An energetic crowd right next to the 180-meter wave at O2 Surftown and surfing at the highest level. Team Spain wins the title at the first Rip Curl Nations Trophy presented by California, writing a new chapter in European surfing. In an exciting final heat, Team Spain prevailed over Italy – carried by team spirit, spectacular maneuvers, and the applause of over 3,000 spectators.
“It feels incredible to celebrate this historic moment with our team – we gave it our all, it was pure sportsmanship,” said Hugo Ortega, part of the winning team. A new era for European surfing Eight nations, four athletes per team, direct knockout mode, tactical lineups, and changing wave modes: the format developed by SURFTOWN showed today how much power and potential there is in team surfing.
“We wanted a format that was athletically compelling, generated excitement, and allowed people to experience surf culture in a new way – today proved that it works.” – Chris Boehm-Tettelbach, CEO and founder of O2 SURFTOWN MUC The whole day was an interplay of adrenaline on the waves and festival vibes on land: with live DJs, street food, an afterparty, and the premiere of a new Rip Curl surf film.
• Team Spain Champions (Hugo Ortega, Lucia Machado, Gony Zubizarreta, Carla Morera de la Vall)
• Italy (Diana Giorgi, Chiara Cuppone, Matteo Calatri, Leonardo Apreda)
