Please select your home edition
Edition
Cyclops Marine 2023 November - LEADERBOARD

35th Gran Canaria Windsurf World Cup Pozo Izquierdo - Day 5

by Gran Canaria Windsurf World Cup 5 Jul 2023 15:28 PDT 1-9 July 2023
Blanca Alabau (ESP) leading Women Slalom - 35th Gran Canaria Windsurf World Cup Pozo Izquierdo, Day 5 © John Carter

The Spanish and the Croatian have been crowned world champions in the Slalom discipline of the Gran Canaria World Cup 2023, the second event of the PWA World Tour.

With 30 knots and many falls from the riders competing in foil, Pozo Izquierdo has experienced adrenaline-filled finals of the women's and men's Slalom races, in which the Spanish athlete Blanca Alabau (19.2 points) and the Croatian athlete Enrico Marotti (18.1 points) were proclaimed world champions in Gran Canaria. They both led the rankings during the three days of the World Cup. "Both Blanca and Enrico proved to be the fastest, as well as having great control of the foil in these windy conditions that caused many falls today," explained the head judge of the competition, Luis Escribano.

For the Sevillian rider, competing in Pozo Izquierdo has been quite a challenge, although she managed to stay in the top 5 throughout all the races. "I'm very happy with the result achieved here in Gran Canaria. My goal was to be in the top 5, and I've accomplished it," exclaimed the windsurfer, who not only won in Gran Canaria but also secured the top spot in the world rankings, surpassing the French athlete Justine Lemeteyer. "I hope to continue in the first position," Alabau added.

During the five races held on Wednesday in the women's category, the French athlete Marion Mortefon and the British athlete Jenna Gibson each claimed two victories, while Alabau managed to win the final of the second round. However, after applying the discards for their three worst scores, the Aruban athlete Sarah-Quita Offringa (25.4) secured second place in Slalom in Gran Canaria, as well as second place overall in Wave, followed by Marion Mortefon (33.8) and Jenna Gibson (38.1).

In the men's fleet, the Croatian athlete Enrico Marotti (18.1) managed to maintain the Slalom crown in Gran Canaria thanks to the two discards from the ten races held, in addition to winning one of the three finals on Wednesday. "I managed to sail well, maintain the level, and be consistent," commented Marotti. For the winner of the Gran Canaria World Cup 2023 Slalom, the conditions were "incredible," although "it's always a great challenge to sail in this wind." He then thanked the organization, especially for bringing back Slalom after 14 years. "Coming back here and feeling the warmth of the people, seeing how they enjoy surfing, is beautiful," concluded the Croatian windsurfer.

The other two victories of the day went to the German athlete Nicolas Prien (who remains in the top 5 but loses the third position in the standings) and the Italian athlete Bruno Martino, who finished ninth on the island. Finally, Maciek Rutkowski (Poland) retains the second-place position on the podium in Gran Canaria, currently leading the world rankings and winning the first Slalom event of the PWA tour held in Italy. Both in Gran Canaria and internationally, the French athlete Pierre Mortefon continues to closely follow the Polish athlete, after finishing third on the island and second in the PWA World Tour Ranking.

During the awards ceremony for the Slalom event, held after the qualifying rounds on Thursday, the Sports Councilor of the Santa Lucía City Council, Julio Ojeda, was present to congratulate the winners and expresshis satisfaction with the return of this discipline to the Pozo Izquierdo World Cup. He was accompanied by the organizer of the Gran Canaria Windsurf World Cup, Björn Dunkerbeck.

Youth categories will compete on Thursday

The predicted wind and wave conditions will allow the competition to resume in the Wave discipline of the Windsurf World Cup. It is expected that Pozo Izquierdo will host the youth categories, with a focus on the under 17 and under 20 divisions. Among the local favorites are Liam Dunkerbeck, Julia Pasquale, and Alexia Kiefer (competing for Germany), as well as María Morales from Tenerife.

The PWA Windsurf World Championship is sponsored by the Gran Canaria Island Council, through the Sports and Tourism departments; the Tourism Department of the Government of the Canary Islands; the Santa Lucía de Tirajana City Council; as well as private companies such as Red Bull, Windsurf Journal, DailyDose.de, Jaklar, Poema del Mar, Loro Parque Foundation, Seven Island Film, Surf Magazine, Volkswagen, WS, WIND, SURF, Waterspeed, AS Acción, among others.

Related Articles

MFC Maui Pro Am delivers
Heroes rise in stacked finals day at Ho'okipa The first springtime World Cup at Ho'okipa in over 20 years exploded back to life today as the 2025 MFC Maui Pro Am crowned two incredible champions in Marcilio Browne (BRA) and Marine Hunter (FRA). Posted on 15 Apr
2025 Chile World Cup Masters Overall
Masters finalists deliver explosive showdown The Masters division lit up the lineup today at the 5 Star World Cup, as four legends of wave riding battled it out in a fiercely contested final under the Chilean sun at the legendary Topocalma. Posted on 3 Apr
2025 Chile World Cup Overall
Emotions ran high as finalists were crowned in Chile The 2025 Chile World Cup concluded in spectacular fashion on Finals Day at Topocalma, where perfect lines, offshore wind, and high drama combined for one of the most memorable days in World Wave Tour history. Posted on 2 Apr
2025 Chile World Cup day 5
Emotions ran high as finalists were crowned in Chile The Chile World Cup saw emotional scenes on the beach as exhausted but elated riders returned to shore, having just secured their places in the finals of one of the most iconic events on the World Wave Tour calendar. Posted on 1 Apr
The most important job in sailing
How Nick Scott is delivering radical change to competitive sailing pathways in the UK I am putting forward that falls to Nick Scott and his team. Namely to secure its competitive future by addressing challenges and delivering radical change while bringing people on that journey with him. Posted on 31 Mar
2025 Chile World Cup day 4
Chile delivers again! Mast-high waves ignite champion rounds The Chile World Cup exploded into action today with mast-high surf and perfect down-the-line conditions, setting the stage for the opening rounds of the Champions Bracket in both the men's and women's divisions. Posted on 31 Mar
2025 Chile World Cup day 3
A forecast that couldn't be more exciting The wait is over. The 2025 World Wave Tour launches LIVE from the iconic Matanzas point break in Chile with a powerful new season of world-class battles, breakthrough stories, and a forecast that couldn't be more exciting. Posted on 30 Mar
2025 Chile World Cup day 2
Topocalma delivers Agony and Ecstasy Day 2 of the Chile World Cup lit up with world-class conditions as Topocalma delivered near-perfect waves, setting the stage for an electric day of competition in the Challenger Rounds. Posted on 29 Mar
2025 Chile World Cup day 1
Local young hero Iñaki Maturana lit up the beach with a commanding win in his opening heat The 2025 Chile World Cup kicked off today, launching the World Wave Tour's 5 Star season with Round 1 of the Men's division with world-class performances at the iconic break of Matanzas. Posted on 27 Mar
2025 Chile World Cup set for epic showdown
The unified PWA IWT World Wave Tour's (WWT) first 5-Star event of the season The 2025 Chile World Cup is set to open the unified PWA IWT World Wave Tour's (WWT) first 5-Star event of the season, with the world's best wave riders converging on Matanzas' legendary waves for two weeks of elite-level competition. Posted on 24 Mar
Sea Sure 2025Exposure MarineMackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOM