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World Wave TourBernd Roediger and Kaelyn Holmes win in Puerto Rico - Big Day goes viral

SURF Redaktion

 · 09.03.2026

Bernd Roediger on his way to victory in Puerto Rico
Photo: Fernando Cruz via WWT
The "Wind Warriors" event took place in Puerto Rico from 14 to 28 February 2026 as part of the World Wave Tour. Apart from a few spectacular Instagram snippets, there was initially no further information about the event, except that Bernd Roediger took the win. Now a follow-up report and a few photos have arrived in the email inboxes.
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The sixth edition of the Puerto Rico Wind Warriors Windsurf World Wave Tour event brought 2026 riders from ten nations to the Vega Baja spot from 14 to 28 February. Many riders from South and Central America emphasised that the event was an important showcase for them to present themselves to an international audience with relatively little travel effort.

Viral moment with over one million views

The first heats started on Friday 20 February 2026, just as a massive Atlantic cold front brought a huge swell to Puerto Rico's coast. Organisers Irene Kravitz and Nelson Pérez decided to postpone the official heat classification until the following day, but reacted quickly to the historic conditions. With a full team of safety boats, they organised a photo shoot in mast-high waves. During the session, Bernd Roedinger from Hawaii, Takara Ishii from Japan, Arnaud Le Villain from Guadeloupe, Santiago Lirosi from Argentina, Nelson Pérez from Puerto Rico and Denise Blondet from Peru, among others, shone with spectacular performances in the fierce conditions. According to the organisers, the recordings achieved a total of over one million views, while viewers around the world discovered Puerto Rico's wave sailing potential.

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Competition day with a festival atmosphere

The competition got underway on Saturday 21 February, with a festival atmosphere on the beach. In the Pro Men division, Bernd Roedinger from Hawaii secured first place, his Second victory in a row. He was followed by two locals, Charlie Rovira from Isabela and Felix Bermudez from Santa Isabel. Takara Ishii from Japan secured fourth place. The following day, the women, masters and challengers also took to the water. To the delight of the locals, Local Kaelyn Holmes from Dorado won first place in the Women's Division, followed by Denise Blondet from Peru in second place. Irene Kravitz Correa from Panama secured third place and Evelyn Ramos from Bayamón fourth.

According to the organisers, the feedback from the starters was consistently positive: "Why don't more people surf in Puerto Rico?" many riders asked, comparing the conditions to Fiji. The hope of the event organisers and the numerous local supporters is that Puerto Rico will attract more visitors as a windsurfing destination.

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Results Wind Warriors Puerto Rico 2026

Gents

  1. Bernd Roediger
  2. Charlie Rovira
  3. Felix Bermudez
  4. Takara Ishii

Ladies

  1. Kaelyn Holmes
  2. Denise Blondet
  3. Irene Kravitz Correa
  4. Evelyn Ramos

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