It was, without doubt, the championship of broken boards, with a dozen snapped by the power of the ocean.
Pantín, Valdoviño, August 30 – Pantín has crowned the king and queen of this epic giant-wave event: Guilherme Ribeiro and Anat Lelior.
Ribeiro, 23, from Caparica (south of Lisbon), clinched victory in the men’s final by capitalizing on the second-to-last wave of the heat, finishing ahead of Ido Hagag (2nd), Tristan Guilbaud (3rd), and Frederico Morais (4th).
The women’s final, held near 8:00 p.m. after an intense and extended day with nearly 12 hours of consecutive heats, was led from start to finish by 25-year-old Anat Lelior, who dominated over Maria Salgado (2nd), Anette González-Etxabarri (3rd), and Lucía Machado (4th), all of whom displayed outstanding form.
Both champions received their awards late Saturday afternoon from Alberto González, Mayor of Valdoviño, host of the event—closing a week marked by massive surf powered by the remnants of Hurricane Erin. The ocean was, at times, almost unmanageable, forcing surfers to show their absolute best in conditions of extreme physical and mental demand.
“I just thought about having fun, forgot about the scores, and focused on my surfing,” said Lelior, dedicating her victory to her younger sister. Ribeiro, meanwhile, thrived on the strong support of the Portuguese fans.
The awards ceremony also featured Rosa Ana García, Provincial Deputy (Deputación de A Coruña); Martina Aneiros, Regional Delegate of the Xunta; José Manuel Rey Varela, Mayor of Ferrol; along with representatives from Abanca, Estrella Galicia, and Parque Ferrol: Óscar Salgado and Virginia Torres.
The Best Waves Awards by Cabreiroá went to Anette González-Etxabarri of Zumaia (Gipuzkoa), who scored a 9.76, and to Italian surfer Enzo Cavallini, who earned a 9.60. The Red Bull board signed by big-wave rider Natxo González was also presented.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP OF BROKEN BOARDS
Saturday marked the fifth and final day of top-level international competition (QS 4000) at the 38th ABANCA Pantín Classic Galicia Pro, one of four WSL events in Galicia, Spain, this 2025 season.
It was a contest unlike any seen in the past decade, with gigantic conditions so demanding they forced multiple postponements and delays. It was, without question, the championship of broken boards, with at least a dozen surfers coming out of the water with snapped boards.
After the Gadis Surf Festival Ferrol (Cobas) – longboard and junior – in June, and ahead of the upcoming European Junior Pro Razo by Espazo Nature (September 24–27), Pantín delivered today one final twist: a softer ocean for the closing heats, with smaller and weaker waves that limited surfers’ performance, though conditions improved as the finals approached.
OPEN DOORS ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 31
Although the main competition concluded today—brought forward due to Sunday’s tough forecast—the event grounds will remain open on Sunday, August 31 at regular hours.
Espazos Corresponsables: 10:00–14:00 and 16:00–20:00
Official store: from 11:00
Gastro spaces, consumer stands, and local market for all visitors
Skate ramp and intro surf sessions (subject to ocean conditions)
We would like to thank our institutional supporters and private sponsors for making possible, once again, that the Pantín Classic Galicia Pro remains the highlight of the summer in Ferrolterra:
Xunta de Galicia – Deputación de A Coruña – Ayuntamiento de Valdoviño – Concello de Ferrol – ABANCA – Estrella Galicia / Cabreiroá – Jael / Tag Heuer – Parque Ferrol – Gadis – Vithas – Wasted – Pepsi – Ópticas Noroeste – Edommo – Caetano Fórmula – Vazva – Intermax – Diario de Ferrol – Quincemil – Rock FM – Surflogic