Longboard Thriller at the EuroSurf in Portugal

At the beach of Santa Cruz in Portugal, Europe’s surfing nations gathered for the EuroSurf 2025 – an event that could hardly be more dramatic. Over 200 athletes from more than 15 countries – including newcomers Latvia and Turkey – competed in shortboard and longboard disciplines, both male and female. While the shortboarders enjoyed nearly perfect conditions, the longboarders faced a true thriller: steep, fast waves and powerful closeouts demanded top-level technique and tactics.
In this challenging setting, Spain’s Nicolás Garcia Andrade snatched the men’s longboard title in the very last seconds, pushing long-time heat leader Federico Nesti from Italy into second place. Among the women, it was young Danish surfer Thilde Sophie Rasmussen who dominated, ahead of Julietta Rodriguez-Villamil from Spain.
In the shortboard division, Ireland’s Geroid “Gman” McDaid claimed the men’s title, with Tim Elter from Germany taking silver and Spain’s Luis Díaz earning bronze. On the women’s side, Mafalda Lopes from Portugal took the win, followed by Ariane Ochoa (Spain) in second and Maria Salgado (Portugal) in third.
The team title deservedly went to Spain.

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Our Focus on Longboarding

Every two years, the European surf elite meets at the beach of Santa Cruz in Portugal. Each country is represented by six shortboard athletes – three men and three women – and just two longboarders. The team composition makes it immediately clear where the main focus of this event lies.
Longboarding is part of the European Championships, yes – but in terms of numbers, it remains in the shadow of the shortboard.
The fast-breaking beach break of Santa Cruz suits the shortboarders well – but for longboarders, it’s a tough battlefield. Steep, fast peaks, heavy sections, solid closeouts – trying to glide through that with elegance and control, nailing clean noserides or maintaining a flow across the face in just 20 minutes is a serious challenge.
You need technical finesse, sure – but also nerves of steel, smart positioning, and the ability to pack maximum style and substance into just a few good waves.
Many loggers who had shined in training clearly struggled under competition pressure. Thankfully, like at the ISA WLC, there’s a second chance through the repechage system.
But one thing is clear: Santa Cruz won’t be climbing to the top of most longboarders’ dream wave list any time soon.

Still, after two thrilling finals, the new European champions were crowned.
In the men’s division, Nicolás Garcia Andrade (Spain) turned the tide in the very last seconds. Two minutes after the horn, the announcer gave his final score: 7.33 – just enough to snatch the lead from Italy’s Federico Nesti, who had dominated most of the heat. A tough loss for the Italian team, who had almost secured the title.
Bronze went to the Netherlands’ Douwe Robroch – a solid ride, but lacking a strong backup score.
Ireland’s Tom Breen, who had shown some of the most stylish hang tens of the entire event, was penalized for an interference and finished fourth. Harsh – but that’s surfing.

Among the women, Thilde Sophie Rasmussen was untouchable. The young Dane surfed with great tactical awareness, controlled the lineup, and deservedly claimed the title. Her main rival, Julietta Rodriguez-Villamil (Spain), managed some strong scores but couldn’t overtake Thilde.
Ruby Knox from Ireland earned third place with a consistent performance throughout the event.
Raquel Bento (Portugal), unfortunately, couldn’t find her rhythm in the final and – to top it off – broke her board during the heat. Hers was one of at least three longboards snapped during the event. The Santa Cruz shorebreak takes no prisoners. She had to settle for fourth place this time.

After the Euros, it was reset time for many – head up, re-focus – because just an eight-hour drive away, the next highlight was already waiting: the third stop of the European Longboard Tour (ETL) in Salinas, northern Spain. Read more about it in “A month of of European Longboarding Part 2- Salinas Longboard Festival”