The fifth day of competition of the Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup—one of the flagship events on the World Tour—brought a slight improvement in weather conditions, with winds ranging between 22-25 knots and slightly better ramps, that allowed the next generation to take centre stage alongside their more experienced Master’s peers.
Boy’s U18
Javier Escribano (Goya Windsurfing), from Tarifa, claimed victory in an exciting final with a total score of 14.66 points - with the highlight being a textbook backloop which earned 5.58 points. The Spaniard saw off stern competition from Japan's Ryoma Sugi (Duotone Windsurfing / North Sails), who secured second place on 12.55 points, while Denmark's Björn Olesen completed the podium in third.
"This year has been more challenging because my rivals have raised their level significantly. The conditions weren't ideal, but they were the same for everyone, and we all gave our very best," said the Tarifa-born rider during the podium ceremony.
The fifth day of competition also completed the competition brackets for the international youth divisions, with only the titles in the Girl’s U18, Girl's U21, and Boy's U21 categories still to be decided.
Belgium's Sol Degrieck (Severne Windsurfing), who made history in 2024 as the youngest athlete ever to earn a professional World Cup podium in Pozo Izquierdo, confirmed her status as the favourite by securing a commanding place in the U21 final as she accumulated an impressive 12.12 points, comfortably defeating Spain's Lizzlotte Schilling (F2), who scored 4.00 points.
In the Boy's U21 division, Germany's Anton Richter (JP / NeilPryde) advanced from the opening heat on 13.66 points narrowly edging out Spain's Carlos Kiefer Quintana (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails) (12.55 points) thanks to a higher scoring jump, as both sailors posted almost identical wave scores.
In the second heat, Greece's Gregory Stathopoulos (Goya Windsurfing)— a former Bic Techno 293+ Youth World Champion—delivered the highest score of the day as he racked up 16.05 points, defeating Japan's Takumi Moriya (Severne Sails), who finished on 11.73 points.
Later in the afternoon, the Men's Master’s +45 fleet took to the water. Germany's Lars Gobisch dominated the opening heat with 12.07 points, while Great Britain's Ben Proffitt (Simmer / Simmer Sails), the voice of the PWA's, won the second heat on 11.58 points.
Spanish-British sailor John Skye (PATRIK / PATRIK Sails), the renowned sail designer, claimed an extremely close third heat as he edged out Toni Pijoan by just 0.1 of a point, such was the closeness of their duel.
In the fourth heat, local Gran Canarian rider Michael Friedl (Duotone Windsurfing), the reigning two-time World Champion in the division (2024 and 2025), asserted his dominance with a convincing victory.
The coming days of competition, which will run uninterrupted until Sunday, July 12th, promise even more excitement as the professional fleet enters the water and the Master’s and Grand Master’s titles are decided. The latest news, complete results, and official live streaming coverage are available through the PWA's global platform at www.pwaworldtour.com and via the event's official social media channels.