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KÖSTER AND RUANO COME OUT ON TOP IN TRICKY POZO!…POZO WRAP UP…NO SECOND CHANCES!

Never underestimate Pozo Izquierdo as Windsurf predictions fall apart!

The forecast may have looked shaky all week, but when it mattered most, the famous Gran Canaria wind machine switched on just enough to crown two deserving champions at the 2026 Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup.

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Competition got underway at 9:30 am and the action rolled relentlessly through until 5:00 pm , with riders making the most of every gust. Early in the day there was enough wind for some quality ramps, but as the afternoon wore on, conditions became increasingly marginal. By the time the finals hit the water, Pozo looked more like a lake than the world-famous high-wind arena it’s known for. On any other day the final may have been sacked off but the judges had little choice but to push it through with no certainty in the forecast. But in the end the crème rose to the top anyways!

Instead of the usual tiny 3.3 to 3.7m sails, competitors were rigging surprisingly large 4.5 to 4.7’s…a clear sign that this was going to be a battle of precision and experience rather than survival.

And that’s exactly what unfolded.

From the opening rounds, Marc Paré (ESP) looked unstoppable. After his first heat we were gob smacked at the way he was bashing out every trick in the book with clinical precision. The reining world champion was firing out flawless double forwards and linking together stylish wave rides, looking every bit like a title contender. But when the pressure reached its peak in the final, Philip Köster (GER) unleashed a trademark double forward and perfect back loop to claim yet another Gran Canaria crown. We believe that his his ninth victory in POzo!

The men’s podium finished:

2026 Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup – Men’s Wave

1st Philip Köster (GER | Severne Windsurfing)

2nd Marc Paré (ESP | Simmer / Simmer Sails / MFC)

3rd Miguel Chapuis (ESP | Flikka / North Sails)

4th Liam Dunkerbeck (ESP | Duotone Windsurfing)

The draw was packed with talent from top to bottom. Marion Gil impressed throughout the day, stomping a spectacular Clay (frontside 360 with a reverse spin at the end…land sliding backwards) alongside huge doubles and towering back loops. But that was not enough to pull him through a loaded heat in the quarters with Liam Dunkerbeck and Köster edging him out.

One of the biggest stories belonged to Miguel Chapuis who was on the bottom side of the draw. Returning from injury, the Spaniard sailed with confidence all day and was rewarded with an emotional third-place finish after eliminating one of the event favourites on his way through.

Liam Dunkerbeck, son of legendary windsurfing icon and event organiser Björn Dunkerbeck continued to prove he’s forging his own path. The young Spaniard produced the upset of the day by knocking out former world champion Marcilio Browne in the semi before advancing to the final, where he eventually finished fourth.

With both windsurf prediction picks Marcilio Browne and Marino Gil falling in the stacked top half of the draw was blown wide open, creating an exciting finish to the competition. Our predictions were already toast aside from the favourites…Disaster!

Alessio Stillrich was also a standout performer and was unlucky not to make the final as was Victor Fernandez, Takuma Sugi and Marino Gil.

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The women’s competition produced another feel-good story.

Making her first appearance for Goya Windsurfing, Daida Ruano looked completely at home on her new equipment. The Pozo legend combined trademark aggressive wave riding with powerful jumps throughout the day and even threw a bold double forward attempt in the final despite the fading breeze.

As conditions deteriorated, Sarah-Quita Offringa (ARU) found it increasingly difficult to showcase her full repertoire of moves, but still sailed brilliantly to secure second place.

Local girl alexia Kiefer was solid as was Sol Degriek who managed to land some decent push loops to make the top four…Other stand out were Lisa Wermiester, Justyna Sniady and Pauline Katz.

The women’s podium finished:

2026 Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup – Women’s Wave

1st Daida Ruano (ESP | Goya Windsurfing)

2nd Sarah-Quita Offringa (ARU | Starboard / NeilPryde / Maui Ultra Fins)

3rd Alexia Kiefer (ESP | PATRIK / PATRIK Sails)

4th Sol Degrieck (BEL | Severne Windsurfing)

It won’t go down as one of the classic nuclear Pozo events, but the 2026 edition still achieved what mattered most…it got every wave category completed. Speaking during the prize-giving, event organiser Björn Dunkerbeck summed it up perfectly, noting that the best sailors still came out on top, just as they did last year when Pozo delivered its trademark extreme winds and solid waves. Whether it’s survival conditions or marginal breezes, champions find a way.

Windsurf Predictions: Not a Bad Day at the Office…But not a good one!

The ever-popular Windsurf Predictions also came away reasonably happy with their crystal ball. Correctly picking both eventual winners…Philip Köster and Daida Ruano…was perhaps the safest call of the weekend, but getting the champions right is never guaranteed.

Marc Paré was tipped for third but exceeded expectations after an outstanding day’s sailing to finish runner-up, while the women’s predictions proved even closer, with Daida and Sarah-Quita correctly forecast to finish first and second. Third pick Sol Degrieck narrowly missed out on the podium, eventually taking fourth behind the impressive Alexia Kiefer.

Overall, it was a respectable scorecard…but there is always room for improvement. The prediction team will now head back to the drawing board ahead of the racing and freestyle events in Fuerteventura, where another set of tricky calls awaits.