Bundoran, Ireland, was the scene of some serious surfing talent last Saturday. The waves were pumping, and 18-year-old Maria Salgado made them her own. She stormed to victory at the Pro Junior event, which marked the third stop on the 2025 WSL European junior tour. This wasn’t just any win; it was her second of the season, and it shot her up to second in the overall women’s rankings. Salgado, already a national junior champion, is clearly one to watch.
The final heat was a true nail-biter, filled with top-tier performances. Salgado racked up an impressive 17.26 points. France’s Naia Monte gave her a run for her money, scoring 15.20 points. Spain’s Carla Morera de la Vall finished with 14.50, and Anais Blanchard, also from France, scored 13 points. Fellow competitor Lua Escudeiro just missed out on the final, landing in a respectable fifth place.
With three events now in the books, Maria Salgado holds 2350 points. That puts her just 100 points behind the current leader, Carla Morera de la Vall of Spain. Coming from Santa Cruz, Salgado is in an excellent position to challenge for the European junior title. A spot in the World Championship for her age group also seems well within reach. Looking at other notable names, Lua Escudeiro sits at eighth in the rankings, and Maria Dias is currently in 16th place.
The men’s competition also had its fair share of excitement. João Mendonça was a strong presence in the final, finishing third. He managed a solid 10.93 points against tough competition. The top spot went to Spain’s Dylan Donegan dos Santos, who scored an excellent 16 points. British surfer Lukas Skinner took second place with 14.16 points, while France’s Axel Dominguez rounded out the final in fourth, scoring 10.10 points.
This strong showing helped João Mendonça climb to second in the men’s rankings. He now has 1745 points, trailing Dylan Donegan dos Santos by 350 points. Further down the list, Francisco Ordonhas, the reigning European junior champion, holds sixth place. Tiago Stock, a national junior champion himself, is right behind him in seventh. Other talents making their mark include Matias Canhoto at 14th, Jaime Veselko at 16th, and Francisco Mittermayer, who finished seventh in this specific event and sits 20th overall.