In Langenfeld, the wave installation is located on a lake.

o2 Surf Masters Langenfeld

Rapid surfing on the lake in 30-degree weather

Bright sunshine, temperatures up to 30 degrees, and a festival atmosphere: The fourth and penultimate stop of the o2 Surf Masters at Surf Langenfeld turned out to be a summer highlight in May.

Reigning German champion Valeska Schneider from Munich was in top form on the world’s first standing wave on a lake. With a flawless and typically powerful performance, Schneider secured her third consecutive tour stop victory in the final with a total score of 14.37 points. In doing so, she sealed the deal early and is already the undisputed winner of the overall standings ahead of the season finale in Freiburg at the end of June.

Behind her, a thrilling duel unfolded for the remaining podium spots. Anika Weizel from Osnabrück confirmed her consistent form and secured a strong second place with 13.13 points. Rounding out the podium was Munich’s Lea Sasse, who impressed the judges with fluid turns and plenty of style, finishing third with 12.57 points.

“Three wins in a row and the overall title secured early—it feels absolutely surreal,” said an overjoyed Valeska Schneider enthusiastically after the final. “The conditions today outdoors at 30 degrees were simply fantastic, and the crowd by the lake really spurred us on. Now I can enjoy the final in Freiburg without any pressure.”

In the men’s division, the stop in Langenfeld was all about Munich’s Rapid Surf scene. On the challenging outdoor wave, the athletes put on a spectacular display of technical maneuvers: the level of the air tricks they performed was breathtaking. In the end, Marius Øystein Gerlach secured the day’s victory. With an outstanding total score of 18.14 points (individual waves: 9.27 and 8.87), he celebrated a razor-thin win, leading by just 0.48 points over the strong-surfing Eisbach local Yves Viala. Viala kept the fight open until the very end and finished the heat with an excellent 17.66 points (individual waves: 8.93 and 8.73). The reigning German runner-up, Joshi Holy, completed the total Munich triumph by securing third place with a strong 16.77 points.

This outcome adds excitement to the battle for the o2 SURF MASTERS tour title. The previous tour leader, Hannes Mosch from Berlin, had a tough day, couldn’t find his rhythm, and had to settle for 5th place. Thanks to Gerlach’s second win of the season, the overall standings are wide open heading into the finale. This sets the stage for a perfect season finale:

At the end of June, the showdown for the overall title between Marius Øystein Gerlach and Hannes Mosch will take place in Freiburg.

“That was an extremely important victory for me today, and the scores show just how hard the battle was in the final,” Marius Øystein Gerlach summed up. “Now everything is wide open again in the title race. The fact that the decision won’t be made until Freiburg gives me a huge boost. Bring on the showdown!”

Langenfeld results at a glance:

Men (Finals):
1. Marius Øystein Gerlach (Munich) — 18.14 pts.
2. Yves Viala (Munich) — 17.66 pts.
3. Joshi Holy (Munich) — 16.77 pts.

Women (Final):
1. Valeska Schneider (Munich) — 14.37 points
2. Anika Weizel (Osnabrück) — 13.13 points
3. Lea Sasse (Munich) — 12.57 points