All or nothing on Fuerte: Freestyle elite and Slalom X racers in World Championship mode
The Fuerteventura Grand Slam at the Rene Egli Centre in Sotavento will once again be split into two parts in 2026: the freestylers will kick things off from 17 to 21 July, followed by Slalom X from 22 to 26 July. Whilst the freestylers are hoping for the wind to return – and some favourites are already showing strong early form for the first event of the year – in Slalom X, the focus is squarely on the World Championship titles. Strong winds, choppy seas, obstacles, comebacks and an open race for the favourites – all the ingredients for a spectacular event are in place. Now it’s just up to Fuerte to deliver.
Freestyle – The calm before the storm?
The big freestyle showdown on the PWA World Tour is just around the corner. Following the wave event in Pozo, all eyes are now on the flat-water action – even if the wind is still in short supply just before the start. Competitors who arrived early could therefore have a clear advantage. Over the past few days, conditions on Fuerteventura have been typical: strong offshore wind and choppy seas. At the moment, however, calm conditions are forecast – so those who have made the most of the strong-wind sessions will go into the event much better prepared.
Yentel Caers is proving to be the man of the moment. The Belgian showcased an impressive range of double power moves in training: Air Funnel Burner, Double Burner, Double Air Culo and so on. Rumour has it that he even landed a Double Air Culo straight into another Culo. Crazy. That would count as a new move in the scoring. If he can pull off these moves in the heat, Caers is likely to be one of the very hot favourites for victory.
Yentel’s flatmate Bodhi Kempen from Brouwersdam is also in fine form; having finished seventh last year, he could well take the next step. With Double Culos, Kabikuchis and moves such as Kabi into Kono, he’s got a repertoire that could spring a few surprises. Veteran Steven Van Broeckhoven shouldn’t be written off either: the 40-year-old often flies somewhat under the radar these days, but he made it onto the podium in 2023 and looks dangerously consistent once again this time round.
It will also be interesting to see who capitalises on the gaps left by high-profile absences. Riders such as Adrien Bosson, Nicolas Akgazciyan and Niclas Nebelung are not entered. However, Davy Scheffers, Youp Schmit and returnee Björn Saragoza, amongst others, will be there – the latter, with his low seeding, could cause problems for the top riders early on.
Although the joint favourites, Lennart Neubauer and Jacopo Testa, have not yet arrived, they are of course on the list and will give all the riders mentioned a run for their money.
In the women’s event, another big showdown is on the cards: Sarah-Quita Offringa versus Maaike Huvermann. Last year, Huvermann beat Sarah-Quita in a heat on Fuerteventura for the first time in many years. Despite taking time out over the winter due to injury, the Dutch rider has looked very consistent in training and has moves such as the Spock Culo, Spock Kono and Shove-it Spock up her sleeve. Offringa is coming from Pozo and will have to show just how quickly she can get back into freestyle mode.
Further podium contenders are lurking just behind them: Lisa Kloster has improved significantly and is working on Culos and Spot Culos. Sandra Schill is making her PWA debut and, with her Skopus, Konos, Flakas and Spocks, has more than enough potential to cause a stir straight away.
Whether the wind will return in time remains the big question. One thing is clear, though: if Sotavento delivers, this Freestyle World Cup could turn out to be a real thriller.
Slalom X – No room for error
Spectacular fin races in strong winds, thrilling finishes and drama at the obstacles – that’s what the organisers and riders are hoping for from Slalom X. The fin seems to be enjoying a bit of a revival, as Defi-Wind winner Nico Prien noted, and at the One Hour event on Lake Garda, Matteo Iachino, amongst others, also preferred to compete on the fin rather than with the foil. However, the contest on Fuerte is the only Slalom X event of the entire season, so the World Championship titles for both the women’s and men’s categories will be decided here. There’s no room for error, no second chance.
Consequently, the starting line-up is absolutely packed with top riders: World Champion Pierre Mortefon, Matteo Iachino, Nico Prien, Maciek Rutkowski, Jordy Vonk, Maciek Rutkowski, Cedric Bordes, Amado Vriewswijk – all of them have what it takes to win. The top favourite, however, is of course the reigning world champion Mortefon, who won last year despite sponsorship and equipment problems and is now likely to be even more focused with his new sails.
Last year, too, the women crowned their world champion on Fuerte with just one event. However, Sarah-Quita Offringa, the reigning world champion, has not yet entered the racing event. Does she intend to focus entirely on freestyle? In any case, this puts the spotlight on Justine Lemeteyer, last year’s world runner-up, and speed world record holder Jenna Gibson. These two could battle it out for the title between themselves – or will the mega-talents Bobbi-Lynn and Kit de Jong manage to make their big breakthrough? At the same time, Marion Mortefon is also in the line-up – a rider who brings a wealth of experience to the table and knows exactly how to become world champion.
Julian Wiemar
Editor surf