The Indian Ocean does not need much convincing to put on a show. But for one week each September, it outdoes itself. At Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa, the Surfing Champions Trophy is confirmed to return to the legendary Sultans break Sept. 4–11, and with it comes the promise of world-class surfing, sun-bleached evenings and the kind of access that rarely exists anywhere else on earth.

Now entering its 14th competition, the Surfing Champions Trophy is one of the most singular events in sport, an invitation-only gathering of surfing’s finest, competing across three board disciplines (single fin, twin fin and thruster) at one of the Maldives’ well-known reef breaks, with Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa as the garden island base for competitors, judges and guests alike.

The 2026 line-up will be announced in waves in the months ahead (see Surfing Champions Trophy link above). The inaugural Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy was brought to life in 2011, reimagining how surfing events are run. Since then, Sultans has hosted a roll call of surfing royalty that reads like a Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Sultans is located off the uninhabited island of Thamburudhoo in the North Male Atoll, next to the surf break Honkey’s. The area is government owned and unrestricted, making it accessible for surfers. The break features a right-hand reef and is known for never closing out, providing rideable waves in both small and large swells

The inaugural event saw Mark Occhilupo win all three divisions before defeating world longboard champion Josh Constable in the Grand Champions Final, and the standard has never dipped since. Champions who followed are a who’s who of surfing’s most decorated names: Damien Hardman in 2012, Taylor Knox in 2013, Dave “Rasta” Rastovich in 2014, Shane Dorian in 2015, Taj Burrow in both 2016 and 2017, Josh Kerr back to back in 2018 and 2019, Kelly Slater in 2022, Joel Parkinson in 2023, and Taj Burrow again in 2024.

From the beginning, the event drew the who’s who of surfing to Kuda Huraa’s shores. Across 13 editions, the field has included five-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist Carissa Moore; big wave pioneer Maya Gabeira; surfing legends Tom Curren, Rob Machado and Layne Beachley; inspirational icon Bethany Hamilton; and stylists Mikey February, Jeremy Flores and Jadson Andre, to name just a few. Each year brings a different cast with a consistently high level of competition.

If the 2026 edition is to match the 2025 event, it will need something special. Tahitian powerhouse Michel Bourez defied injury to claim victory at the 2025 Surfing Championship Trophy, stunning spectators by winning both the thruster division and the grand final only 24 hours after tearing his hamstring in the twin fin division. He scored the event’s only perfect 10 in the last minute of the grand final.

Australian Olympian Owen Wright, Jesse Mendes of Brazil, free-surfing pioneer Craig Anderson, and Maldivian wildcard Ismail “Smiley” Rasheed rounded out a field that delivered one of the most memorable editions in the trophy’s history.

Watching legends surf is one thing. Surfing alongside them is quite another. The Surf’s Up offer at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa offers four days of expert coaching with Tropicsurf pros, guided boat trips to legendary breaks, daily yoga, a post-surf massage at ŪRJĀ Naturopathy Island, round-trip speedboat transfers, daily breakfast and surf equipment, whether guests are learning to surf or looking to perfect their technique.

Four Seasons cocktail parties are a highlight of the week, set up around the island in stunning locations with private chefs, specialty cocktails and everyone dressed to impress … the perfect backdrop to unwind, recap the day’s waves and chat with the pros. Guests have been known to find themselves standing next to the morning’s grand finalist, talking fin placement over a negroni.