Maciek Rutkowski has finished the PWA Slalom X season on the podium. The EASY-surfshop rider secured third place at the Fuerteventura PWA Grand Slam, which also decided the final World Tour standings. Only Matteo Iachino and Pierre Mortefon finished ahead of the Polish rider.
A Remarkable Comeback in Fuerteventura
This year's competition in Fuerteventura did not begin as Maciek had hoped. After finishing ninth, sixteenth and twenty-fifth in the opening eliminations, his position in the overall ranking became increasingly difficult, and a place on the podium seemed to be slipping away.
Maciek refused to give up. On the third day of racing, he won the fifth elimination before adding second and third place finishes. In the space of a single day, he climbed from twelfth to third overall and put himself firmly back into medal contention.
The following races brought even more dramatic changes. After an early start in the eighth elimination, Maciek once again found himself under pressure. He responded in the best possible way by winning the next race. Going into the final day, he remained in third place, although the points separating the riders fighting for the podium were extremely close.
A Podium Place Fought for Until the End
The final day was far from a straightforward exercise in protecting the result. During the tenth elimination, Maciek suffered a heavy crash before the final buoy. However, he quickly got back on his board and managed to progress to the next round. Fourth and sixth place finishes in the final two eliminations were enough for him to defend third position and complete the event on the podium.
Maciek ultimately finished 2.6 points ahead of fourth-placed Amado Vrieswijk. Matteo Iachino claimed the Slalom X world title, with Pierre Mortefon taking second place.
Some of the Toughest Conditions of the Season
The riders raced in the extreme conditions for which Sotavento is well known. The wind regularly exceeded 40 knots, with gusts of more than 50 knots recorded during the most demanding day of the competition.
Large waves, short chop and highly technical courses, including the famous „Downwind of Death" format, meant that even finishing a race required complete concentration.
In conditions like these, speed alone is not enough. Experience, mental strength and the ability to recover after mistakes are equally important. Maciek showed all of these qualities, turning a very difficult start to the event into a place on the World Tour podium.
Huge congratulations, Maciek. We are proud to have you as part of the EASY-surfshop team.
