PRAIA DO PARAISO, Costa da Caparica - Portugal (Monday, March 25, 2024) - The World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) Caparica Surf Fest 2024 is upon us and competition could start as early as tomorrow, Tuesday March 26, with a first call at 6:30 a.m in what is expected to be challenging conditions for Europe's best surfers.
"We're going to have waves, which is the main thing," Hugo Pinheiro, event director said. "It will be difficult, we will start early every day, it will be challenging not only for us but for the athletes. We will always wait for the best tides, and we will see day by day. We hope that Friday and Saturday we have the best conditions and that way we finish the championship the best way."
Tension is running high as this will be the last European QS event of the 2023/24 season and will determine the surfers who qualify for the Challenger Series (CS) this year. A QS3,000 for the men and QS1,000 for the women, a lot of points are in the balance and the current rankings are all but set and a lot of athletes still have a shot to make the coveted list. Seven men and four women, plus one wildcard in each field, will get the golden ticket for the 2024 CS season that will launch in just over a month at the iconic Superbank in Snapper Rocks on Australia's Gold Coast. The six-stops tour will decide who makes the Championship Tour (CT) next year.
But for now a massive challenge awaits competitors landing in Caparica this week. A huge swell and strong unfavorable winds will set the tone at this usually fun, rippable beachbreak. A real test of endurance and adaptability is likely what it'll come down to and all options are on the table, including double banks, where two heats run simultaneously on two different peaks to maximize every window of opportunity.
Reigning European women's Champion and current rankings leader Yolanda Hopkins has a firm hold of the lead and is nearly guaranteed to claim her spot on the CS but another challenge awaits the Portuguese.
"This is one of the European QSs that I have not managed to win yet," Hopkins said. "I dream of reaching the podium and winning. I really like the environment here at Costa. It's always very welcoming, so I'm going to do my best."
The 25 year-old from Vilamoura is close to adding another line to an already impressive resume with potential back-to-back regional titles, but another major goal looms on the horizon as she qualified for the next Olympic Games, which will be held in Tahiti this summer.
"It was a goal I had since the last Games, it was incredible to be in Tokyo and I really wanted to do it again," Hopkins added. "I love tubes, they suit my skills very well [laughs]... In Tokyo I finished 5th, and I hope to bring the medal to Portugal this time."
Joining the fields this week are four event wildcards with a lot of experience in the Caparica lineups that could prove beneficial in the moving lineup. Francisco Almeida and Martim Paulino will join some 90 other competitors in the men's. Ana Lua Elias Escudeiro and Maria Dias join local favorite Mafalda Lopes and the rest of the women's field as well.
Mafalda Lopes (POR) - WSL / Pedro Mestre
"I spent many years training in Costa and I 100% recommend this place for all athletes, beginners to professionals," Lopes stated. "It's super versatile. The secret is to work. Competing here, at home, always gives me extra confidence, that was the big secret. I was very happy to have my family and friends here, it was an incredible victory last year." "I really need this event to qualify," Guilherme Ribeiro reflected. "Every year that passes I am closer to my dream of reaching the Challengers. I feel like it's my year, the year to shine at home, even with the difficult conditions, I want to get a good result at home."
The first call will be made at 6:30 a.m tomorrow, Tuesday, March 26 at praia de paraiso in Caparica, Portugal.
Before the Caparica Surf Fest, here's where the 2023-24 European Qualifying Series rankings stand:
2023-24 European Men's Qualifying Series Top 10:
1 - Tiago Carrique (FRA)
2 - Charly Quivront (FRA)
3 - Maxime Huscenot (FRA)
4 - Marco Mignot (FRA)
5 - Gatien Delahaye (FRA)
6 - Kauli Vaast (FRA)
7 - Jorgann Couzinet (FRA)
8 - Joan Duru (FRA)
9 - Kai Odriozola (ESP)
10 - Kyllian Guerin (FRA)
2023-24 European Women's Qualifying Series Top 10:
1 - Yolanda Hopkins (POR)
2 - Janire Gonzalez Etxabarri (ESP)
3 - Tessa Thyssen (FRA)
4 - Teresa Bonvalot (POR)
5 - Nadia Erostarbe (EUK)
6 - Camilla Kemp (DEU)
7 - Maud Le Car (FRA)
8 - Hina-Maria Conradi (FRA)
9 - Ariane Ochoa (EUK)
10 - Mafalda Lopes (POR)
Watch LIVE
The Caparica Surf Fest will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com, the free WSL app, and the WSL's YouTube channel.
The Caparica Surf Fest is scheduled from March 26-30, 2024 at Praia do Paraiso, Costa da Caparica - Portugal. It is brought to you by WSL, sponsored by Almada City Council, Estrella Galicia, MEO, Millennium BCP, Wotels, Hertz, Cabreiroa with media partners SIC, SportTV, Radio Comercial, M80, Cidade FM, Expresso, Record, Onfire and MEO Beachcam.