30/08/2026
PRO WOMEN TOP 5 I HOW’S THE RACE FOR NUMBER ONE SHAPING UP?
Five riders, one World Title, and everything still to play for.
With Lina Erpenstein now leading the World Ranking, followed by Maria Behrens, Marine Hunter, Sol Degrieck and Sarah-Quita Offringa, the women’s title race is looking seriously exciting heading into the final part of the season.
And what makes this top five particularly interesting is just how versatile it is. We’re not looking at riders who need one specific set of conditions to perform. From strong surfing on both tacks to some of the best jumping in the fleet, every stop ahead brings another opportunity to score big.
Right now, each rider’s best three results are counting towards the ranking. After the next 5-star, that moves to four, with each rider’s best four results ultimately deciding the World Ranking at the end of the year.
Three 5-stars are still to come: Sylt, Aloha Classic and the Grand Final in Chile. Very different conditions, and places where the riders fighting at the top have already shown they can deliver.
The remaining 4-stars shouldn’t be underestimated either. With 60% points available for a win, France and the UK could still have an impact on the title race.
Different strengths, different paths through the season, but five incredibly complete riders with a real chance of being right up there after the Grand Final in Chile.
This World Title fight is wide open.
Read through as we take a closer look at the current top five, what each of them brings to the fight and why every one of them has a real shot at the title.
Full rankings and results on our website. Link in bio 🤓
#1 LINA ERPENSTEIN | Powerful and technical surfing, and some of the best jumping in the fleet.
Three 5-star events have taken Lina to the top: 4th at the Maui Pro, 5th in Gran Canaria and 2nd in Tenerife.
Maui showed just how solid her starboard tack skills are, with technical surfing, great timing, solid hits and big commitment at Ho’okipa.
In Pozo, she remains one of the favourites when it comes to jumping, with her trademark power, style and those signature push loops.
Then Tenerife brought a 2nd place through powerful, vertical surfing, solid jumps and smart heat strategy, at the same event she won in 2024.
The three remaining 5-stars make her position even more exciting. Lina has already stood on the podium at all three stops, finishing 2nd in Sylt last year, taking a podium in Maui earlier this season and claiming victory in Chile in 2024.
Heading into the final stretch of the season as the World Ranking leader, with proven results at every remaining 5-star stop, is a huge confidence boost and puts Lina in a very strong position for the World Title race.
#2 MARIA BEHRENS I Consistency, wave selection and versatility.
Maria led the World Ranking through the first half of the season after opening her 5-star campaign with an impressive 2nd place at the Maui Pro, followed by another strong result in the completely different port tack conditions of Gran Canaria.
Her versatility is one of her biggest strengths. Great surfing on both tacks, exceptional wave selection and the ability to perform in everything from down-the-line waves to challenging onshore conditions, big surf or smaller waves. Her jumping has been progressing too, adding another weapon to an already very complete package.
And she has history at some important stops still ahead. Maria has already finished 2nd in Sylt and made a final at Maui, showing she can fight right at the front in very different conditions.
#3 MARINE HUNTER I Surfing technique, commitment and style.
Marine started her competition in the best possible way: winning the 5-Star Maui Pro at Ho’okipa.
Her surfing has that combination of flow, commitment and precise timming and power that makes her incredibly strong when the conditions turn on, and this year’s Maui final was another reminder of just how dangerous she can be on starboard tack.
But her results aren’t limited to one tack or one type of wave. Marine has already won both in Sylt and at Aloha in the past, two of the three 5-star stops still ahead this season. Not to mention, the Grand Final in Chile with some down the line port-tack conditions could fit her style also very well!
With that technique, style and ability to perform across very different conditions, Marine has some very interesting opportunities ahead to keep adding big results.
#4 SOL DEGRIECK I Progression, commitment and power.
Every event seems to bring another step forward for Sol.
The young Belgian keeps pushing her level higher, and Gran Canaria was another big statement. She won her semifinal in Pozo with a huge 17.88 before finishing 4th in the final, putting her jumping level right alongside some of the very best.
And it’s not only the results. Her commitment, power and progression from one event to the next are making her an increasingly serious presence at the top of the ranking.
She is already sitting 4th, and with three 5-stars still ahead, there is plenty of room for that progression to keep translating into points.
#5 SARAH-QUITA OFFRINGA | Power, commitment, technique, consistency and experience.
The reigning Wave World Champion only joined the tour in Gran Canaria, skipping the Maui Pro, but two events have already been enough to put her 5th in the World Ranking with a 2nd place in Pozo and a victory in Tenerife.
While the riders around her are already counting three results, Sarah-Quita has reached the top five with only two. That alone says a lot about how dangerous she will be as more events are added to the equation.
There isn't much left to say about Sarah-Quita that the sport doesn't already know. She is arguably the most complete windsurfer on the planet, not only in wave sailing but across multiple disciplines, with an unmatched ability to perform at the highest level.
What continues to set her apart is her mentality. She never settles, is constantly adding new moves to her repertoire and refining the ones she already has. Whether it's port tack, starboard tack, onshore, offshore, down-the-line, jumping or surfing, she always finds a way to be competitive.
And with Sylt, Aloha Classic and the Grand Final in Chile still to come, all events where she has already won or stood on the podium in the past, it would surprise absolutely no one to see Sarah-Quita fighting for yet another World Title by the end of the season.
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