The Pantin Pro, a prestigious stop on the World Surfing Championship Tour, was held Saturday in Galicia, Spain, drawing top surfers from across Europe and Israel.
Israel sent its strongest delegation yet, with four surfers — Anat Lelior, Ido Hajaj, Itay Bochan and Uri Uziel — advancing through multiple rounds in rough conditions that included strong winds, rain and waves reaching up to three meters.
All four reached the quarterfinals, but only Lelior and Hajaj advanced to the semifinals and then the finals — marking the first time an Israeli man and woman have reached the finals of the same event in their respective categories. The results set new milestones: Hajaj achieved the highest finish ever for an Israeli male surfer, while Lelior claimed her second career win on the European Tour, both a personal record and a national achievement.
In the men’s final, Hajaj opened strong with a score of 6.77 and later added a 6.17 to take the lead. In the final moments, Portuguese surfer Vasco Ribeiro was awarded a high-scoring wave that moved him into first place. Hajaj then caught one last wave, attempting a maximum-risk maneuver. Judges deliberated for more than five minutes before awarding him a 5.2 — just short of the 5.43 needed to win. The call, broadcast live, sparked controversy and is expected to remain a topic of debate.
Despite the narrow loss, Hajaj’s runner-up finish is a historic result for Israeli men’s surfing.
In the women’s final, Lelior left no doubt. Within the first five minutes she posted two high scores and maintained her lead, then sealed victory with a 7.5 at the 15-minute mark, leaving her rivals to battle only for second place.
Carried from the water on the shoulders of her Israeli teammates, Lelior was taken straight to the podium without touching the sand — a traditional ritual for winners in professional surfing.