GWA Tarifa Wing Pro 2026

GWA Tarifa Wing Pro 2026

Welcome to the 7th GWA Tarifa Wing Pro 2026 – the second stop on the GWA Wingfoil World Tour for Freestyle following Leucate (France) in April.   Tarifa, set on Spain’s radiant Costa de la Luz is the perfect backdrop for this thrilling competition.

With 28 men and 19 women on the starting list, the competition was highly anticipated from the outset, bringing together some of the world’s best surf freestylers on one of the tour’s most iconic stretches of coastline. The forecast remained consistent throughout the four-day competition, with a steady Poniente wind providing the ideal conditions for the athletes to showcase their best performances. The result was four days of world-class surfing that set the tone for the rest of the season.

The GWA Wingfoil World Cup returned to Tarifa. With 28 men and 19 women competing, the field was highly competitive from the outset, bringing together some of the world’s best surf freestylers on one of the tour’s most iconic coastlines. The forecast remained consistent throughout the four-day competition, with a steady Poniente wind providing the ideal conditions for the athletes to showcase their best performances. The result was three days of world-class surfing that set the tone for the rest of the season.

Womens division

The women’s competition in Tarifa demonstrated the wealth of talent emerging in wingfoiling, with young athletes leaving their mark on the World Cup stage.

Quarter-final standout Sofia Ginzinger, aged just 13 and competing on home waters, scored 17.83 points to secure her place in the semi-finals, confirming her status among the sport’s rising elite. Fellow local Nia Suardiaz delivered a passionate performance in front of her home crowd.

Marie Sclittenbauer made a significant return to competition after missing the opening event in Leucate due to injury, picking up where she left off with a score of 26.87.

The semi-finals took place in perfect conditions in front of a packed Valdevaqueros beach, and the home crowd had plenty to cheer about.

Nia Suardiaz was in her element, competing at her home spot and leading the heat from the outset with calm authority. Sofia Ginzinger, one of the most exciting new names in wingfoiling, pushed hard throughout, matching Suardiaz stride for stride. Both local athletes advanced to the final, eliminating Zoe Marie Schonwetter and Lilly Holzer in the process.

The second semi-final was a different story. Marie Schlittenbauer got off to a flying start with 8 points on her first trick, but a series of failed attempts put her lead under pressure. In 2025 Zoe Marie Schlittenbauer was unseeded yet reached the semi-finalShe recovered with a committed back mode to re-establish her lead. Meanwhile, Milla Danguy was putting together one of the cleanest heats of the day, landing solid trick after solid trick to secure her place in her first final. Allegra Caffi and Sofia Marchetti were eliminated at this stage.

The women’s final had it all: a home crowd, a first-time finalist and a last-minute score that turned the result on its head.   Nia Suardiaz and  Sofia Ginzinger were riding in front of their home crowd, Marie Schlittenbauer was hunting her first win of the season and Danguy was making her finals debut — she certainly didn't look like a newcomer. Danguy was consistent, composed and clinical throughout the event, leading the heat at the halfway mark while Suardiaz and Schlittenbauer struggled to convert several attempts. Ginzinger was riding solidly in third place.

Then came the final exchanges. With everything on the line, Marie Schlittenbauer unleashed a 9.33 on her very last attempt, rocketing from outside the podium to first place in a single trick. 

Nia Suardiaz finished second, Milla Danguy third and Sofia Ginzinger fourth. It was one of the most compelling women’s finals that the Tarifa crowd had ever witnessed.

Mens division

The men’s draw was stacked with young talent - close-fought heats made every round a genuine battle with no easy passes.

Benjamin Castenskiold and Axel Gerard edged through the quarter-finals in a tightly contested clash with Lukas Lam and Luca Vuillermet. Chris MacDonald looked sharp and advanced with authority, with Franz Schlittenbauer pushing through close behind.

