim disciplines.
The Championships also showcased Chinese Taipei’s growing strength, particularly in the Junior and Masters divisions. Among the event’s standout performers were Tyler Stewart (USA), defending Open Men’s Surf champion; Whitley Stewart (USA), defending Open Women’s Skim champion; Jett Lambert (USA), reigning World Games champion; and Matvei Savichev (IWWF), the only athlete to claim two gold medals.
From the Open divisions to the Grom, Junior, Masters and Veteran categories, the competition reflected the depth and breadth of wakesurfing talent around the world—and the sport’s continued momentum on the international stage.
Full results and photos: https://iwwf.sport/world-title-events/wakesurfworlds2026/
Editor’s note: The source release states that 18 world titles were awarded, but the results supplied here list 15 divisions. It may be worth confirming whether three categories are missing before publication.
