Carolina Beach Nationals return to Carolina Beach, N.C., May 9, the qualifier for U.S. age-group Beach World Teams

The 2026 Beach Wrestling season has begun! Wrestlers of all ages are preparing for the 2026 Carolina Beach National Championships, which return to Carolina Beach, N.C., on Saturday, May 9.

The 2026 U.S. Nationals in Carolina Beach is the qualifier for the 2026 U17 and U20 U.S. Beach World Teams, and part of the qualifying process for the U.S. Senior Beach World Series teams.

For the first time since UWW began holding age-group Beach World Championships, the U17 and U20 Beach World Championships will be held in different locations. The 2026 U17 Beach Wrestling World Championships are set for August 28-29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The 2026 U20 Beach World Championships are set for September 25 in Katerini, Greece.

A U15 age group has been added to the Carolina Beach Nationals this year for both boys and girls. Although it is not a qualifying event, participants in this tournament will be highly encouraged to also attend the 2026 U15 Beach Wrestling Pan American Championships in Mexico City, Mexico, on July 26.

The 2026 UWW Senior Beach World Series will be held in five locations this year. The 2026 Carolina Beach Nationals is one of the qualifying events for U.S. teams competing in the Beach World Series. The Beach World Series stops in 2026 include Da Nang, Vietnam (May 9-10), Porec, Croatia (May 30-31), Batumi, Georgia (June 20-21), Baku, Azerbaijan (August 28-29) and the Beach World Series Final in Katerini, Greece (September 26-27).

The 2026 Beach Wrestling Team Procedures have been approved by USA Wrestling’s Executive Committee and are posted on TheMat.com on the Team Selection Criteria page.

Note: USA Wrestling Beach World/Pan American teams are self-funded.

In addition to the U15, U17, U20 and Senior competitions, the Carolina Beach Nationals includes national-level competition in Beach Wrestling in divisions from 8U through Masters. There is high-level competition for both men and women in these age groups.

The specific age divisions for the Carolina Beach Nationals are: 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, Junior, Masters A, Masters B, Masters C, Masters D, Masters E, Masters F, Senior Men Beach, Senior Women Beach, U15 Men’s Beach, U15 Women’s Beach, U17 Men’s Beach, U17 Women’s Beach, U20 Men’s Beach, U20 Women’s Beach.

A medical certificate is required to compete in Masters’ C, D, E, & F and must be turned in during weigh-ins. International athletes (including Canadians) are eligible for all age divisions, excluding the U15, U17, U20 and Senior age group divisions for both men and women.

Register for the 2026 Carolina Beach Nationals competition

This year, a special Beach Wrestling Clinic for athletes of all ages is being held prior to the event. Featured clinicians are three-time Beach World Champion Eliana Bommarito and USA Wrestling Beach Coach Tim Box. Bommarito is the most successful U.S. Beach wrestler in history, winner of the Beach World Series the last three years, and a gold-medalist in eight individual Beach World Series events. Box was a silver medalist at the 2019 Beach World Series event in Ukraine, and is a top Beach Wrestling technician who has led numerous U.S. Beach World Series and age-group World Teams the last few seasons

The clinic is scheduled for 3 p.m. (ET) on Friday, May 8, and will be held at Carolina Beach, venue of the Carolina Beach Nationals. Participants should go to the Carolina Beach Boardwalk on Carolina Beach Avenue South in Carolina Beach, N.C. 28428. The pre-registration fee for the clinic is $30, and the fee is $40 for walk-up registration.

Pre-register for the Bommarito/Box Beach Wrestling Clinic

The official weight classes and eligibility for the U17 and U20 Beach World Championships are below.

U17 (Born 2009-2011)

Boys: 60 kg, 70 kg, 80 kg, 90 kg

Girls: 45 kg, 55 kg, 65 kg, 75 kg

U20 (Born 2006-2009)

Men: 70 kg, 80 kg, 90 kg, +90kg

Women: 50 kg, 60 kg, 70 kg, +70 kg

The official weight classes and eligibility for U15 Beach Wrestling are below:

U15 (Born 2011-2013)

Boys: 45 kg, 50 kg, 55 kg, 60 kg, 65 kg, 75 kg

Girls: 40 kg, 45 kg, 50 kg, 55 kg, 60 kg, 65 kg

Carolina Beach Nationals website

Each year, USA Wrestling hosts two major national-level Beach Championships, one on the East Coast and the other on the West Coast. The annual U.S. Beach National Championships alternate between the Coasts each season. Last year, the U.S. Beach Nationals was in Carolina Beach. This year, the 2026 U.S. Beach National Championships are set for Huntington Beach, Calif., August 14.

Beach wrestling is a competitive and fun way for wrestlers to improve and challenge themselves. Beach wrestling is growing across the nation and around the world. For the first time, Beach Wrestling will be the only international style contested at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, November 7-8.

If you have not tried Beach Wrestling yet, this is a perfect chance to expand your wrestling experience and technical abilities. For those who have wrestled on the Beach, welcome back.

UWW Beach Wrestling rules