After a three-year break, the pro tour returns to Cloudbreak. This is the spot that all wave windsurfers dream of, in the middle of the sea above a perfect reef, with mast-high waves and impressive barrels. The journey to the spot is expensive and arduous, with the boat journey alone taking around an hour. Pictures of the last windsurfing event went around the world, with Baptiste Cloarec surprisingly winning in 2023 with gigantic aerials and radical rides.
Even though this year's WWT event "only" has four stars and is therefore not quite on a par with Hookipa, Pozo or Sylt in terms of importance for the Wave World Championships, all windsurfing fans are turning their eyes towards Fiji. Because if the conditions are right, the most spectacular action of the year could take place there.
Three days of contest in Cloudbreak
The WWT Fiji Surf Pro runs from 6 to 14 June, during which time there will be a three-day event window to compete in the best conditions. Those currently registered include Bernd Roediger, Morgan Noireaux, Antoine Martin, Robby Swift, Baptiste Cloarec and Camille Juban - Julian Salmonn is still on the waiting list. Jane Seman, Maria Andres and Sarah Kenyon, among others, are among the women. The points count 50-60% towards the world championship ranking. The judging will take place from the tower, which is also used for the WSL contests, where the media crew will also be positioned - and others are Paul van Bellen as a drone pilot.
On the first day, each surfer gets their own one-hour session, accompanied by media crews, jet ski safety and teams to secure the spot; the number of participants is not limited. On the second day, each person is again given a one-hour heat under the same conditions, so that everyone surfs two sessions in total. The results of this second day will decide who will take part in the final day, and the scores for the Masters, Junior U18 and Pro Junior U21 classes will also be determined here. On the third day, the Finals Day, the world's top surfers will compete for victory and 10,000 dollars in prize money. In the men's event, 16 surfers will compete (12 seeded starters according to the current world rankings plus 4 best challengers), in the women's event 8 surfers (6 seeded plus 2 challengers). Cycles of 26 minutes plus a 4-minute break are planned. The format is a knockout system with a B final for both men and women, whereby the head judge can flexibly adapt the heats to the conditions.
All information under worldwindsurftour.com and liveheats.com
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