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TIREE WAVE CLASSIC WINDSURF PREDICTIONS

It’s time to dust off our tartan crystal ball, fire up the bagpipes and get stuck into our predictions for the 2026 Tiree Wave Classic!

This year’s event has stepped up to 4-star WWT / PWA status, comes with a guaranteed $10,000 prize fund and, thanks to the wind gods not delivering in Sylt, has suddenly become a very interesting proposition for a whole bunch of the world’s top wave sailors. Read on to find all the news and gossip about who is heading to Tiree and who we are predicting to be in the fight for the swords!

Photos: Olivier Caenen, Si Crowther and John Carter

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Our elite team of scouts are fresh back from Sylt and have brought back plenty of juicy gossip and have also been keeping a close eye on the title race and the late manoeuvring among the top names.

Suddenly, the likes Marc Pare, Philip Köster, Miguel Chapuis and Marino Gil (and more) all have Tiree on the radar and are making plans to head to the Inner Hebrides. Head judges Duncan Coombs and Adrian Jones are going to have their work cut out when the fireworks start to go off next week that is for sure!

And with the forecast currently looking tasty, competition could get underway from Sunday onwards. Saturday is apparently not a competition day due to two ferries bringing in the last of the competitors, even though the forecast looks smoking. Our highly trained intelligence network will, naturally, be monitoring proceedings closely from the moment the first sail is rigged. Expect reports from the beach, whispers from the rigging area and we hope to deliver daily galleries of wonky pictures on the website. Will JC be able to hold his camera straight after 12 hours in a van and a bumpy 4-hour ferry crossing?…We hope so!

Yep…with Sylt failing to deliver the wind for waves, Tiree has become a rather more important stop than some of the big names might have expected. Riders need to count four events towards their overall ranking and, with Maui always a tough one to rely on for making the frame, Tiree offers a valuable opportunity to bank some points and, of course, take home the most prestigious trophy in windsurfing: The Tiree Sword.

Forget world titles. Forget prize money. The Tiree sword is one of the most prestigious windsurfing trophies in windsurfing!

So, without further ado, here are our totally unreliable Tiree Windsurf Predictions…Although we did manage to pick both the winners in Sylt for the racing and the freestyle…drum roll….applause!!

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MEN

1. MARC PARE – “THE SIMMERING SPANIARD”
2. PHILIP KÖSTER – “MAN ON A MISSION”
3. MIGUEL CHAPUIS – “FORWARD INTO BACKLOOP MAESTRO”
   WILDCARD: DIETER VAN DER EYKEN – “THE TIREE DEFENDER”

MARC PARE – “The Simmering Spaniard”

We’ve all seen the form of the Spaniard over the summer and he backed up the hype by beating Philip Köster in the final at Wissant.

Pare is also no stranger to Tiree, having won here in 2018, so he knows exactly what is at stake…another chance to get his hands on that rather magnificent Tiree sword. His rail to rail wave hack is the asset that we think could give him the edge over Köster! In the air they are pretty much on par on port tack but we reckon Pare should have the edge in the wave riding department!

With Maui waiting in the wings and his campaign for back-to-back world titles gathering momentum, Pare will be keen to grab some valuable points in Scotland before heading to Hawaii. The big question is whether anyone can stop Simmering Spaniard once he gets a sniff of silverware.

Our crystal ball says no. Pare is red hot form and it is going to take some hot sailing to take him down!

PHILIP KÖSTER – “Man on a mission”

Köster has never been to Tiree before, but we reckon the beach-break conditions could suit his sailing down to the ground, although we are not sure how he will handle the cold! We heard he is not heading to Maui, so that makes scoring a solid result in Tiree almost essential for the five times world champion.

And if it really nukes at Balevullin or the Maze, well… we all know what happens when someone gives Philip Köster a ramp. Air traffic control may have to be closed!!

His jumping has been looking as spectacular as ever and, if the forecast delivers some proper Scottish horsepower, expect the German to be launching himself into the stratosphere while the rest of the fleet looks on wondering when he is going to come down.

The big unknown is Tiree itself. It’s a new venue for Köster and the island always has a few tricks up its sleeve. Will he get held up by sheep on the way to the beach! Will he find his way to Oban or survive the greasy breakfast on the ferry. There are so many questions to be answered!

But if there are ramps he will go big that is for sure. As for the waves, we also think the punchy beach breaks at the Maze or Balevullin will be right up his alley, and it could be goiter central when Koester moves into top gear!

MIGUEL CHAPUIS – “Forward into Backloop maestro”

Miguel is another rider who knows his way around Tiree, having finished runner-up here in 2023 behind his North Team mate, Lucas Meldrum in the battle for the sword. But we reckon Miguel has come a long way since then.

His level is now right up there with the top boys, particularly on port tack, and Tiree could be the perfect place for him to show just how much progress he has made.

And then there is the move.

Will we see the whispered about forward into back loop?

Our sources say yes. Our crystal ball says definitely.

He was throwing them down in Tenerife in the warm-ups and he has had plenty of time to practise since then…so who know what aces he may have up the sleeve of his his woolly jumper!

Either way, if the conditions fire, keep one eye on Chapuis.

WILDCARD: DIETER VAN DER EYKEN – “The Tiree defender”

Dieter is the current holder of the Tiree sword, having claimed victory on the rollover Saturday last year. He may not have had the chance to experience every flavour of Tiree yet, but Dieter is a canny competitor and has plenty of experience shredding the beach breaks of Brandon Bay. That should provide pretty decent preparation for Scotland’s hallowed shores.

Don’t be surprised to see him throwing down some big 360s.

