El Cierzo Festival hace historia en su XII edición

The Cierzo Festival makes history in its 12th edition

May 26, 2025

Last weekend, La Loteta became the epicenter of national kitesurfing with the Cierzo Festival. The competition, which took place from Friday (practice) to Sunday, brought together riders from all over Spain to compete in four disciplines: freestyle, twintip race, wingfoil, and kitefoil.

This year, the spotlight was on the little ones from early Saturday morning, some as young as 8! Like young Álvaro of @threebrotherwater, who performed his first major competitive maneuvers. Riders from Galicia (this one not so young), Andalusia, the Balearic Islands, Alicante, and Catalonia demonstrated the talent and future of this sport. The results of the Cierzo Festival 2025 have provided a snapshot of the diversity and potential of Spanish kitesurfing, especially among the new generations who are already making a strong impact in all four disciplines.

In the children's freestyle category, youngster Charlie Montans, from Andalusia and with a lot of training experience on Isla Canela, which we see on his Instagram, emerged as a promising competitor after dominating with ease. He was followed by Teo Sarquella, who demonstrated surprising technical maturity, and Lluc Funollet, also from Catalonia, who completed a high-level podium.

In the junior division, Aragón made its mark. Hugo Renedo took gold with an outstanding performance, closely followed by Oskar Argudo and Endika Mezo, in a category that reflected the excellent training work of local clubs and schools.

Cristina Cordero, representing Andalusia, dominated the senior women's freestyle competition, standing out for both her style and her courageous maneuvers. Second and third places on the podium went to Mila Gonçalves, from Castile and León, and Paula Serra, from the Balearic Islands, respectively, both with solid performances in challenging wind conditions.

In the senior men's freestyle competition, Galician Patxi Fernández took the win, showcasing refined technique and experience. Aragonese Pedro Serrano took silver on home soil, while his regional teammate Abel Martínez secured a well-deserved bronze. In a category where experience and knowledge of the north wind made the difference, Jorge Cebrian came in fourth, making it clear that unhooked is his thing, and that if he had been given four more knots, he would have landed some of those seemingly impossible tricks.

In the twintip races, the junior competition once again saw Charlie Montans take center stage, earning his second gold of the weekend. Denis Arias from the Balearic Islands took silver, while Oskar Argudo, repeating his podium finish, rounded out the winning trio.

In the senior twin-tip category, local Frenchman Patrick Saury used his knowledge of the reservoir to win. He was followed by the tireless Patxi Fernández, who secured his second medal, and Alessandro Gianinni, an Andalusian who knew how to adapt well to the changing winds.

Finally, in the wingfoil event, Basque Hodei Mendive shone with a solid performance, taking first place. Aragonese Miguel Nicolás finished second in a race that remained exciting until the very end, while Charlie Montans, in his third podium finish, confirmed his enormous versatility with a bronze medal, rounding out his recognition as one of the festival's leading names.

On Sunday, the wind was unfavorable, and the kite foil competition couldn't take place. However, the riders were able to enjoy a day of relaxation and fellowship.

The Cierzo Festival was a resounding success, both for the level of riders and the atmosphere. The awards ceremony was very emotional, with special emphasis on the young riders. The party continued until the early hours of the morning, with music and dancing at the venue.

Without a doubt, the Cierzo Festival has left its mark on La Loteta and promises to become a must-attend event for kitesurfing enthusiasts.

Cierzo Festival 2025 Rankings:

Children's Freestyle:

🥇 Charlie Montans (Andalusia)

🥈 Teo Sarquella (Catalonia)

🥉 Lluc Funollet (Catalonia)

4th Rita Pons (Catalonia)

Junior Freestyle:

🥇 Hugo Renedo (Aragon)

🥈 Oskar Argudo (Aragon)

🥉 Endika Mezo (Aragon)

4th Denis Arias

Senior Women's Freestyle:

🥇 Cristina Cordero (Andalusia)

🥈 Mila Gonçalves (Castile and León)

🥉 Paula Serra (Balearic Islands)

Freestyle Senior Oldschool Men:

🥇 Patxi Fernández (Galicia)

🥈 Pedro Serrano (Aragon)

🥉 Abel Martínez (Aragón)

4th Jorge Cebrián (Aragon)

TwinTip Race Junior:

🥇 Charlie Montans (Andalusia)

🥈 Denis Arias (Balearic Islands)

🥉 Oskar Argudo (Aragon)

TwinTip Race Senior:

🥇 Patrick Saury (Aragon)

🥈 Patxi Fernández (Galicia)

🥉 Alessandro Gianinni (Andalusia)

WingFoil Race:

🥇 Hodei Mendive (Basque Country)

🥈 Miguel Nicolás (Aragon)

🥉 Charlie Montans (Andalusia)

4th Alex Jurado "Drop the bar" myself ;-)

THANK YOU TO ALL THE RIDERS!

It's been a true pleasure to have you at this 12th edition of the Cierzo Festival. Thank you for your efforts, your passion, and for filling La Loteta with good vibes.

Regarding my performance, as always, this year I was surprised when I arrived at the last leg (exhausted after 2 hours straight) and came out onto land, I found the best reward I could have: Elena (my wife) was waiting for me as a surprise. What more could I ask for on such an emotional day?

We hope to see you again next time... and stay tuned because we'll be holding Big Air when the wind forecast promises an epic weekend. Stay tuned for our news and social media updates.

https://www.instagram.com/ck.la.loteta/

https://www.instagram.com/lalotetacierzofestival/

https://www.instagram.com/sueltalabarra/

A special mention to the organizers of this edition, Patric, Abel, and the tireless Jorge. I'm sure there are many more behind it. From here, my utmost respect for your dedication.