The PWA (Professional Windsurfing Association) and IWT (International Windsurfing Tour) come together in a revolutionary solution that will create the largest windsurfing wave tour in 50 years of history of this sport.
PWA and IWT are proud to announce that together they will crown the Wave World Champions 2023. The new 5 Star Rider Rankings will unify the world's best wave riding and jumping events into a single ranking: from local events to 1 star, at national events in 2 stars, up to the pyramid with the international World Cup events in 3 and 4 stars, with World Cup events in 5 Richer stars, Important and spectacular at the top of the pyramid, culminating in the stunning and iconic Grand Final Aloha Classic in Hawaii, where the new Wave World Champions will be crowned.
The new global calendar of 40 Events will be formally announced in the coming weeks. World Cup highlights are expected to include Cape Verde's iconic waves in the eastern Atlantic, the power of the shallow Cloudbreak reef in Fiji, the left wave of Topocalma in Chile, the longest ride-on wave in the world in Pacasmayo in Peru and, Of course, the historic heart of wave riding innovation at Ho'okipa Beach Park in Hawaii for the Aloha Classic Grand Final. Balancing these wave riding events will be the world's most iconic wave jumping locations that begin with wild Omaezaki in southeast Japan., to the legendary home of champions in mighty Pozo Izquierdo, Gran Canaria and the magic of Tenerife's blue water, both in the Canary Islands and, Of course, the largest windsurfing event in the world on the island of Sylt, on Germany's stormy North Sea coast.
This new global pyramid structure at 5 stars is nothing short of a revolution in the sport of Windsurfing. For the first time the base of the races is directly connected to the top of the pyramid with a unified and cohesive global sports structure. Celebrating and uniting all passionate event organizers, Athletes and fans from all over the world, All rider communities on the planet, with over 40 Wave In Events 25 countries. New single and unified leaderboards allow any rider to earn ranking points in any of these events. Modest points at minor events, highest points at the most important events involving all levels and all generations of a continuous points system that connects local riders to world champions. Similar to PGA or ATP, This is global sport at its best.
Since its birth in the 1996, the PWA has hosted over 250 Professional events around the world, from Fiji to Denmark, from Brazil to Germany and many more. PWA awards world titles in professional windsurfing as authorized by World Sailing. PWA riders represent the sport at the highest level of competition, Ruled by athletes and the windsurfing industry, for athletes, to develop competition formats, to generate media interest and take sport forward.
Founded in 2010, IWT has grown to become the global organization for Riders, managing over 35 Wave riding events around the world in the 2023 from local competitions, to the national and international ones with the most iconic waves in the world. IWT partners with the Duke Kahanamoku Foundation in Hawaii to celebrate the origins of windsurfing in surfing and the spirit of aloha. IWT aligns with the world of surfing.
Together, PWA and IWT look for the best locations, with the best wave riding conditions in the world, for the best wave riding competitions. Their ultimate goal is to DISCOVER, SUPPORT, CHALLENGE and CROWN the best wave riders in the world and bring the sport and its champions to a new digital generation.
CROWNING THE WORLD CHAMPIONS
Pro Men riders will count the results of their best 3 events plus the Grand Final Aloha Classic in Hawaii (total 4 better results) to decide the general classification of riders and the Pro Men world titles.
Pro Women riders will count the results of their best 2 events plus the Grand Final Aloha Classic in Hawaii (total 3 better results) to decide the general classification of riders and the Pro Women world titles.
World Cup events in 5 Stars will be broadcast live around the world.
With the world of windsurfing finally completely united and strong, Now it's possible to build the best wave tour the world has ever known.
Note to fans: PWA Youth divisions, IWT Youth, IWT Masters and IWT Open Am will continue to thrive as they did before, with an even wider competition base fueling international events. More news on these divisions in the coming weeks.
ABOUT PWA
The Professional Windsurfers Association (PWA) represents excellence in windsurfing. Its current and former members make up the best windsurfers in the world. PWA riders represent the sport at the highest level of competition. PWA pushes sport forward, organizes and sanctions professional World Cup events, develops competition formats and improves media distribution. The PWA is recognized as an Official Organizing Body of Professional Windsurfing.
ABOUT IWT
IWT is the global organization for riders. Runs The IWT Wave Tour (now unified with PWA), The Grand Final Aloha Classic and IWT Big Wave Challenge. IWT also creates world-class entertainment content, including feature film by director Jace Panebianco, “RIDERS of the Liquid Plains”.
source: PWA
