The first day of the competition in Matanzas offered ideal conditions for world-class windsurfing. With waves up to mast height and perfect side-shore wind, the top riders were able to show off their full skills. The locals in particular used their home advantage and the support of the audience to put in strong performances.
Brawzinho on fire, Köster is back!
After an intense day with the first round and the Redemption Round - the "hope heats" for those eliminated in the first round - the men's field has been reduced to the top 24 riders. The highlights included heat wins for:
- Marcilio Browne (13.03 points), the reigning and four-time world champion, achieved the highest score of the day.
- Robby Swift (12.33 points), who made the most of the powerful conditions.
- Philip Köster (10.17 points), who arrived in Chile in good time after the birth of his second daughter and seems to have regained his old strength.
- Julian Salmonn (11.93 points), who impressed with his explosive power
- And of course Benjamin Fabres from Chile (11.13 points), who sent the beach into ecstasy.
While the above-mentioned riders made it through to round two with aplomb, some prominent riders such as MArino Gil Gherardi, last year's winner Camille Juban, Thomas Traversa and Baptiste Cloarec had to enter the Redemption Round. Also Moritz Mauch and Alessio Stillrich, who first qualified via the Challenger Roundhad to do an extra lap. While Mauch progressed in first place, the World Cup in Chile is over for Stillrich. The high-calibre 24-man bracket promises thrilling duels in the coming days.
Atmosphere like in a football stadium
One of the highlights of the day was delivered by Chilean local hero Benjamin Fabres. In Heat 5 of the men's seeding round R6 CT, he came out on top against established international stars such as defending champion Camille Juban from Guadeloupe and tour veteran Jules Denel from France. With a series of powerful critical turns, stylish aerials and a spectacular goiter, Fabres scored 11.13 points - one of the top scores of the day.
When Fabres returned to the beach after his last wave, a storm of cheers erupted. Hundreds of fans on the coast celebrated their hero frenetically. With waving flags, loud music and a euphoric beach commentator, the atmosphere was more like a football stadium than a surfing event. It was undoubtedly a historic moment for Fabres and the Chilean windsurfing scene.
Erpenstein and Offringa confident, Behrens with top score
In the women's event, the top seeds began their competitions in round two. Lina Erpenstein, who celebrated her first World Cup victory here in 2024, progressed to the next round just as safely as Sarah-Quita Offringa, Sol Degrieck and Pauline Katz. Although Maria Behrens only finished second behind Sara-Quita in her heat, she achieved the second-best score of the day behind her.
Alexia Kiefer-Quintana, on the other hand, has to go through to the hopeful round, as does Sybille Bode. Maria Andres and Lisa Wermeister were able to secure a place in the main round before the final heat with Kiefer and Bode had to be cancelled due to decreasing winds.
Watch the livestream of the Word Cup in Chile
Good conditions for exciting final heats
The forecast continues to promise good conditions for the Wave World Cup in Chile, and the next rounds should be exciting. Fans can follow the action live via the official broadcast and live ticker on the event website.
