There are few places in the world where wave sailing can match El Médano at its very best and, on Finals Day at the Wind and Waves Festival, Tenerife once again delivered.
Thirty to forty-five knot winds, head to logo-high waves and a packed beach created the perfect stage as the world’s best wave sailors fought it out for the event titles. By the end of an unforgettable day’s competition, Marc Paré successfully defended his crown with a breathtaking display of jumping and wave riding, while Sarah-Quita Offringa once again demonstrated why she remains one of the sport’s greatest all-round talents to claim victory in the women’s event.
Men
If there was one certainty heading into Finals Day it was that there was guaranteed to be fireworks.
The opening quarter-final immediately blew the draw wide open as five-time World Champion Marcilio Browne (Goya Windsurfing / MFC) suffered a shock early exit. The Brazilian looked dangerous throughout the competition thus far, but in the opening heat of the day he couldn’t quite piece together the complete score sheet required to progress. Joining him on the sidelines was Miguel Chapuis (Flikka Boards / North Windsurfing), another of top seeded riders in the draw and fresh from a podium finish in Gran Canaria. The Spaniard produced one of the defining moments of the day, launching into an enormous stalled double forward that earned 9.5 points from the judges, but despite this, he couldn’t find the wave scores needed to convert it into a winning total.
Instead, it was Takuma Sugi (Tabou Boards / GA Sails) and Josep Pons (Point-7) who progressed to the semi-finals – a career defining moment for both riders.
For Pons, reaching the semi-finals completed one of the stories of the event. Just twelve months ago the Spaniard suffered one of the nastiest crashes of the season in Gran Canaria, landing on his own fins and requiring surgery to his thigh. That injury left him seeded back in Challenger Round 2 this week, forcing him to fight his way through the draw from much earlier than many of his rivals. Heat by heat the 42 year old quietly built momentum, combining smart wave selection with clean, consistent jumping to take his best result on tour to date with a 5th place overall.
While the opening heat produced the biggest upset, Philip Köster (Severne Windsurfing) wasted little time reminding everyone why he remains one of the benchmarks in wave sailing. Looking completely at home in the powerful conditions, the German linked aggressive frontside riding with trademark aerials before landing the first perfect 10-point jump of the event, a Push Forward, to comfortably secure his place in the semi-finals.
The battle behind him, however, was anything but straightforward.
Antoine Martin (Quatro / Goya / MFC), who arrived in Tenerife sitting fourth in the World Rankings, looked on course to progress for much of the heat before fellow countryman Jules Denel (Goya Windsurfing), found a series of late improvements including a trademark one-footed backloop to snatch second place by just 0.07 points. Carlos Kiefer’s (Patrik) challenge ended in fourth, though simply reaching the quarter-finals represented an outstanding achievement after dislocating his shoulder earlier in the event.
If Pons’ comeback provided one of the stories of the morning, Lennart Neubauer’s (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins) performance quickly became another.
Fresh from winning the Freestyle World Cup in Fuerteventura, Neubauer has long been regarded as one of the most gifted sailors of his generation, but success in the waves has proved far harder to come by. In Tenerife, though, something clicked. As the rounds progressed so too did his confidence. Huge push forwards, clean double forwards and increasingly committed wave riding carried the Greek into his first ever Wave final and confirmed the progress he has made across every aspect of his sailing.
By the semi-finals, the standard somehow climbed even higher.
Köster laid down the gauntlet first, posting a huge 35-point total through a devastating combination of explosive jumping and polished wave riding, but only minutes later in the second semifinal Marc Paré (Simmer Style) answered with an even bigger score of his own. The defending champion looked unstoppable. Every manoeuvre seemed to carry intent. His wave riding was fast, critical and committed, while his stalled doubles and push forwards repeatedly pushed into the excellent range. By the time he reached the final, he had already established himself as the man everyone else had to beat.
The title decider more than lived up to expectations.
Paré struck first with a perfect stalled double forward before backing it up with one of the highest scoring waves of the heat to immediately pile the pressure on the rest of the fleet. Köster responded with the trademark precision that has brought him multiple world titles, repeatedly attacking the lip and finding critical sections, while Marino Gil (JP Australia / Neilpryde) continued the remarkable form that had carried him all the way into the final, throwing one of the biggest stalled doubles of the day before answering with a superb 9.43-point push forward.
For much of the heat Köster remained within striking distance, but every time the German threatened to close the gap, Paré found another answer. He wasn’t going to allow Köster to better him twice in two events after coming so close in Gran Canaria.
One final excellent wave followed by another perfect push forward elevated the Spaniard to 36.63 points, the highest scoring heat of the entire event, sealing a third consecutive victory in El Médano and further cementing his reputation as one of the world’s very best wave sailors.
With Köster in second and Gil in third, Neubauer eventually finished fourth, but the result represented a genuine breakthrough. After years of threatening to translate his freestyle brilliance into wave competition, Tenerife finally provided the performance that suggests he can become a genuine contender in both disciplines.
