Maui windsurfers finish first, third at World Windsurfing Tour in Fiji
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Maui residents Bernd Roediger and Morgan Noireaux competed in the World Windsurfing Tour at the Fiji Surf Pro in June, finishing first and third, respectively, at Fiji's Cloudbreak reef.
This year’s competition featured some of the biggest conditions this season has seen, measuring up to 4 meters.
“It’s an incredible feeling," said Roediger. "I’ve wanted to win here since the last Fiji event in 2023, but to actually win it is totally different. So many things have to go your way. It’s like a blessing"
Cloudbreak has earned its reputation as one of the world’s premier wave sailing venues, delivering a showcase of courage, commitment and world-class performance in heavy conditions. World Windsurfing Tour Director Simeon Glasson said the event featured some of the best windsurfers in the world today.
Roediger was competing with a strained ACL and had not windsurfed for over a month while claiming the first-place title.
Additionally, Noireaux produced the highest-scoring wave of the event, a 9.5 point ride during an Ariel performance.
Maui’s Morgan Noireaux launches above a heavy wave at Fiji’s Cloudbreak reef during the World Windsurfing Tour’s Fiji Surf Pro. Noireaux finished third and posted the event’s highest-scoring wave -- a 9.5-point ride -- in some of the biggest conditions of the season. Photo courtesy Malte Rahbek
Organizers said the conditions were so rough that the event featured four broken windsurf rigs, a broken foot from Jaeger Stone of Australia and a number of heavy wipeouts.
Behind Roediger, France’s Antoine Martin claimed second place after an exceptional week of radical wave riding, while Camille Juban of Guadeloupe finished fourth.