There is a lot at stake in Costa de Caparica, the stage for the last stage of the European qualifying world championship. Caparica Surf Fest 2024, which takes place from the 26th to the 30th of March at Praia do Paraíso, will define the European champions and also the places for the Challenger Series (CS).
There are some Portuguese competing close to obtaining good results, such as Yolanda Hopkins Sequeira, who leads the women’s ranking and is close to winning the European title again, Teresa Bonvalot who remains in the top 4, or Guilherme Ribeiro who can also guarantee a place in the Challenger, at home.
This is the 9th edition of the event, which consolidates Costa da Caparica as one of the mandatory stops for the World Surf League (WSL), thanks to the several kilometers of beach break and a wide variety of conditions for practicing the sport.
“Carrying out this test demonstrates that there is consolidation and growing interest. And on the other hand, there is a balance, which we are achieving. Our desire is to consolidate this competitive part as much as possible, which is very important and attracts the public, because it has an increasingly greater weight”, declared today, March 25th, the president of the Almada City Council (CMA), Inês de Medeiros, during the Surf Fest presentation, at Wot Costa da Caparica. The CMA contributed 250 thousand euros in the form of sponsorship for the event and around 10 thousand euros in logistical support.
This weight is assumed due to the fact that it is the last stage of the European QS, which brings important decisions associated with it. “Being the last event of the year, there is always the extra spice to see who will qualify and how they will qualify for the Challenger”, added Frederico Teixeira, WSL Event Manager for Portugal. This is a successful event and already consolidated on the list of European stages, according to the person responsible: “Portugal occupies one of the prominent places in the region as a driving force for the promotion of surfing.”
Caparica Surf Fest also has a strong Portuguese presence. The Portuguese armada is made up of 28 surfers. “Within the portfolio of events we have, QS sometimes go a little unnoticed, but they make it possible for what is the critical mass of athletes to have the opportunity to grow, as for example happened with Yolanda Hopkins Sequeira, Mafalda Lopes or Guilherme Ribeiro, who are present here”, said the same person in charge.
This is, moreover, an event with a lot of history, since 2015. “We started as a Pro Junior, the event then grew to a QS 1000, and now 3000. And who knows if, in the future, we will reach a level of Challenger Series”, concluded Frederico Teixeira.
Many decisions at stake
At Caparica there will be the best European athletes, looking for a place in the next phase. For men, it will be a WQS 3000 stage, while for women, 1st place is worth 1000 points. As for the ranking, in the men’s category, there are 7 places and one wildcard available to access CS.
In the female category, the top 4 (plus one wilcard) qualifies for the next stage of the competition. And this is a ranking led by current European champion Yolanda Hopkins Sequeira, who has never won in Caparica. “This is one of the European QS that I haven’t managed to win yet and I have the dream of reaching the podium and winning. I really like the environment here in Costa, it’s always very welcoming, so I’m going to do my best”, said the leader of ranking, which is close to reclaiming the title of European champion. Yolanda is going through a good moment, as she recently won a place in the French Olympic Games, a race that will take place in Teahupoo, Tahiti. “It was a goal I had since the last Games, it was incredible to be in Tokyo and I really wanted to do it again. I love tubes, they fit me very wellskills‘ [risos]… In Tokyo I finished 5th, and I hope to bring the medal to Portugal this time”, said the 25-year-old surfer from Algarve.
In the women’s top 10 there is also Teresa Bonvalot, in 4th place, and Mafalda Lopes in 10th place. The home athlete, who won the stage in 2023, believes that the secret to this victory was work. “I spent many years training on the Coast, I 100% recommend this place for all athletes, beginners to professionals… it’s super versatile. The secret is to work,” she began by saying. As for the race at home, Mafalda couldn’t be happier: “Being on the Coast always gives me extra confidence, that was the big secret. I was very happy to have my family and friends here, it was an incredible victory”, said Mafalda Lopes.
Guilherme Ribeiro is also going to surf at home. The surfer from Caparica remains in 11th place in the ranking, but is in a position to mathematically guarantee a place in the CS. “I really need this stage to qualify, every year that passes I am closer to my dream of reaching the Challenger. This I feel is my year, the year to shine at home, even with the difficult conditions, I want to get a good result at home” said the surfer from Costa de Caparica.
For the next few days, challenging weather conditions are expected, which will test the organization and participants, as explained by the race director, Hugo Pinheiro. “We will have waves, which is the main thing. It will be difficult, we will start early every day, it will be challenging not only for us but for the athletes… we will always wait for the best tides, and we will see day by day. We hope that Friday and Saturday we will have the best conditions to finish the championship with a bang”, he clarified. The first call on the 26th is at 6:30 am and, a swell huge and strong, unfavorable winds. It will likely be a true test of endurance and adaptability and, all options are on the table, including heats doubles, where two heats happen simultaneously at two different peaks, to maximize each window of opportunity.
As for the Portuguese in the competition, we will have 13 athletes in the women’s race: Maria Salgado, Érica Máximo, Camila Cardoso, Teresa Pereira, Gabriela Dinis, Beatriz Costa, Teresa Bonvalot, Ana Escudeiro, Mafalda Lopes, Francisca Veselko, Yolanda Hopkins, Maria Dias and Carolina Mendes. In the men’s stage, 15 Portuguese will be competing: João Mendonça, Luís Perloiro, Martim Nunes, Afonso Pinto, Martim Fortes, Tiago Stock, Francisco Ordonhas, Jaime Veselko, Afonso Antunes, João Roque Pinho, Francisco Queimado, Joaquim Chaves, Martim Paulino, Francisco Almeida and Guilherme Ribeiro.
In addition to being a stage that is extremely important for the Challenger Series accounts, Caparica Surf Fest is also a true festival, with a series of parallel events, from free surf lessons, to a space dedicated to skateboarding, Go Chill Impact Zone, with a skateboarding competition and classes for all visitors.
Hundreds of athletes will be present, in Surfing, Bodyboard and LongBoard, spread across various male and female categories. The audience also tends to be in the hundreds.
Qualifying Series Rankings
Top 10 Men:
1 – Tiago Carrique (FRA)
2 – Charly Quivront (FRA)
3 – Maxime Huscenot (FRA)
4 – Marco Mignot (FRA)
5 – Gatien Delahaye (FRA)
6 – Kauli Vaast (FRA)
7 – Jorgann Couzinet (FRA)
8 – Joan Duru (FRA)
9 – Kai Odriozola (ESP)
10 – Kyllian Guerin (FRA)
Top 10 Women:
1 – Yolanda Hopkins (POR)
2 – Janire Gonzalez Etxabarri (ESP)
3 – Tessa Thyssen (FRA)
4 – Teresa Bonvalot (POR)
5 – Nadia Erostarbe (EUK)
6 – Camilla Kemp (DEU)
7 – Maud Le Car (FRA)
8 – Hina-Maria Conradi (FRA)
9 – Ariane Ochoa (EUK)
10 – Mafalda Lopes (POR)
Caparica Surf Fest 2024, Challenger Series, Costa da Caparica, Sports, Guilherme Ribeiro, Martim Paulino, Surf, Teresa Bonvalot, World Surf League, Yolanda Hopkins