Women
The women’s competition proved every bit as dramatic. In the opening semi-final heat for the women, two of the pre-event favourites were eliminated. Sol Degrieck (Severne Windsurfing) is one of the biggest young talents on the Wave Tour and one many are backing for a World Title in the coming years, but the waves just didn’t come her way this morning and she was sent home along with the current World Tour leader Maria Behrens (Duotone / Maui Ultra Fins) as Alexia Kiefer (Patrik) and Justyna Sniady (Flikka Boards / North Windsurfing) seized the opportunity to produce two of the best performances of their careers.
Kiefer looked composed from the outset, but as the heat developed it became clear where her biggest strength lay. While others searched for opportunities to boost their jumping scores, the Spaniard repeatedly attacked the biggest sections on offer, laying down committed turns that drew some of the highest wave scores of the afternoon. Once she added the jumping scores she needed, she steadily climbed to the top of the leaderboard to solidify her place in the final.
Alongside her, Sniady sailed one of the smartest heats of the event. The Pole never chased spectacular scores, instead building patiently through a succession of clean jumps and well-selected waves. As others struggled to complete their score sheets, Sniady quietly put together one of the most complete performances of the day to earn a deserved place in the final.
If the opening semi-final produced the biggest upset, the second showcased the highest standard of women’s sailing seen all week. Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard / Neilpryde / Maui Ultra Fins) and Lina Erpenstein (Severne Windsurfing) traded the lead throughout an enthralling encounter, with neither rider prepared to give an inch. Erpenstein’s powerful frontside wave riding repeatedly earned excellent scores as she attacked every section with total commitment, while Offringa answered with the kind of complete performance that has defined her remarkable career. Every clean jump was backed up by another quality wave, leaving Pauline Katz (Severne Windsurfing) and Marine Hunter (Quatro / Goya / MFC) needing something special to break into the top two.
By the time the final got underway, conditions had become even more demanding. The rising tide made the ramps increasingly difficult to read, forcing the sailors to be patient while making every wave count. It created a fascinating tactical battle as the lead changed hands several times during the opening exchanges.
Kiefer once again looked sensational on the wave, throwing herself into critical sections with the confidence of a rider completely at home in the conditions. Erpenstein continued to build momentum as the heat unfolded, combining powerful turns with clean jumping to edge herself into contention, while Sniady refused to let the leading trio escape, remaining within striking distance throughout.
But as she has done so many times over the course of her career, Offringa delivered when it mattered most.
Never looking rushed, the Aruban steadily built her score sheet before finding the decisive upgrade in the closing stages. A beautifully tweaked push loop, executed with trademark height and control, provided exactly the score she needed to move clear of her rivals and secure back-to-back event titles in Tenerife.
Erpenstein’s runner-up finish marked an impressive return after an injury-disrupted season in 2025. A fourth place in the Maui Pro and a second place in Tenerife confirmed that she is once again capable of challenging for victories. Kiefer’s third place continued her rapid rise and reinforced the feeling that a maiden World Cup victory is drawing ever closer, while Sniady rounded off an outstanding week perhaps slightly disappointed to end up off the podium.
As the sun set over El Médano, the Playa Surf CBbC Wind and Waves Festival has once again delivered a finals day worthy of its reputation. From early upsets and breakthrough performances to perfect jumps and world-class wave riding, the competition showcased everything that makes Tenerife one of the most iconic stops on the Wave Tour.
For Marc Paré, it was a third consecutive victory in El Médano after producing the standout performance of the event. For Sarah-Quita Offringa, it was another demonstration of the consistency and composure that have made her one of the greatest competitors the sport has ever seen.
Tomorrow the action continues with the conclusion of the Junior and Pro Junior Girls, whilst the Masters will take to the water to finish off the Tenerife Wind and Waves Festival in style.
Watch the highlights from Finals Day here.
Women’s Final Results:
1st – Sarah-Quita Offringa (ARU | Starboard / Neilpryde / Maui Ultra Fins)
2nd – Lina Erpenstein (GER | Severne Windsurfing)
3rd – Alexia Kiefer Quintana (ESP | Patrik)
4th – Justyna Sniady (POL | Flikka Boards / North Windsurfing)
=5th – Sol Degrieck (BEL | Severne Windsurfing)
=5th – Pauline Katz (SUI | Severne Windsurfing)
=7th – Maria Behrens (GER | Duotone Windsurfing / Maui Ultra Fins)
=7th – Marine Hunter (FRA | Quatro / Goya / MFC)
=9th – Maria Morales Navarro (ESP | Goya / MFC)
=9th – Line Bang Wittrup (DEN | Goya)
Men’s Final Results:
1st – Marc Paré Rico (ESP | Simmer Style)
2nd – Philip Koster (GER | Severne Windsurfing)
3rd – Marino Gil Gherardi (ESP | JP Australia / Neilpryde)
4th – Lennart Neubauer (GRE | Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins)
=5th – Takuma Sugi (JPN | Tabou Boards / GA Sails)
=5th – Josep Pons (ESP | Point-7)
=7th – Arthur Arutkin (FRA | Flikka Boards / GunSails)
=7th – Jules Denel (FRA | Goya Windsurfing)
=9th – Marcilio Browne (BRA | Goya Windsurfing / MFC)
=9th – Antoine Martin (FRA | Quatro / Goya / MFC)
=9th – Julian Salmonn (GER | Goya / MFC)
=9th – Liam Dunkerbeck (ESP | Duotone Windsurfing)