Rocco Makana and Sacha Pallier eliminated Noe Cuyala and Kalle Dinant, while the final quarter-final belonged to Tom Acherer — a firing heat scoring 26.57 points overall sent him and Malo Guenole straight through to the semi-finals.

The men’s semi-finals were as close as it gets — every trick counted, every crash cost, and no one was giving an inch.

From the opening exchanges, the level was high. By the midway mark, Chris MacDonald and Benjamin Castenskiold had edged ahead, with Sacha Pallier and Malo Guenole locked in just fractions behind. It stayed that way until the final trick attempts, when Pallier and Guenole both crashed — handing MacDonald and Castenskiold their final spots.

Semi-final two opened with a statement from Rocco Makana — back-to-back scores in the 8s put him in control early. But big tricks bring big risk, and crashes were costly across the board. Gerard and Makana held the lead at the halfway point, only for Tom Acherer to find another gear when it mattered most, stealing the lead late and advancing alongside Makana. Franz Schlittenbauer and Axel Gerard were eliminated — both by fractions of a point.

The men’s final delivered everything the occasion demanded: a packed Valdevaqueros beach, four eager finalists and an unbeatable performance from Castenskiold.

MacDonald, Makana and Castenskiold all posted scores in the 20s within their opening attempts, coming out swinging. Acherer had a rougher start, crashing twice in quick succession and finding himself on the back foot early on. Castenskiold then landed his second 9-point score of the heat, making a statement that shifted the dynamic entirely.

As they headed into their final attempts, MacDonald, Makana and Castenskiold were neck and neck, with Acherer trying to close the gap. But Castenskiold was already out of reach. A commanding performance from the Dane sealed his victory in the second Surf-Freestyle event of the season.

Benjamin Castenskiold was the winner in Tarifa. MacDonald came second, Makana came third and Acherer came fourth.

GWA Tarifa Wing Pro 2026 Results

Semi-finalists in the two heats and Finalist with points awarded.

Following a brief opening ceremony on Tuesday, the competition is officially 'running' at Valdevaqueros Beach, opposite the Taganga and 'Tumbao X Bibo' beach bar. The forecast is promising: westerly winds combined with the thermal effect are expected to provide consistent conditions throughout the week.

Day 1 notes- Wednesday 24 June 2026

Rider registration and photos took place from 09:30 to 10:30, with the riders' briefing at 11:30. The earliest possible start time was declared as 13:00. This start time was postponed due to high winds. By 15:00, revised possible start times were being given at 15-minute intervals.

The Men’s Round One started at 16:00. In Heat One, River Moore scored 12.07, beating Hugo Ferrer (10.83) and Noé Mercier (9.83). River's first two runs scored, but he crashed in the second two. The first round of the men's competition consists of four heats, with three riders in each.

The first round of the women's competition consists of eight heats, with two or three riders in each, seeded in reverse order. All 19 registered female riders took part in the first round, with the final heat seeing Lilly Holzner (Denmark) and Mia Suardiaz (Tarifa, Spain) battle it out. Local hero Mia Suardiaz scored a disappointing 6.70 points from her two best runs after crashing in her other two attempts. The top score was 17.66 points from Maria Schlittenbauer (Germany), achieved over her two best runs.

Men's Heat Two consisted of two heats of four riders. The first two rounds featured the 20 lower-seeded players. They were all competing for places in Round Three alongside the higher-seeded players. Round Three consists of eight heats of three riders in a 24-rider competition. The first two rounds were completed before the judges called it a day.

Riders briefing Wednesday morning - GWA 2026 Tarifa Photo SamuCardenas

Day 2 – Thursday 25 June 2026

Rider briefing was at 11:30, with the first possible start at 12:00.  However, there was almost no wind, after a wait some athletes headed out to test the conditions but there was no luck and they returned to shore. The next call is set for 14:00 hrs , with a first possible start at 14:15  hrs. This proved ok and the men started on Round 3 heats. 
Mens Round 3 Heats 1 to 8 were completed by 16.50 hrs
Womens Round 2 Heats 1 to 4 were completed. 
Mens Round 4 Heats 1 to 4 completed. Defending world champ Benjamin Castenkiold  (Inst: @freeliving8) bounced back with a strong heat (26.76) after a tough start into the comp! 
Womens Round 3 Heats 1 to 4 were completed. The 8 women athletes move on to the two semi finals tomorrow. 
Mens Round 5 jist Heat 1 was completed before judges called end of day. 

