The PWA has included the California Windsurf Cup St. Peter-Ording as the third tour stop in the foiling discipline on the PWA World Tour 2026. The event will take place from 15 to 19 July and will host the official IFCA Foiling European Championship. The results will be included in the PWA World Tour ranking as a 4-star classification with 9,000 points for the winner. This corresponds to tenth place in a full 5-star World Cup. A similar system has been in place in wave riding for several years now.
With only two more tour stops in the foiling discipline on Sylt at the end of September and in Japan at the end of October or beginning of November, the new stop will be a not insignificant factor for the overall ranking. The combination of official European championship titles, prize money of 40,000 euros and important ranking points enhances the event internationally.
However, the date overlaps with the World Cup in Fuerteventura from 17 to 27 July. In addition to freestyle, slalom X is also on the programme on Fuerteventura, with many top riders competing both there and in foiling. In previous years, there have always been fixed slots on Fuerteventura, so if the event starts with freestyle, the top riders could travel directly from the North Sea to the Canary Islands and arrive just in time.
Long negotiations lead to success
According to a statement, negotiations between Choppy Water GmbH as organiser, the IFCA and the PWA had been going on behind the scenes for months. The various partners had to balance their interests fairly before the cooperation was finalised. "Choppy Water has been organising windsurfing events for almost 30 years. In all this time, the PWA has accompanied us as an institution and has always been the career dream of many windsurfers. For us as an event agency, it has always been a dream to organise a tour stop on the pro tour at some point. Now the opportunity has finally presented itself," says Matthias Regber from Choppy Water GmbH. He thanks the PWA and the IFCA for their trust and describes the event as an important step towards closer co-operation between the International Funboard Class and the Pro Tour. Germany can therefore look forward to a second PWA World Tour stop alongside the traditional PWA World Cup Sylt for the first time.
According to the organisers, at least €25,000 of the €40,000 total prize money is reserved for foiling as an official championship discipline. The prize money will be distributed in accordance with the IFCA Championship Rules. Due to the combination of European Championship titles, high prize money and world ranking points, the organisers are expecting a strong field of riders in terms of quality and quantity. In addition to the foiling discipline, the Windsurf Cup also offers Fin Slalom as a pure "prize money discipline" with a maximum of 15,000 euros from the prize money pot. Each rider can decide for themselves whether to compete in one, the other or both disciplines, thus doubling their chances of winning prize money.
Conditions and mode of organisation
According to the organisers, Fin Slalom is primarily used as an alternative if the conditions are too extreme for foiling due to strong winds, large waves or too high a shorebreak. However, despite prioritising foiling, the aim is still to achieve a valid result in the Fin Slalom.
St. Peter-Ording offers typical North Sea conditions that riders have to be prepared for. The spectrum ranges from flat water with a light offshore easterly wind to metre-high waves when a westerly storm drives the swell across the open North Sea. Compared to Sylt, the shorebreak remains smaller and more forgiving, as the shallower water and the sandbanks in front of it weaken the waves. An event village will once again be set up on Ordingen beach for the five days of the event. Visitors can drive directly onto the beach in their own car.
