The gameplay in Championship Surfer involves keeping balance and performing tricks on incoming waves. The wave is a constant mass that'll keep going as long as you can keep balance. Control is a bit on the loose side so riding the wave takes some getting used to. To perform tricks player hold the launch button before hitting the crest of the wave. The player will launch off the wave for a bit and a few tricks can be performed in the air. Players can grab and hold their board in the air, or perform some spins when the slash button is held down in the air. But once these tricks are mastered there isn't much that can keep players entertained for long.

Championship Surfer gives a good number of gameplay modes, but most wind up playing the same. Players can choose from Championship, Arcade, Rumble, Trick Attack, and Free Surf. The gameplay in all modes except rumble is basically the same, with the modes giving different emphasis on certain aspects. Championship is a competition that pairs surfers to compete against each other. Arcade adds buoys and crates as obstacles during a wave ride. Since the gameplay isn't too deep, the trick performing and riding gets old quickly.

In Rumble Mode two players compete on the same wave and each can perform a variety of attacks on each other. Attack pickups include reversing another players controls or shrinking another player. Unfortunately, the wave area is small - even more so when there's another player in the mix. Rumble is a mode that could have been a great versus game, but the loose control and small play area makes the player struggle against the game rather than the opponent.

The visuals and sound aren't anything that players haven't seen before. The wave seems more like a big gelatinous mass than a watery wave, and the surfers sorta look like stick figures. But in the end, the basic visuals and splash sounds get the job done.

It's easy to say that surfing games could be a lot better than this. Championship Surfer is slightly better than Surfing H30, but both games fail to create a game that's fun and filled with depth. The game is an average ride, but the gameplay comes up shallow.