Quatro Maui Pro in Hookipa: Big bang to kick off the 2026 World Cup season
SURF
· 24.03.2026
The World Windsurf Tour is starting 2026 with a bang: after more than two decades as a smaller event, the Quatro Maui Pro is returning as a five-star major from 30 March to 4 April. The last time the World Tour kicked off on Maui was in April 2005. Now there are maximum points for the ranking list again, many favourites would like to start the season with a good result. Over 100 of the world's best wave riders are already registered and will meet at the legendary break, which is regarded as the spiritual home of windsurfing. With the Sloha Classic in autumn (scheduled for 19 - 30 October), Maui will experience two five-star events in one season.
Defending champions and world champions in attack mode
Marc Paré from Spain is travelling as the reigning World Wave Champion and wants to defend his title. Marcilio Browne, four-time world champion from Brazil, won the Maui Pro in 2025 and knows Hoʻokipa like the back of his hand. Philip Köster has five world championship titles to his name and is one of the most explosive wave sailors of the moment, even if Hookipa is not one of his favourite spots. Víctor Fernández, three-time world champion from Spain, completes the quartet of title contenders with the experience and power that make the difference off Hookipa. The list of starters reads like a who's who of the sport, with every name standing for world class. A strong result here characterises the entire season, nobody can afford a false start.
Hoʻokipa specialists with a home advantage
Traditionally, the all-rounders from the World Cup meet outstanding locals: Morgan Noireaux and Bernd Roediger bring seven Aloha Classic titles between them - four and three. Both know every reef section, every swell angle, every shift in the trade winds. Camille Juban from Guadeloupe, who competes for France, won the Aloha Classic twice. Antoine Martin, also from Guadeloupe, won the Aloha Classic in 2019 and is considered one of the most explosive talents on the tour. These locals use their local knowledge as a tactical advantage, while the international competitors have to assert themselves on unfamiliar terrain.
Kai Lenny, one of the most celebrated watermen of his generation, is facing a special situation: for the first time, two WWT five-star majors are taking place on his home turf. As the season ranking is calculated from the best four results, the down-the-line specialists can also score strategically. Morgan Noireaux, the winner of the Aloha Classic 2025, is also one of the favourites
Marine Hunter from France is the defending champion of the Maui Pro 2025 and will be up against Lina Erpenstein, who is back in full swing after her injury last year. The top favourite is of course Sarah-Quita Offringa, who won her fourth Aloha Classic last year. Angela Cochran from Hawaii, four-time Aloha Classic winner, will represent the Masters. The young generation is knocking loudly: Sol Degrieck from Belgium was in the race for the World Championship title for a long time last year and took her first event win on Sylt. Sarah Kenyon from Australia is the newly crowned Junior World Champion.
Maui as the centre of the windsurfing world
"Maui is the heart of the sport," says WWT Commissioner Simeon Glasson. "Having two five-star events on Maui in 2026 is a statement about where professional windsurfing is heading." Livestream commentator Kai Katchadourian adds: "Maui hasn't seen a spring event since the PWA World Cup in April 2005, two full decades. It's great to have it back on the calendar. Looking back into the history of wave events in Hoʻokipa, some of the most memorable contests took place in the spring during the long-running O'Neill Invitational, which ran from the early eighties to the mid-nineties. DaKine, Chiemsee and even companies like Jeep sponsored events on Hoʻokipa in the spring. Maui always comes alive with abundant energy when we see the world's best windsurfers take to the water and challenge the elements."
Everything about the Quatro Maui Pro at worldwindsurftour.com
