The Canary Islands events are one of the most eagerly anticipated legs of the PWA World Tour; offering a fantastic combination of challenging, extreme and spectacular windsurfing. The variety of the conditions coupled with the consistency of the trade winds has made this Hispanic hideaway a world famous Mecca for windsurfing, and an integral part of the Tour.

Lanzarote has, in the past, played host to a variety of disciplines, however this year it returns as the first leg of the highly competitive PWA Freestyle circuit. Between the 30th June and 4th of July, the fleet heads back to Costa Teguise on Lanzarote's Eastern coast - a perfect arena for the explosive amalgamation of wave and freestyle action. This exposed sailing ground throws together a wonderful opportunity for Windsurfing's elite, thanks to the combination of powerful swells, relentless wind, and flat water. These conditions are the strong foundations upon which freestyle has been built and has flourished, allowing sailors to mix breathtaking, aerial skill and complex, planing maneuverability into their repertoires.

Chasing part of the €45K prize purse, the men's fleet shows the return of last year's winner, and 2008 PWA Freestyle World Champion, Jose 'Gollito' Estredo (Fanatic/North/MFC) - one of a handful of favourites for the event and the World Title. After a very impressive result in the waves at Cabo Verde, last year's runner up and 2007 World Champion Marcillo 'Brawzinho' Browne (Fanatic/North) returns to the island, looking to reclaim his crown. The event also signals the start of the Women's Freestyle tour, where the incredibly talented Sarah-Quita Offringa (Starboard/NeilPryde) looks to reassert her dominance over the fleet. 2008 saw a huge push in the women's event, taking freestyle to a breathtaking new level. With women's freestyle continuing to reach new and exciting heights, all expectation is on the 2009 season to flourish.

Best of all, the wind seems to play along! Wind forecast for Lanzarote really looks good with wind kicking in tomorrow with 15 to 20 knots and staying for the next few days with consistent 20 to 25 knots from northerly directions. Keep an eye on the wind forecast map for the Canary Islands to see possible changes first. You may get an impression of the local conditions by watching the wind reports from Lanzarote Airport or by watching the Lanzarote webcam near the event site from our webcam directory. Also the PWA World Tour website features a live ticker about the latest contest results.

Source: PWA / Andrew Buchanan, Windfinder.com