Portuguese riders shine on opening day of the Pro division at the ArcelorMittal Wahine Bodyboarding Pro
Serra (ES), Brazil — September 14, 2025. The ArcelorMittal Wahine Bodyboarding Pro 2025, presented by Extrabom, kicked off the Professional Women’s division this Sunday (14) at Solemar Beach, Jacaraípe (Serra, Espírito Santo). The final women’s stop of the IBC World Tour completed the first two Pro rounds, along with the Pro Junior and Master repechage heats. Competition runs through Saturday, September 21, when the season’s world champions in these three divisions will be decided. Action resumes Monday (15) from 9:00 a.m. with more Pro and Master heats.
Portugal owned day one of the Pro division. Teresa Padrela posted the day’s highest heat total, 17.00 points, on a pair of 8.50 rides, showcasing high-performance surfing in Jacaraípe. Luana Dourado, the 2024 Pro Junior runner-up, logged the second-best total, 15.15 points, also displaying sharp form. Both athletes return to the water on Monday. Portugal fields 11 athletes at Wahine this year.
“I’m very happy. The ocean conditions are really good and we have bodyboarding to show. Wahine means inspiration to me, and today was a day of joy,” said Teresa Padrela.
Top seeds hit the water on Monday
The ArcelorMittal Wahine Bodyboarding Pro 2025 features athletes from 10 countries: Brazil, Austria, Chile, Spain, the United States, France, Japan, Morocco, Peru, and Portugal. Total prize purse: USD 45,000 (R$ 240 mil).
Day two of the Pro division brings the favorites: the IBC World No. 1 Namika Yamashita (Japan) and No. 2 Alexandra Rinder (Austria), along with World No. 4 Joana Schenker (Portugal).
Brazil’s charge includes five-time world champion Neymara Carvalho (World No. 5), reigning world champion Maíra Viana (No. 11), Maylla Venturin (No. 7), Bianca Simões (No. 8), and rising talent Luna Hardman (No. 21).
In Master Women, Claudia Ferrari—the inaugural Women’s World Tour champion in 1995, a Hawaii resident since the 1990s—made a winning Wahine debut on Sunday, advancing with 7.15 points. “Wahine is the best contest in the world. I’ve done many, but this one is the raddest. Being here is amazing,” she said.
First champions crowned in the PWD program
The weekend also crowned the first champions in Wahine’s PWD (Persons with Disabilities) program, an exclusive feature of the event (not counting toward World Tour points). Carla Cunha celebrated a third title in the Amputee division, while Renata Bazone (Visually Impaired) and Tiana Viana (Mastectomy Survivors) each claimed back-to-back titles.
Community actions
Beyond competition, Wahine hosted free activities at the Kids Area, a hit with local children and families. The event also welcomed the Lei Maria da Penha Itinerant Court “Pink Bus,” an initiative of the Espírito Santo State Court that supports women facing domestic and family violence.
About the event
Created in 2021 by five-time world champion Neymara Carvalho, the ArcelorMittal Wahine Bodyboarding Pro honors the Hawaiian word “Wahine” (“woman”), celebrating a deep connection with the Indigenous peoples of the Hawaiian Islands—where Neymara won one of the most hotly contested World Tour events at Pipeline (2006 and 2011).
The Women’s World Tour has four stops—Agadir (Morocco), Iquique (Chile), Sintra (Portugal), and Wahine (Brazil)—and distributes USD 220,000 across the season.
The 2025 Wahine is presented by Extrabom, with ArcelorMittal as title sponsor; master sponsorship from the Government of Espírito Santo (LIEC); sponsorship from EDP Brasil; support from Grupo Coroa, Jaklayne Joias, and Prefeitura de Serra; and is organized by INC (Instituto Neymara Carvalho) and IBC (International Bodyboarding Corporation), with sanctioning by the Confederação Brasileira de Bodyboarding.
Daily Program — Sunday, September 14 (Jacaraípe Beach)
- Check-in: 8:30 a.m. · Start: 9:00 a.m.
- Women: 9:00 a.m. Round 1 · 10:40 a.m. Round 2
- Master Women: 12:20 p.m. Repechage
- Junior Women: 2:20 p.m. Repechage
Schedule subject to change. Do not leave the event site without confirmation.
#IBCWorldTour #WahinePro2025 #Bodyboarding #Jacaraipe #WomenInSports
Stay tuned as the world’s best women bodyboarders hit the waves to open this historic final stage of the IBC World Tour 2025.
🙏 Special thanks to our partners:
Official Sponsor: ArcelorMittal @arcelormittaltubarao
Presented by: Extrabom
Supporters: EDP, Coroa, Jaklayne, Prefeitura Municipal da Serra
Organizer: Instituto Neymara Carvalho & IBC World Tour
Collaboration: CBrasB
➡️ Don’t miss a moment of this celebration of women’s bodyboarding, empowerment, and ocean culture!
#WahineBodyboardingPro #IBCWorldTour2025 #Bodyboarding #Jacaraipe #Brazil