At the start of the IWT/PWA World Cup in Chile yesterday, it was the turn of the youngsters and the locals, with the world's top seeded riders only getting into the action from round six onwards. In the very first heat, Alessio Stillrich prevailed against Anton Richter and Master Mike Friedl. Cold Hawaii local Tobias Bjørnaa secured the next heat win with spectacular jumps.
Local hero Maturana delights home fans
Chilean up-and-coming star Iñaki Maturana seamlessly followed on from his recent victory at the Chile Tour. With precise wave selection and powerful turns, he dominated his heat and emphasised his claim to a top position in the international rankings. The support of the home crowd seemed to give the young Chilean an additional boost.
The surprise of the day was provided by young Kymani Laurent from Guadeloupe. The French Pro Junior impressed judges and spectators alike with his fluid style and a massive aerial, which earned him the highest individual score of the day. Laurent thus established himself as one of the top contenders for a place in the main round
Comeback and consistency of the established players
The heat by Chilean Masters champion Felipe Wedeles was a particular highlight. The experienced local not only prevailed himself, but also paid tribute to his young Australian rival Jake Ghiretti for his performance. Both qualified for the next round and underlined the high performance density of the field of participants, while Moritz Mauch impressed with his usual confident surfing style.
With promising weather forecasts for the coming weekend and high-calibre heats, we're looking forward to the next few days at the World Cup in Chile!
You can follow the heat scores here: internationalwindsurfingtour.com/chile-2025/. there will only be a livestream in the later rounds.
