PWA World Cup Fuerteventura: Matteo Iachino clinches the Slalom X world title after a dramatic final

SURF

· 27.07.2026

Matteo Iachino secured his first Slalom X world title on the final day of the event.

The Italian had to hold his own against his long-standing rival, Pierre Mortefon.

He thus became the first man to snatch the Slalom X crown from Mortefon.

Maciek Rutkowski took his fans on an emotional rollercoaster ride and ended up on the podium.

On the final day, the racing conditions were tough.

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Photo: Carter / pwaworldtour.com

On the final day of the PWA Grand Slam on Fuerteventura, Matteo Iachino secured his first Slalom X world title. The Italian had to hold off Pierre Mortefon, who won three of the last four heats in a dramatic final and forced the decision to go to an eleventh race.

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The fifth and final day of the Slalom X competition at the 2026 PWA Grand Slam on Fuerteventura turned into a real nail-biter. Matteo Iachino faced what appeared to be a straightforward task: securing his first Slalom X world title with a top-six finish in elimination ten. The Italian had only missed out on the podium once in the first eight eliminations and seemed to be on course for victory. But the sport had other plans that day. Iachino surprisingly failed to qualify for the Winners’ Final of the tenth elimination, thereby opening the door for Pierre Mortefon to stage an unexpected comeback. The Frenchman faced the Herculean task of having to win that heat to force a title decider in an eleventh race. The odds on a Mortefon triumph would probably have been over 100 to 1 the night before.

Mortefon brings its biggest rival to its knees

Pierre Mortefon showed his true class at the crucial moment. The two-time defending champion won elimination ten in commanding fashion, thereby forcing a decisive eleventh race. The momentum on the beach had completely shifted. Iachino, who had been dominant all week, suddenly seemed vulnerable. The Italian had to wait nearly an hour between the two final heats, wrestling with his thoughts. Confidence builds slowly but can be shattered in an instant, especially when a world title is at stake. Mortefon, on the other hand, was on a roll; he had everything to gain and nothing to lose. The Frenchman needed Iachino to finish outside the top six to defend his third consecutive title.

A real test of nerves in the decisive Winners’ Final

Both competitors qualified for the final Winners’ Final of the week and went head-to-head at the front of the field. Mortefon took the lead on the penultimate upwind leg, and you could see Iachino wrestling with himself. The Italian would have liked to attack and follow his great rival. But with the world title within reach, Iachino opted for the sensible approach. He let Mortefon pull away and, by finishing second, secured his fourth PWA world title overall. The Italian thus became the first man to snatch the Slalom X crown from Mortefon. Despite a strong comeback, the Frenchman had to settle for the runner-up spot. Mortefon won three of the last four heats, but paid the price for a slightly weaker spell in the middle of the event. Iachino’s brilliant hat-trick at the start had already set the course for victory.

Rutkowski secures a podium finish after a rollercoaster ride

Maciek Rutkowski took his fans on an emotional rollercoaster ride. After a disastrous start, the 34-year-old Pole had fought back impressively to put himself in contention for a podium place. However, the battle for third place remained tense right up to the end. In elimination ten, Rutkowski crashed heavily as he approached the final buoy, threatening once again to undo all his hard work. However, the JP rider quickly got back on his feet and still managed to make it into the top 16. With a fourth and sixth place in the two final heats, Rutkowski secured third place overall. Amado Vrieswijk narrowly missed out on the podium, finishing fourth, 2.6 points behind. Nico Prien followed a few points behind in fifth place, whilst Jimmy Thieme rounded off the top six.

Up-and-coming talent Lorho shines in a new weight class

The top ten was led by Taty Frans in seventh place, followed by Bruno Martini in eighth. Benoit Merceur and Lohan Jules shared ninth and tenth places. Brendan Lorho put in a particularly outstanding performance. The 21-year-old Frenchman not only won the new under-80-kilogramme division by a clear margin, but also narrowly missed out on a place in the overall top ten, finishing in twelfth place. Lorho impressed with excellent gybes and tremendous straight-line speed. The youngster qualified for the Winners’ Final twice in the last three heats, finishing fourth and fifth in those finals. With these performances, Lorho made an impressive debut on the world stage.