Windsurfing
Philip Köster and Liam Dunkerbeck top the classic Pozo Izquierdo World Cup
Philip Köster and Daida Ruano take top honours as rising star Liam Dunkerbeck triumphs in the U20 category as the windsurfing season got underway in Gran Canaria.
Part of this story
The Professional Windsurfers Association World Tour and Gran Canaria's Pozo Izquierdo go hand-in-hand, so what better place to start the European swing of the 2022 tour?
Described by none other than Björn Dunkerbeck as "the biggest wave event of the year, where you always jump the highest", the 34th edition of the Gran Canaria PWA World Cup did not disappoint.
It was an incredible week of competition, with more than 100 of the best athletes from around the world delivering high-flying windsurfing of the highest order – even if Pozo Izquierdo reserved its famously strong winds (around 37 knots) for only the final day of action.
There was even more emphasis than usual on going big in Pozo Izquierdo this year with the addition of the Red Bull Rockets Award, a special prize awarded to the athlete who achieved the highest jump of the event. "The Red Bull Rockets will award the highest jump, so we're sure to see a great show," Dunkerbeck said before the show kicked-off. "The challenge is to try to beat the 15-20m, but anyone jumping above 10 meters is going very high!"
Here's what went down in the waters – and skies – of Gran Canaria.
Philip Köster was absolutely dominant in Pozo Izquierdo
© Gran Canaria PWA World Cup
01
Hurricane Köster
Although he competes for Germany, Philip Köster was very much at home in Pozo Izquierdo. Born and raised in Gran Canaria, the five-time world champion was unstoppable and remained unbeatable, sweeping the singles and doubles heats as he outclassed the rest of the field.
Facing Köster in the final, Brazil's two-time world champ Marcilio Browne could do nothing to stop the dominance. Köster started with two good jumps that scored 8.88 points each, followed by a Pushloop Forward that netted 9.25 points and a Stalled Double from 7.1m that earned a massive ovation from the crowds.
Philip Köster celebrates being back on top
© Gran Canaria PWA World Cup
I'm really happy to to compete in good conditions and win again – Pozo never fails
02
Iballa vs Daida: the Ruan sisters go head-to-head
If the event itself was spectacular, the duel between sisters Iballa and Daida Ruan fuelled it even more. The Ruano twins staged an incredible fight for victory, with Daida managing to beat her sister during the double eliminator final and retain the Gran Canaria PWA World Cup title and her 'Queen of Pozo' crown.
Daida Ruana remains the 'Queen of Pozo Izquierdo'
© Gran Canaria PWA World Cup
03
Liam Dunkerbeck is the 'Prince of Pozo'
The level of windsurfing was incredibly high throughout the Gran Canaria PWA World Cup, especially among the younger riders. Liam Dunkerbeck was a particular standout in the U20 category, which he dominated from start to finish.
The youngest member of the Dunkerbeck dynasty not only cleaned up in his own class, but also proved to be more than up to taking on most veterans. This was demonstrated by his participation in the main event where he faced the best windsurfers in the world and reached the quarter-finals.
04
Red Bull Rockets brings out the big senders
Red Bull Rockets, a special prize awarded for the highest jump made during the competition, was one of the big attractions of the event –especially to the big senders in the field. To measure the jumps, the organisers used The Surfers App, a specific technology based on a GPS that would measure the height from the water to the highest point of the jump.
Marc Pare scored the day's highest score with a Stalled Double Forward
© Gran Canaria PWA World Cup
The windsurfer who soared the highest was Spain's three-time world champion Víctor Fernández. The Almería native displayed all his experience to send a jump of 8.9m with which he would proclaim himself worthy of the Red Bull Rockets title. The Andalusian rounded off his event with third place in the final. For the women, it was Daida Ruano who flew higher than the rest, with a huge Stall Forward that lifted her 6m above the water.
Part of this story