2026 Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup 04.07. - 12.07.2026

Gran Canaria Gloria

Windsurf World Cup

Juniors Light Up the Home of the Wind as Gran Canaria GLORIA Windsurf World Cup Gets Underway

The Gran Canaria GLORIA Windsurf World Cup 2026 opened in true Canarian style, with a family day at Pozo Izquierdo - the "Home of the Wind" - that put the future of the sport front and centre.

With light wind and small waves, the head judge handed the opening heats to the youngest (and lightest) talents on the beach: the U13 Boys’ and the U15 Boys’ and Girls’. With conditions on the light side, the next generation were judged on their best two jumps and a single highest wave score.

Elías Antolín was the standout of the day, posting the highest score of 13.90 points, while Dennis Kolb also advanced on 8.73. But the real winner was the next generation, showing exactly why Pozo makes champions.

Elías Antolín posts the highest score of the day

On land, the celebration continued with family activities, children's workshops, traditional Canarian music and local gastronomy - a reminder that this event belongs to the whole Pozo community.

The World Windsurf Tour extends its warmest thanks to Björn Dunkerbeck and his family for putting on a wonderful show and for their tireless support of grassroots windsurfing. Their commitment to nurturing young riders is building the foundation for the sport's future, right here on their home waters.

The best is still to come. The forecast is filling in fast, with competition all week, but Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday are shaping up as the pro days with the plenty of potential - strong wind, bigger waves, and the world's elite wave sailors ready to light up Pozo. Fans on the island are invited down to the beach, and audiences worldwide can follow the action live @ http://www.pwaworldtour.com/

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Brothers Dennis Kolb Gonzalez and Eric Kolb Gonzalez claim respective victories in U15 Boy’s & U13 Boy’s, while Trine Gobisch claims top honours in U15 Girl’s

For the second consecutive day, the next generation of the wave sailing world were given centre stage at the Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup, with the pros remaining on hold for the time being. By the end of the day, results had been secured in the U15 Boy’s, U15 Girl’s, and U13 Boy’s fleets.

Youth winners' crowned

U15 Girl’s

Trine Gobisch (GER | Duotone) was able to win two out of the three finals sailed in the U15 Girl’s fleet after impressing the judges with critically timed wave hits, while showing off a variety of jumps. Gobisch was able to link together a 5.38 point single wave score in the final round to deservedly claim the top place on the podium.

Fumi Akita (JPN) continues to impress, with the young Japanese rider showing she is capable of performing in whatever conditions the tour throws at her. From down-the-line riding in Maui, Hawaii, to starboard tack jumping in Omaezaki, Japan, and now port tack jumping in Pozo Izquierdo, Gran Canaria, proving why she is rightfully considered one to watch for the future.

U15 Boy’s

Stepping up an age category in 2026 seemed to pose no issue for Dennis Kolb Gonzalez (ESP | Simmer Style)—winner of the U13 division last year—who stomped a textbook backloop to seal the victory in the U15 Boy’s for 2026. This represents the second win of the event for the Kolb Gonzalez family after his younger brother, Eric, claimed victory in the U13 fleet.

After earning the highest score of the opening round yesterday, Elías Antolín (ESP | Goya Windsurfing) established himself as the favourite. However, crucially in the final, the Spaniard couldn’t land a backloop, which left him counting a tabletop as his second scoring jump, so Antolín has to settle for second place this time round.

Meanwhile, a new face on the tour, Greece’s George Papadas, completes the podium after producing a solid performance, while Anton Gobisch (GER | Duotone) narrowly misses out on a top-three finish after not quite being able to replicate the level of performance he displayed in the redemption round.

U13 Boy’s

Eric Kolb Gonzalez (ESP | Simmer Style) may only be 10 years old, but the young Spaniard is already competing for his third time in Pozo and, having finished in second place last year, Kolb Gonzalez managed to go one place better to earn an impressive victory in 2026. Kolb Gonzalez was able to complete a clean sweep by winning all three finals after landing a combination of forward loops and solid wave rides.

Behind Kolb Gonzalez, emerged two newcomers: Teiva Sacher from Guadeloupe and local boy Dani Skye Alonso (GBR/ESP | PATRIK), who is the son of Nayra Alonso and John Skye.

For some riders in this category, it’s just about getting out in this legendary spot (which definitely shouldn’t be underestimated), whilst for others, they are already refining their heat strategy… all we know is the groms are coming in HOT.

Looking Ahead

With still six more days to go, there promises to be plenty more action on the horizon, and Tuesday currently looks like the windiest day of those to come with 25-30 knot winds on the forecast, so there could be some solid competition to come.

Forecast for the next few days

Also if you don’t already, be sure to follow us on our Social Media Channels:

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Four women and four men earn their places in the Main Draw after navigating their way through the Challenger Round in tricky conditions

The fourth day of the Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup took place this Tuesday in Pozo Izquierdo, where the organisation, led by windsurfing legend Björn Dunkerbeck, gave the green light to the demanding Challenger competition. This round, a cornerstone of the new PWA World Wave Tour format, awarded valuable ranking points to competitors aiming to climb the world standings while offering the day's top riders the ultimate opportunity to secure a place in the main professional wave competition.

The day began with expectations of stronger winds, but a dense calima ultimately turned it into a major challenge for the Challenger competitors. Marginal conditions made it difficult to execute high-scoring classic manoeuvres such as forward loops, pushloops and backloops, forcing the athletes to make the most of the conditions on offer as the wind gradually eased throughout the day. The pressure was immense as riders battled for one of the four available qualification spots in each the Men’s and Women’s main draws - featuring both promising young talents and established names.

