Natxo Gonzalez and Pierre-Louis Costes have taken out the 7th edition of the 2022 Billabong Quemao Class in Lanzarote, Canary Islands.
The adrenaline-fueled invitational ran in firing conditions, with the infamous Spanish reef break providing spectacular barrels.
The prestigious surfing and bodyboarding event is held at El Quemao every year in memory of David "El Fula" Fuentes, who lost his life riding these world-class waves.
The surfing final saw Natxo González, Jonathan González, Luis Díaz, and Gearoid McDaid battling for glory in a super exciting heat.
In the end, the Basque surfer prevailed and claimed the contest for the second consecutive year with two spectacular waves of 9.27 and 8.83 points.
"This is a special event, and it never disappoints," the 2022 Quemao Class champion expressed.
"It was a nerve-racking final. I started with two good waves but left the door open until the end."
"Both Luis and Jonathan were in striking distance with bombs coming through until the end."
"The last couple of minutes felt like an hour. But, in the end, things went my way, and I'm so grateful. Everyone who knows me knows that this is a special place for me."
"On the first day of competition, I was nervous, this sort of nervousness that I always have at El Quemao and that just doesn't go away."
"It was a heavy day with solid bombs, but there were also a couple of waves that could have had serious consequences."
Costes Prevails
The bodyboarding final pitted Frenchmen Pierre-Louis Costes and Amaury Lavernhe against Ruyman Rey and Aitor Ojeda, both from Fuerteventura.
The clash ended with Pierre-Louis Costes finishing in first place thanks to two impressive waves of 9.67 and 8.20 points out of 10.
"It is one of the events I most wanted to win. I come to Lanzarote every winter for its waves, and I end up very happy," added Costes.
"It is one of the best waves in the world."
The event continues to put Lanzarote in the epicenter of the tube-riding world.
"Sports like surfing and bodyboarding add value to the landscape, the sea, and the weather conditions we enjoy, which reinforces the image of Lanzarote as a tourist and sports destination," underlined Héctor Fernández, CEO of Turismo Lanzarote.
After two days full of action, sport, and sun on the coast of La Santa, Tinajo, it's clear that El Quemao has the potential to become a must-surf venue in the professional surfing and bodyboarding calendars.
2022 Billabong Quemao Class | Finals
Surfing
1. Natxo Gonzalez
2. Jonathan González
3. Luis Diaz
4. Gearoid McDaid
Bodyboarding
1. Pierre-Louis Costes
2. Amaury Lavernhe
3. Ruymán Rey
4. Aitor Ojeda