Teen Surfing Prodigy Alani Morse Earns WSL World Tour Wildcard for Raglan Event

Fifteen-year-old Raglan local Alani Morse has secured a wildcard entry into the World Surf League Championship Tour event at Manu Bay, set to accept place next month. Her qualification comes after a dramatic victory in the open women’s division at the King and Queen of the Point competition, where she clinched first place with a last-wave buzzer-beater score of 6.93.

Morse, who has been surfing competitively since the age of seven, moved from Auckland to Raglan five years ago with her family to pursue her dream of becoming a professional surfer. Her win at the King and Queen of the Point event marked a breakthrough moment, overcoming nerves and self-doubt to deliver when it mattered most.

“I was in tears after that final,” Morse said following her victory. “I just knew that I was gonna get a wave at the end, so I was kind of just waiting, like I was at peace with the whole heat… I knew God had it under control… yeah, I can’t believe what just happened.”

The Raglan leg of the WSL World Tour will feature Morse alongside fellow Kiwi surfers Tom Butland and Billy Stairmand, all of whom earned wildcard spots through local victories. Butland, 24, won the open men’s division at the same event after battling a field of 112 surfers, while Stairmand, a nine-time New Zealand National Champion and two-time Olympian, received a wildcard into the New Zealand Pro event.

Wildcard entries on the WSL Championship Tour are awarded based on skill, venue knowledge, past performances, or success in local trials — giving standout regional surfers like Morse the chance to compete against the world’s elite. These spot specialists are judged by the same criteria as full-time tour surfers, with emphasis on speed, power, and flow.

For Morse, the opportunity represents not only a personal milestone but also a source of inspiration for young surfers in her community. She has noted that groups of students often approach her at school for autographs, reflecting her growing influence as a role model.

As the World Surf League prepares to arrive in Raglan, the hometown surfers will carry local pride onto one of sport’s biggest stages — proving that talent and determination can open doors to the highest levels of competition, regardless of age.