Suárez, Gunning Crowned Spanish Surfing Champions in Arona

Melania Suárez from Tenerife and Sean Gunning from Cantabria have been crowned the new national surfing champions after an exciting day of competition in Arona. The Tenerife PRO Spanish Championship, along with the Surfing.es PRO and Iberdrola PRO leagues, held their final rounds for both men and women. Because of a lack of waves at Las Palmeras, the event moved to Fitenia, where top national surfers found perfect conditions to show off their skills.

In the women's competition, Suárez (14.67 points) dominated every heat from start to finish. The Tenerife surfer won a strong final against Daniela Boldini (11.93), a local favorite and multiple champion in Las Américas; Lucía Machado (11.07), who was defending her national title; and Basque surfer Silke Martínez (7.36).

“What can I say? I’m so happy and content to compete in the final with three friends, with my mother and friends watching me on the beach. I’m just super happy,” said the new Spanish champion shortly after her win.

In the men's category, Sean Gunning (12.86 points) redeemed himself after finishing second in the previous edition. He claimed the title by showing an incredibly high level of surfing in all his heats. He scored the championship's best wave (9.87 points) in the quarterfinals. In the final, he beat current champion Andy Criere, who placed second (11.50); Yago Domínguez, who came third (8.93); and Kalani Da Silva, who finished fourth (8.50).

The Cantabrian surfer came to Las Américas seeking revenge and leaves as the Spanish champion, having won every one of his heats over the two days of competition. “Last year, things just happened, and I finished second. I came back this year with the same drive, and I’m super happy to have won – it’s incredible,” Gunning explained.

The Spring Surfest Las Américas Pro continues today with the Junior Regional Championship, weather permitting. Also, a beach cleanup is scheduled for the weekend. Tomorrow, Spring Hotels will host the Spring Night, featuring performances by Los Salvapantallas and other artists.

Román Díez, president of the Spanish Surfing Federation, expressed his satisfaction with how the Tenerife Pro Spanish Surf Open Championship 2025 unfolded. “It has been a resounding success, thanks to the combined efforts of both the Spanish Surfing Federation staff and the event's organizing team,” he said.