PWA World Cup Fuerteventura 2026 - Freestyle - Day 5
Lay day - awards ceremony & media session
Today, following the awards ceremony — which took place at noon in the Carpa — there was another one-hour freestyle show in the early afternoon — a session just for the spectators and the cameras. The riders were really up for it, because such awesome freestyle conditions at a World Cup are pretty rare!
Magical moves happened on the water. How about a Cheeseroll? Yes, please — but clew first and double-rotated. Balz took the order and delivered. If the mast top hadn't hit the water, he could have held that move.
On the other hand, other new tricks went off without a hitch — for example, the One-handed Shifty Shaka — not just once, but several times. Yentel tried it too, but couldn’t quite pull it off. The Belgian, however, nailed the Air Chachoo, Pushloops, and Shifties. Takuma Sugi followed suit with the Double Forward.
If they hadn't been limited to freestyle, they could have held a wave contest at Sotavento Beach this year as well.
Tomorrow, the discipline changes: the freestylers are out, and the slalom riders are in. And the waves? They’re staying! Together with the fierce wind, this dynamic duo will ensure some turbulent Slalom X action. You won’t need the sausage (the often used obstacle) for this — jumping over waves will inevitably be part of the slalom heats.
Hopefully, the course will be set accordingly, because why not put on races that are as thrilling as possible when the conditions are right? That’s exactly what the “X” in “Slalom X” stands for — no more holding back. We’re excited; the first run could start as early as 11:30 a.m. tomorrow.
July 21, 2026 © DAILY DOSE | Text: Jürgen Schall | Fotos/Grafiken: fuerteventura-worldcup.org / Tom Brendt | translation: DE
