PLAYA DE RAZO, A Coruna, Galicia / Spain (Saturday, September 28, 2024) - Dylan Donegan Dos Santos (ESP) and Annette Gonzalez Etxabarri (EUK) won the World Surf League (WSL) Cabreiroá Junior Pro Razo today in four-to-six foot waves that challenged Europe's best juniors to deliver exciting performances. As the second and final stop on the European Junior Qualifying Series, this event had big implications for the men and women who were aiming to qualify for the World Junior Championships.
Dylan Donegan Dos Santos Wins First-Ever Junior Title
The talent from Portugal shone throughout this event with impressive performances from the likes of Francisco Ordonhas, João Mendonça, and a clutch performance in the Semifinals from Matias Canhoto to book their spots in the Final against Lanzarote's Dylan Donegan Dos Santos (ESP).
Dos Santos earned the highest heat total of the event in his Semifinal and sent a message to the rest of the Finalists that he means business. He took the lead halfway into the Final, but Canhoto was catching up to him, with Mendonça and Ordonhas waiting for the bigger set waves.
Dos Santos closed the door when he scored a 7.50 (out of a possible 10) towards the end to solidify his lead while Canhoto managed to build on his score to secure second place. This is the first-ever Junior title for Dos Santos, and his career-best result so far.
"I'm speechless right now," Dos Santos said. "I really didn't start out very well. Everyone else had high scores and I had nothing, but I never gave up. I knew I had the surfing to do it I just needed to catch the wave. Then that wave came and I turned it around. I'm so happy."
Annette Gonzalez Etxabarri Keeps Cabreiroá Junior Pro Razo Title In The Family
Following in her sister's footsteps, Janire Gonzalez Etxabarri (EUK) who won this event last year, Annette kept the Cabreiroá Junior Pro Razo title in the family for another year.
The women's Final saw the top two seeds Annette Gonzalez Etxabarri (EUK) and Hina-Maria Conradi (FRA) come up against two underdogs in Sol Borelli (ESP) and Aelan Vaast (FRA). However, underdogs are never to be underestimated and Borelli turned up the pressure in the Final when she opened up with a solid 6.00 to take an early lead. While the rest of the field tried to find their rhythm, Borelli rolled into a great looking wave, staying focused to finish strong and earned a solid 7.67 to put her competitors in a combination situation.
Gonzalez Etxabarri and Conradi had to work hard to get back into the fight for podium. Conradi held onto second place for a while, but the Basque surfer found two great waves that showed why she is on top of the rankings. Gonzalez Etxabarri scored a 7.50 and the judges took their time to deliberate her second wave. The score came in as a 6.57, snatching the lead and pushing Borelli into second place, Conradi in third and Vaast in fourth.
"I'm really happy that I won," Gonzalez Etxabarri said. "I was far behind in the heat, but I finally got my two waves. After three heats in these conditions, I was really tired. It's been an honour to come here and compete in Razo, Galicia. I think I will see you again, soon!"
Annette Gonzalez Etxabarri and Francisco Ordonhas Win European Junior Titles, Qualify for World Junior Championships
With this win, Gonzalez Etxabarri secured her top spot on the rankings and earns the European Junior title for 2024 and qualifies for the World Junior Championships.
"In the end I wasn't even thinking about the final, I was just thinking about the European title," Gonzalez Etxabarri admitted. "I wasn't competing against Sol or Aelan, I was competing against Hina-Maria, because that was the most important thing."
Heading into this event ranked no. 3, Francisco Ordonhas (POR) was under pressure to get a good result if he wanted to earn a ticket to the World Junior Championships. Despite his fourth place finish in the Final, he narrowly secured the top spot on the rankings ahead of Dos Santos.
"I'm definitely feeling really good," Ordonhas said. "I knew coming into this competition that I'm in a good position for the European title, but I wasn't really expecting to make it. I had the confidence and everything to do it, so I'm really happy that I did."
After the conclusion of the Cabreiroá Junior Pro Razo, here are the final rankings for the European Junior Tour 2024:
Women:
1- Annette Gonzalez Etxabarri (EUK)
2- Hina-Maria Conradi (FRA)
3- Sarah Leiceaga (FRA)
4- Zoé Jaeckin (FRA)
5- Sol Borelli (ESP)
Men:
1- Francisco Ordonhas (POR)
2- Dylan Donegan Dos Santos (ESP)
2- Noa Dupouy (FRA)
4- Paco Alonzo (FRA)
5- Matias Canhoto (POR)
The Cabreiroá Junior Pro Razo is organized by the Club Praia de Pantín / Classic Surf Pro and has the institutional support of Turismo de Galicia, Deputación da Coruña, Corresponsables - Consellería de Igualdade da Xunta de Galicia, Ayuntamiento de Carballo, Deporte Galego and sponsored by Cabreiroá, Gadis, Jael, Vithas, Caetano Formula (Dacia/ Renault), Oakberry España, Intermax, Surflogic, FGSurf.
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