Most forecasts disappointed, but patience led to one unforgettable, hurricane-fuelled day in Viana do Castelo: The perfect ending to my European season, and a taste of what’s to come at the Aloha Classic.

After the event in Tenerife in mid-August, I faced a short break before the Aloha Classic in October on Maui, Hawaii – the big finale and the last 5-star contest of the 2025 season. I chose to skip the contest on Sylt in Germany this year, giving myself more time to focus fully on preparing for Maui.
With that in mind, I left the Canary Islands after Tenerife, making a quick freestyle stop in Fuerteventura before starting a long road trip north. My plan was to chase as many starboard tack wave days as possible along the Portuguese and Galician coasts: the perfect training ground ahead of Hawaii. The forecast looked promising, though not spectacular. In the end, the much-anticipated swell never truly arrived. The Algarve only delivered a few freestyle sessions, and even Guincho had little to offer.

But patience paid off. In northern Portugal, at Cabedelo near Viana do Castelo, I struck gold. Swell from Hurricane Erin transformed the spot into a legendary day. The wind forecast had looked poor, but for this one window everything aligned! Sets rolled in from head-high to well over mast-high, with a solid 17-second period. Only a handful of experienced windsurfers were out, and the side-offshore conditions held until the sun set in fiery colours. These are the rare, legendary days that make all the hours and days of nerve-wracking road trips worthwhile.

It was the perfect finale to the European summer season, both for me and for my photographer. Afterwards, I enjoyed a few more beautiful surf sessions in Galicia and along the northern Spanish coast, before heading back home for a short pit stop. Now the focus is set firmly on Maui. Stay tuned – the Aloha Classic is waiting.