The Men's and Women's qualifiers

Challenger Round

Women’s

The women's Challenger session featured one undisputed star - reigning event champion, Daida Ruano Moreno (Goya Windsurfing). The 18-time World Champion, who is currently not a full-time competitor on the tour, returned to the water displaying her experience and class which proved untouchable for her rivals. Moreno dominated the women's Challenger with an impressive 10.13-point score, opening up a considerable gap over the three other sailors joining her in the main draw; Germany's Milanka Linde (Severne Windsurfing) and Helena Lale (Severne Windsurfing), and the Netherlands' Isabel van Noesel.

“With lighter conditions than usual, and after competing in only one event on the tour last year, I had to go through this qualification phase in order to compete against the professionals currently ranked on the tour,” explained the decorated champion after coming ashore.

Defending event champion, Daida Moreno makes no mistake

Men’s

In the men's Challenger, Menorca-born rider Josep Pons (Point-7), who is based in Pozo Izquierdo, used his extensive local knowledge to deservedly claim first place after racking up 11 points. Meanwhile, fellow local boy, Carlos Kiefer Quintana (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails), who has multiple Youth world titles, wasn’t far behind Pons as he secured the second qualifying place on 10.63 points.

Josep Pons books his spot in the Main Draw

After successfully securing his spot in the main draw Kiefer Quintana added: “I pulled out the equipment that had been sitting in my locker for a long time. These conditions aren't typical in Pozo, so I had to rig a big sail, but I managed to earn this qualification.”

Carlos Kiefer Quintana also qualified

The third qualifying position went to 2024 PWA Freestyle world champion, Lennart Neubauer (Starboard / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins), well known for landing the innovative shifty-forward manoeuvre during the pre-event training sessions, while Japan's Takumi Moriya, who is also renowned for his Freestyle skills, secured the fourth and final qualification spot, determined to improve on the fifth-place finish he achieved in the junior division in 2025.

Day five of the competition, scheduled for Wednesday, is expected to begin with an early riders' meeting to assess the possibility of running the U18 and U21 Boy’s and Girl's divisions, which could not be completed today with the calima inhibiting Pozo Izquierdo’s usual trademark howling winds.

Javier Escribano wins U21 Boy's, while U21 Girl's and Master's fleets get underway in slightly better conditions

The fifth day of competition of the Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup—one of the flagship events on the World Tour—brought a slight improvement in weather conditions, with winds ranging between 22-25 knots and slightly better ramps, that allowed the next generation to take centre stage alongside their more experienced Master’s peers.

Boy’s U18

Javier Escribano (Goya Windsurfing), from Tarifa, claimed victory in an exciting final with a total score of 14.66 points - with the highlight being a textbook backloop which earned 5.58 points. The Spaniard saw off stern competition from Japan's Ryoma Sugi (Duotone Windsurfing / North Sails), who secured second place on 12.55 points, while Denmark's Björn Olesen completed the podium in third.

"This year has been more challenging because my rivals have raised their level significantly. The conditions weren't ideal, but they were the same for everyone, and we all gave our very best," said the Tarifa-born rider during the podium ceremony.

Javier Escribano soaring high

The fifth day of competition almost completed the competition brackets for the international youth divisions, with only the titles in the Girl’s U18, Girl's U21, and Boy's U21 categories still to be decided.

Belgium's Sol Degrieck (Severne Windsurfing), who made history in 2024 as the youngest athlete ever to earn a professional World Cup podium in Pozo Izquierdo, confirmed her status as the favourite by securing a commanding place in the U21 final as she accumulated an impressive 12.12 points, comfortably defeating Spain's Lizzlotte Schilling (F2), who scored 4.00 points.

Sol Degrieck stamps her authority early on

In the Boy's U21 division, Germany's Anton Richter (JP / NeilPryde) advanced from the opening heat on 13.66 points narrowly edging out Spain's Carlos Kiefer Quintana (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails) (12.55 points) thanks to a higher scoring jump, as both sailors posted almost identical wave scores.

Anton Richter

In the second heat, Greece's Gregory Stathopoulos (Goya Windsurfing)— a former Bic Techno 293+ Youth World Champion—delivered the highest score of the day as he racked up 16.05 points, defeating Japan's Takumi Moriya (Severne Sails), who finished on 11.73 points.

Gregorgy Stathopoulos sets the highest score of the day

Later in the afternoon, the Men's Master’s +45 fleet took to the water. Germany's Lars Gobisch dominated the opening heat with 12.07 points, while Great Britain's Ben Proffitt (Simmer / Simmer Sails), the voice of the PWA's, won the second heat on 11.58 points.

Spanish-British sailor John Skye (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails), the renowned sail designer, claimed an extremely close third heat as he edged out Toni Pijoan by just 0.1 of a point, such was the closeness of their duel.

Three musketeers

In the fourth heat, local Gran Canarian rider Michael Friedl (Goya Windsurfing), the reigning two-time World Champion in the division (2024 and 2025), asserted his dominance with a convincing victory.

The coming days of competition, which will run uninterrupted until Sunday, July 12th, promise even more excitement as the professional fleet enters the water and the Master’s and Grand Master’s titles are decided. The latest news, complete results, and official live streaming coverage are available through the PWA's global platform at http://www.pwaworldtour.com/ and via the event's official social media channels.