PWA/WWT World Cup Final: Great opening day at the Aloha Classic 2025, livestream to watch

With steady trade winds and clean mast-high breaking waves, the athletes delivered technically demanding performances during six hours of intense heats and gave a foretaste of the coming days in the title race. The Aloha Classic is the most prestigious contest in windsurfing, and the rush for the limited starting places is correspondingly high. That's why the qualification rounds were held first tonight. The two best wave rides in the 20-minute heats counted, there was no jump classification. Well-known names such as Levi Siver, Graham Ezzy, Boujmaa Guilloul and Naish developer Zdenek Maryzko came out on top. They then met the seeded riders from the PWA/WWT Tour in the first round. Probably the biggest surprise was that Waterman Kai Lenny only came third in his heat. It was also not enough for Julian Salmonn and Anton Richter to progress directly to the next round. However, as is usual at the WWT, a redemption round followed in which the losers from round one were given a second chance. Unfortunately, Salmonn and Richter were finally eliminated there. Kai Lenny, on the other hand, progressed via the lap of honour, as did Marino Gil Gherardi. Local hero Bernd Roediger put down a first marker in the following round with a dominant performance and the day's highest score of 14.00 points.

Roediger sets standards at the Homespot

Local Hawaiian hero Bernd Roediger impressively demonstrated his deep connection to the legendary Ho'okipa spot. With fluid turns and precise wave selection, he dominated his heat and distanced himself from Antoine Martin by more than five points. His effortless flow and perfect knowledge of the area enabled him to score the highest points of the day - a clear statement to the competition. Roediger's performance underlined the bar that has been set for the rest of the competition and showed the level that will be required to succeed in the upcoming main rounds.

Defending champion and challenger in top form

World champion Marcilio "Brawzinho" Browne began his title defence with plenty of confidence, scoring 11.40 points to secure a convincing victory over Takara Ishii (9.90) and Ricardo Campello (9.47). This result keeps Browne's hopes in the title race alive, but to overtake the current world leader, Marc Paré, he will have to do at least one full round better. Paré, for his part, was in top form and won his heat with 12.53 points, matching Browne's momentum.

Camille Juban also impressed with a score of 13.17 points, beating Liam Dunkerbeck (10.57) and Kai Lenny (10.50). His fluid, stylish approach continues to set him apart as one of the tour's most natural talents.

Established champions and veterans show class

Former world champions Philip Köster and Víctor Fernández both qualified confidently for the next round. At the same time, veterans Levi Siver (12.16) and Robby Swift (12.14) demonstrated timeless ho'okipa precision with their characteristic, flowing rides. As expected, Graham Ezzy and Levi Siver were among the most consistent performers of the day with double-digit overall scores. Both battled their way from round one of the Challengers into the top 24 and secured their respective places as number one seeds.

Highly exciting title race

With Marc Paré Rico leading the World Wave Tour rankings, the Spaniard's strong start keeps him in control of the title race. Marcilio Browne remains within striking distance, however, and while conditions are expected to become more challenging as the week progresses, the title race could ultimately come down to a single perfect wave. It's going to be exciting! Roediger's dominant performance and Juban's form add extra excitement to an already world-class field and promise fireworks as the top seeds enter the coming rounds.

Outlook for day two

The action continues tonight Central European Time, with the first start possible shortly before midnight. The forecasts continue to promise good conditions and it could be epic towards the end of the week! The second day of competition will feature the elimination rounds, where the women's elite with Sarah-Quita Offringa, Sol Degreick, Pauline Katz and other top athletes will also make their first appearance. With logo- to mast-high waves forecast and similar offshore winds, the conditions are set for another explosive day in the live broadcast from Ho'okipa.

• HERE you can watch the live broadcast from day one.

• Preview of the Aloha Classic 2025 - who will be world champion and when?

All heats and scores can be found at pwaworldtour.com