The 41st edition of the Aloha Classic was a real highlight - and had several great stories to tell. Sarah-Quita Offringa and Marc Paré secured the world championship titles, while Morgan Noireaux put in an incredible performance to win his fourth Aloha Classic - equalling legend Robby Naish, who also won four times between 1986 and 1991.
Title race of the pros
In the women's event, Sarah-Quita Offringa left nothing to be desired in perfect Ho'okipa conditions: She not only took the event win, but also her third Wave World Championship title in a row - and all with her usual style and power. For Marc Paré, on the other hand, it was an absolute milestone: the 27-year-old Spaniard was crowned world champion for the first time, ending the long dominance of Köster, Fernandez and Browne, who had led the rankings for over a decade. Brawzinho was also still in the World Championship race on Maui - but he would have had to win to catch Paré after his triumph on Sylt. In the end, it was "only" third place in the final, and Paré was allowed to celebrate - despite his semi-final exit.
The atmosphere on the beach was boiling: full crowds, the best wind conditions, full waves - the season finale had everything that wave fans love. Windsurfing at the highest level, goosebump moments and a few new names in the history books.
Bright future - Juniors U18 & U21
The final of the Junior Boys (U18) offered an exciting insight into the next generation. The Slovenian Jaka Stroj was unstoppable. With a combination of power and smooth control, he took the win with a total score of 7.00 points ahead of Spain's Javier Escribano Toribio. With riders from Europe, Japan, the Caribbean and the Pacific, all under the age of 18, this was one of the most international junior line-ups ever seen in Ho'okipa.
The U21 category is the gateway to the pro tour and this year's performances proved that there is more up-and-coming talent than ever before - a wave of future world tour athletes is clearly on the way. Japan's Ryu Noguchi came out on top after a dramatic final against Gregory Stathopoulos. Noguchi's clean vertical turns and safe rail work earned him an overall score of 8.27 and sealed the victory. Here too, the podium reflected a truly global distribution: Gregory Stathopoulos from Greece came second, Italy's Samuele Ferraro third and Jake Ghiretti from Australia fourth.
Comeback of the legends: Masters rock the Aloha Classic
The Masters division is not one of the highlights of the Aloha Classic for nothing - and this year it was better attended than it has been for a long time: a total of 36 participants took part. Even windsurfing icons who had long since hung up their wetsuits unpacked their equipment and got involved. Among them were real greats such as Francisco Goya, Josh Stone, Kai Katchadourian, Keith Teboul, Paul Karaolides, Chris Freeman, Michi Schweiger, Jason Prior, Sean Ordoñez, Brian Talma, Craig Yester, Angela Cochran, Jane Seman - and of course the current top-ranked riders: Michael Friedl and Charlie Rovira.
Ho'okipa delivered perfect waves for the old masters, and they showed that they haven't forgotten a thing. Francisco Goya took one of the top scores, while Josh Stone shone with buttery smooth turns and stylish lines. Katchadourian and Teboul proved that they are still at the top of their game with powerful, modern moves. In the end, Josh Stone won the competition with 12.36 points ahead of Keith Teboul (10.86 points), Francisco Goya (9.66 points) and Paul Karaolides (7.97 points). Michael Friedl secured the world championship title in the Masters category, celebrating his second title in a row.
