The Brazilian topped Australian Kobi Clements in a thrilling final where he managed to turn things around in the closing moments of the heat
The young Australian prodigy dominated the women’s draw from start to finish, with an almost inexhaustible repertoire of maneuvers and fluid surfing that no one could contain
PANTÍN, AUGUST 30, 2026.
More classic Pantín than ever. A sunny day, more than a solid meter at the peak next to the rock. And heats for two competitors to claim the queen of the Abanca Pantín Classic Galicia Pro 2026: the QS 6000 International, a category upgrade in the World Surf League (WSL) circuit that has made possible the return, to the mythical beach of Valdoviño, of surfers from every corner of the world. In fact, the event brought together more than 300 athletes over nine hectic days that started with adaptive surfing last weekend; the trials on Monday; and the finale, today with the elite.
Good conditions over the last four days, thanks to consistent ground swell and several banks working across all tides, allowed this day to start with just the decisive rounds to be contested. In the men’s draw, Brazilian Ryan Kainalo began cementing his path to the final by defeating American Levi Slawson in the day’s first heat. The Ubatuba native broke through at 20 years old and was ranked eighth on the QS qualifying circuit before this championship. From the very beginning, Kainalo showed confidence, and with a total of 11.57 points (6.07 and 5.50), he dispatched the American (9.23) with ease.
For his part, Kobi Clements, son of the legendary Steve Clements, who wore the wetsuit at Pantín in the nineties, advanced to the semifinals by defeating Basque Hans Odriozola (competing for Germany). Odriozola had found perfect synergy with Pantín in the days prior, but in the quarterfinals he couldn’t connect with the Atlantic, and the talented Australian eventually relegated him to a nonetheless commendable fifth place.
In the semifinals, Ryan Kainalo faced one of the favorites, Ian Gouveia. His compatriot knows what it’s like to be part of the select group of Championship Tour (CT) surfers, and in the quarterfinals he demonstrated his potential against Australian Eden Hasson with scores of 8.17 and 6.77, for a total of 14.94. But in the semifinals it was Kainalo, who arrived as an underdog, who showed his best version with two powerful turns on the left and an aerial and an impeccable close on the right as he continued the fight for the title.
In the other semifinal, Clements ended Jorgann Couzinet’s love affair with the Ferrolterra coast. He won here in 2017 and was runner-up in 2024. The Frenchman even scored a 9.17 in the heat, with a vertical turn and an extraordinary layback. But he couldn’t find a second wave to get him through to the final. He only needed a 4.73.
In the final, Ryan Kainalo impressed the judges right from the start with an opening score near excellence, a 7.17 thanks to two really solid turns. Kobi Clements’ response came ten minutes into the heat in the form of a combination of maneuvers that sealed him by torturing the wave’s lip with all three fins. An 8.67 that put him in control of the heat until the very last moment. However, in one final effort, Kainalo turned it around with a full rotation aerial that made him the winner of this edition of the QS6000 International of the Abanca Pantín Classic Galicia Pro.
“It’s been incredible. I made a mistake on the wave I left for Kobi, but I knew I’d have one last chance and God sent me that wave,” explained Kainalo, who added: “It was my first time here at Pantín and I wanted to win where so many Brazilians have done great things”.
Sierra Kerr, unstoppable
In the women’s draw, Carla Morera de la Vall ended her extraordinary participation in the Abanca Pantín Classic Galicia Pro 2026. The youngest competitor of all who reached the final rounds, at just 15 years old, was defeated by Portuguese Maria Salgado in the first quarterfinal heat. The Portuguese surfer proved throughout the championship to be a solid and reliable competitor. And in the semifinals, with that Cartesian style of competing, she eliminated Basque Janire González Etxebarri, thanks to scores of 6.33 and 5.83, to reach the decisive heat.
On the other side of the women’s draw, one of the great prodigies of world surfing, Sierra Kerr, daughter of Josh Kerr, one of the most prominent Australian surfers of recent times, was unstoppable in each of her heats. She won the quarterfinals against Japanese Anon Matsuoka and in the semifinals delivered an impressive display of top-level surfing to leave American Eden Walla in the dust. Aerials, radical turns and determination, for a total score of 15.00 points (7.83 and 7.17), catapulted her to the grand final.
In the heat that decided the champion, the recent US Open winner gave no quarter either. A first wave scoring 7.50 points, linking turns almost to the shore, gave her total control over Maria Salgado, who posted a sensational second place.
“I’m very happy, because the conditions here at Pantín are very changeable and you can go from having almost perfect waves to being completely stopped, so it’s very difficult to win,” highlighted the champion, who praised the natural setting of the Valdoviño beach.