And if he manages to stick the double?

The Tiree Defender could become a very serious problem for everyone else.

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AND KEEP AN EYE ON…

We’ve also heard through the grapevine that Marino Gil and Jules Denel are heading north.

And both are more than capable of going all the way.

Marino, in particular, will be one to watch if the conditions get properly wild. His double loops are seriously dangerous and he has the sort of aerial game that could make a big impression in Tiree.

The only question is whether he can cope with the cold and rain.

Then again, if you’ve survived enough time on the PWA tour, perhaps a bit of Scottish weather isn’t going to scare you.

Denel, meanwhile, should have absolutely no problem with the conditions.

He lives in Wissant, so big storms are second nature for the crazy Frenchman. Let’s hope he does not neck down too much Scottish whiskey at the prize giving, if he makes the finals!

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THE BRITS

Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten the Brits.

If they get swept aside by the international WWT / PWA big guns in the 4-star competition, there is apparently a cunning Plan B. If time allows, a British-only event will be held, giving the home-grown talent another chance to fight it out for points towards the British overall title.

So, essentially, Plan A for the Brits: beat the world’s best. Plan B: beat each other.

Rumour has it that Simmer and O’Shea are flying in the voice of windsurfing VIP-style, direct to Tiree Airport…Mr Ben Proffitt.

And you can bet your last dram of whiskey that Ben will be all-out to get his hands on the sword. Not content with one campaign, he could potentially go hunting for silverware in both the Pro and Masters fleets.

Meanwhile, Lucas Meldrum is already en route and will be looking to reclaim the sword after winning here in 2023. Then we have the likes of Andy “Bubble” Chambers, James Cox and Ben Page, all waiting in the wings and hoping to throw a serious spanner into the plans of the WWT / PWA elite. Also don’t forget the local Maclean brothers…if anyone knows this island and can navigate the wild conditions that Tiree could deliver…it must be Mikey and Eddie Maclean!

Just imagine it.

The world’s best arrive in Scotland expecting a quiet week of competition……and discover the British Crew of sword slayers has other ideas.

Cox takes down Pare…Bubble slays Mariono Gil and Meldrum destroys Koster! In Tiree anything can happen!

 

BRITISH WATCHLIST…

Ben Proffitt “The voice”
Lucas Meldrum “The Sword Reclaimer”
Andy “Bubble” Chambers “The Bubble Trouble”
James Cox “The forager”
Ben Page “Doctors orders”

If the forecast goes ballistic, we could have some seriously entertaining battles on our hands.

And if the British boys start taking scalps?

Well, our scouts will be watching very closely.

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WOMEN

1. JUSTYNA SNIADY – “LOUD & PROUD”
2. CORI MCFARLANE – “THE LIP BASHER”
3. IZZY ADCOCK – “THE FEARLESS ONE”
   WILDCARD: CAITLIN BOOTHROYD – “THE WILDCARD WARRIOR”

JUSTYNA SNIADY “LOUD & PROUD”

Justyna will be all-out to clock up the points in Tiree as she is also giving Maui a miss! The Pole is a former Tiree winner, taking the title in 2013 and 2014, so she knows exactly what it takes to survive the Scottish weather and come away with the sword.

And if you don’t know Justyna, there is normally one very reliable way of finding her:

Listen.

Her infectious personality tends to arrive several seconds before she does.

On the water, however, there is no shortage of firepower either. Justyna has a solid arsenal of powerful wave riding, back loops and push loops, and should have the skills to put serious pressure on the British contingent.

Expect her to do plenty of talking…both on and off the water.

Hence the nickname.

Loud & Proud.

Lets hope she does not get lost in Glasgow!

CORI MCFARLANE “THE LIP BASHER”

Don’t underestimate Cori if she clicks into gear in Tiree.

She is well known for attacking pretty much any piece of lip that has the audacity to appear in front of her, and if the Maze or Ballevullin start firing, she could become a very dangerous weapon indeed.

Big wave?

Cori will hit it.

Big section?

Cori will hit it harder.

Anything resembling a ramp?

You get the picture.

If she starts finding the rhythm, The Lip Basher could cause a few problems in the battle for the podium.

IZZY ADCOCK – “THE FEARLESS ONE”

Izzy just keeps improving and spends as much time on the water as possible whenever she can escape her studies and score some action on the south coast.

And one thing is certain…she doesn’t appear to have received the memo telling her to be sensible when the waves get big.

She’s never looked particularly frightened of a proper wave or a sizeable jump, so don’t be surprised to see her throwing herself into the action when the pressure starts building.

If the conditions get wild and the competition goes down to the wire, The Fearless One could be right in the middle of it.

WILDCARD – CAITLIN BOOTHROYD

We’re backing Caitlin Boothroyd as our wildcard.

She’ll be hungry to throw down some of her best moves when the wild winds of Tiree kick in, and with the forecast potentially delivering some proper Scottish horsepower, this could be her chance to make a serious impression.

But that’s not all.

Keep an eye out for Georgia Stolliday and the Miron sisters, who are flying in from Germany.

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So, while our crystal ball currently has Justyna, Cori and Izzy occupying the podium, there are plenty of people hovering around the edges with the potential to completely smash our predictions to pieces.

Which, if we’re honest, is exactly what makes Predictions so much fun.

The tartan crystal ball has spoken.

Now we just need Tiree to deliver the wind…

So there we have it. Whether it has got anything right remains to be seen…

But one thing is certain: the Tiree Sword is up for grabs, and the race is on.

And on that note…our race is on…Windsurf Tiree scouts have just been dispatched en route to Scotland…Stay Tuned…