Day 3 – Friday 26 June 2026

No start time was published overnight making it awkward for visiting spectators to plan. The start turned out to be 13.00 hrs.

First was the Men's Round 5 Heats 2 to 4 followed by the Women's Semi finals and the Mens Semi- finales completed by 14.00 hrs.

Following  a short rest break the finals were announced for 15.00 hrs. Womens final first followed by the Mens final. The prize ceremony was brought forward from Saturday to Friday at 17.00 hrs.   

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Live Updates

Live Scoring
About the Athletes
Event Instagram: Wingfoil world Tour Tarifa Wing Pro
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Tarifa Wing Pro 2025 World Rankings
Previous event Leucate, France (April) full results
 

 

Hurricane Hotel

Tarifa - built in the Moorish style, set in subtropical gardens leading down to the unspoilt beach.

Hotel Punta Sur

Stylish & contemporary hotel close to unspoilt beaches. Gardens and large pool. Ideal for families.

Ferry Tarifa to Tanger

Fast 45 min Ferry service, Tarifa to Tanger Ville, choice of two operators. Ideal for exploring Tanger town including day trips. Choose Algeciras to Tanger Med for road trip south in Morocco.

GWA Tarifa Wing Pro 2026 - Intro and Background

A line-up of 28 men, from 12 countries, will take to the water in Tarifa, which will either be graced by westerly Poniente breezes or cranking easterly Levante wind. The women’s rider fleet will be 17-strong, coming from eight countries. Similar number to last year.

A crop of up-and-coming new names profited from the stumbles of the Old Guard in France

Reigning GWA Surf-Freestyle World Champion (2025), Denmark’s Benjamin Castenskiold and Germany’s Marie Schlittenbauer, are competing in Tarifa again this year. Both will be eager to get their campaigns back on track at the Tarifa Wing Pro. It is still early days.

The young Dane, Castenskiold, still just 14, struggled to find his groove in the unusually light winds during the opening stop at Mondial du Vent, at Leucate, France, in April. He finished in ninth overall with 520 points and has work to do in Tarifa following Austrian Tomas Acherer already with 1.000 points.  

Schlittenbauer, 16, was forced to miss the opening call in Leucate as she was recovering from surgery. But she will return in Tarifa, one of four of the season’s remaining stops, giving her the chance to discard the score she missed in France. Marie is chasing local hero Nia Suardiaz who won her 1.000 points in Leucate.

Hailing from Tarifa, Nia Suardiaz clinched the Surf-Freestyle World Championship in 2023. She won again in Tarifa in 2024 and came second in 2025. Born to a Spanish mother from Cádiz and a German father, she will be eager to succeed in front of her hometown crowd, drawing on the perfect blend of passion and skill that her diverse heritage has given her. She took her first steps into the world of surfing in 2020, and by 2021 she was already making waves at the GWA Tarifa Wing Pro.

Nia Suardiaz Instagram (contestant to look out for)

Tomas Acherer Instagram (contestant to look out for)

The 2026 World Cup tour events start in Dusseldorf again in January, Leucate (France) in April, Tarifa on 24 to 27 June, Gran Canaria (tbc) July, Fuerteventura (Canarias Spain) in August, Dakhla, Morrocco in October, Ilha do Guajiru, Brazil in November and Taiba, Brazil (tbc) in December.

Location

Valdevaqueros Beach, opposite the 'Tumbao X Bibo' beach bar. Paid parking available. Access from N-340 southwards, Km. 76,6 Casas de Porro.