French surfers Justine Dupont and Clement Roseyro drove across the border into Spain and swept the podium at the Northern Hemisphere’s first big-wave event of the season. The Punta Galea Challenge ran on Saturday, December 6, as a solid northwest swell delivered waves up to 18 feet. Organizers estimated that more than 20,000 spectators lined the cliffs to watch.
“I haven’t paddled much these last couple of years, but now I’m fired up to chase some paddle-in monsters around the world – let’s go,” Roseyro said after taking the win.
Dupont showed she remains one of the world’s elite chargers in her new era as a mother, having welcomed her first son in early 2024. She won the first all-women’s heat in the event’s history, earning €7,500 ($8,800 USD) for the victory. Spain’s Laura Coviella finished second, and Chile’s Domi Charrier placed third.
As is often the case with the last-minute nature of big-wave events, several big-name invitees couldn’t make it, like Grant “Twiggy” Baker, Ramon Navarro, Lucas Chianca, and Laura Enever. Even so, the lineup featured a strong Spanish contingent with surfers like Aritz Aranburu and Natxo Gonzalez. Two-time winner Nic Lamb (2014, 2017) also flew in to compete.
In the men’s final, Roseyro secured the €7,500 top prize, with Gonzalez finishing second and Aranburu third.
This year marked the first edition of the Punta Galea Challenge since 2019. The event offered a €30,000 ($35,000 USD) purse distributed evenly across the men’s and women’s divisions, featuring 24 men and six women.
