On the seventh day of the Tenerife World Cup, two deserving champions emerged, having dominated their classes at the Wind & Waves Festival. Ben Proffitt from Great Britain, known internationally as Mr Windsurfing TV, swapped the microphone for the harness and was crowned Masters World Cup Champion. The Brit, who normally commentates on the action from behind the microphone, put in a performance at El Cabezo that lived up to his reputation as an expert. Meanwhile, Mike Friedl from Spain secured the Grand Masters title, repeating his success from the Gran Canaria World Cup. The Tenerife local once again proved his class on home turf and completed his impressive Canary Islands double. The event marked another milestone in bringing together the world’s best wave windsurfers from different generations.
Proffitt’s comeback with a bang
Ben Proffitt made his ambitions abundantly clear right from the opening heat. With 23.35 points, he left his rivals trailing far behind and scored almost double the points of his nearest challenger. However, the road to the title proved anything but easy. Jochen Stolz, a local Tenerife specialist, and two-time Masters World Champion Mike Friedl challenged Proffitt throughout the entire elimination round. The trio delivered some of the best wave performances of the entire event. Stolz put in an outstanding performance in the semi-finals with critical wave riding and a spectacular pocket 360, which secured his place in the final.
A finale of technical perfection
In the final, Proffitt put into practice exactly the strategy he himself often describes in his commentary: “building the house”. The Brit spread his runs across seven waves and improved steadily. His best wave earned him 9.62 points and featured a beautiful 360 in a critical section, followed by two perfectly linked turns into the open face of the wave. Proffitt sealed victory with a spectacular combination of a one-footed backloop and a clean forward loop. Stolz fought hard right to the end, but was unable to counter Proffitt’s final push and had to settle for second place. Guillermo Barriero Melgarejo completed the podium in third place, whilst Sandro D’Alessio finished fourth.
Friedl’s home match ends in a double victory
Mike Friedl dominated the Grand Masters Division and continued his remarkable run of success in the Canary Islands. Following his title at the Gran Canaria World Cup, the Tenerife local returned to El Cabezo and once again demonstrated his class against a top-class international field. Friedl had already held his own against Proffitt and Stolz in the Masters Division and, in his age group, put in a performance that kept his rivals well at bay. The battle for second place turned into a local duel between two close friends. Sandro D’Alessio and Alessandro Mazzetti, known as Derox, engaged in a fierce battle for second place. This time, D’Alessio came out on top and secured second place, whilst Mazzetti finished third. Per Schmitz from Germany rounded off the podium in fourth place.
Results of the WWT/PWA World Cup Masters, Tenerife 2026:
Masters:
- 1. Ben Proffitt
- 2. Jochen Stolz
- 3. Guillermo Barriero Melgarejo
- 4. Sandro D'Alessio
Grand Masters:
- 1. Mike Friedl
- 2. Sandro D'Alessio
- 3. Alessandro Mazzetti
- 4. Per Schmitz
