PWA/WWT World Cup: World Cup decision postponed - Juniors and Masters on the Hookipa stage

Sol Degrieck or Sarah-Quita Offringa? Marcilio Browne or Marc Paré? These questions remain unanswered because, contrary to expectations, no world championship decision was made tonight at the Aloha Classic. Because the conditions weren't quite as good as hoped, the judges postponed the decisive heats for the pros, with the semi-finals and finals expected to take place next night. But the third day of the Aloha Classic in Ho'okipa on Maui still delivered an impressive spectacle - across the generations. While the rising stars of the junior and pro-junior divisions showed off their skills, over 36 of the world's best Masters athletes created an electrifying atmosphere on the beach. It was the largest field of senior competitors in the history of the Aloha Classic. At the same time, the young generation of up-and-coming wave windsurfers impressively demonstrated that the future of the sport is in very good hands. Tomorrow's programme now includes the long-awaited men's and women's finals with big waves predicted, where the wave world champion titles will be awarded.

Juniors with international diversity

Slovenian Jaka Stroj put in an impressive performance in the Junior Boys (U18) final. With a combination of power and smooth control, he secured victory with 7.00 points ahead of Spain's Javier Escribano Toribio, Belgium's Sol Degrieck and Greece's Jason Papanikolaou. The junior field was more internationally diverse than ever before in Ho'okipa, with participants from Europe, Japan, the Caribbean and the Pacific region - all under the age of 18. While the Pro Junior division (U21) is now recognised as a global stepping stone, the younger juniors also showed exceptional potential. A new wave of future world-class waveriders is clearly on the rise.

Japan's Ryu Noguchi triumphs in the Pro Juniors

In the prestigious Pro Junior Division (U21), Japan's Ryu Noguchi came out on top after a dramatic final against Gregory Stathopoulos. Noguchi's clean vertical turns and confident rail work earned him a score of 8.27 points and victory. The podium reflected global diversity, with Gregory Stathopoulos in second place, Samuele Ferraro in third and Jake Ghiretti in fourth. The U21 category continues to serve as an elite stepping stone to the professional tour, and this year's performances proved that the up-and-coming talent is stronger than ever.

Masters: Legends of the nineties return in impressive numbers

The Masters division - traditionally one of the most popular categories at the Aloha Classic - exploded this year with 36 participants. Even the old masters who are no longer active dusted off their equipment for the event. These included legends such as Francisco Goya, Josh Stone, Kai Katchadourian, Keith Teboul, Paul Karaolides, Chris Freeman, Michi Schweiger, Jason Prior, Sean Ordoñez, Brian Talma, Craig Yester, Angela Cochran, Jane Seman and world ranking leaders Michael Friedl and Charlie Rovira.

Ho'okipa served up perfect sets for the old masters, and the results did not disappoint. Francisco Goya recorded one of the highest scores of the day with 11.67 points, Josh Stone impressed with smooth lines and flowing turns, while Kai Katchadourian and Keith Teboul impressed with modern power and precision. The Masters competitions will conclude tomorrow morning before the pro finals - a demonstration of timeless skill and passion for the sport.

Big showdown on the horizon: world championship titles to be awarded

The stage is now set for the men's and women's pro finals, where the 2025 Wave World Champions will be crowned. Fireworks are guaranteed when Marc Paré (current leader of the men's rankings), Marcilio Browne (reigning world champion), Bernd Roediger and Sarah-Quita Offringa (current leader of the women's rankings) compete in promising conditions. This could be one of the most spectacular finals in years.

Tomorrow (tonight by Central European Time) should be a big broadcast day in professional windsurfing. Fans worldwide can follow the action live via the combined World Wave Tour broadcast (YouTube) and the PWA website.

Results Juniors Aloha Classic Grand Final 2025 :

Junior Boys (U18)

• 1st Jaka Stroj (Slovenia): 7.00 points
• 2. Javier Escribano Toribio (Spain, ES-91, Goya)
• 3rd Sol Degrieck (Belgium, B-5, Severne)
• 4. Jason Papanikolaou (Greece, GR-4111, Neil Pryde)

Pro Junior (U21)

• 1st Ryu Noguchi (Japan, J-39, Starboard/Severne): 8.27 points
• 2. Gregory Stathopoulos (Greece, GRE-73, Goya)
• 3. Samuele Ferraro (Italy, ITA-505, Patrik)
• 4th Jake Ghiretti (Australia, AUS-99, Severne)

Watch the livestream of Aloha Classic day 3