Algarve surfer Yolanda Hopkins has secured the European surfing title with one stage still to go after winning the Moroccan QS3000 in Taghazout Bay, the first of the 2023 Qualifying Series (QS).
Yolanda Hopkins also guaranteed qualification for the 2023 Challenger Series circuit, where spots for the 2024 World Surf League circuit will be at stake.
On Sunday, the last day of the competition, Portugal had three surfers among the four finalists. In the first heat of the day, Carolina Mendes was defeated by the French Pauline Ado.
On the other hand, Yolanda Hopkins imposed herself in the next heat over fellow Portuguese surfer Kika Veselko, who finished third.
In the very balanced final, Hopkins beat Pauline Ado by only 0.07 points – 13.40 against 13.33 – thanks to the 7.0 points that she received in one of the last waves, sealing the 10th consecutive Portuguese victory in the European QS circuit.
Yolanda Hopkins had already won the QS3000 of Anglet, in France in 2022, and the QS1000 of Newquay, in the United Kingdom, which guaranteed her the European title in advance when there is still the QS1000 of Costa da Caparica to be held.
The Portuguese surfer, who follows in the footsteps of another Portuguese surfer Teresa Bonvalot, is now more than 3,000 points ahead of Pauline Ado. Kika Veseko remains in third place and Carolina Mendes rose from fifth to fourth.
