The Danish West Coast will once again set the stage for a major international sporting event as windsurfing athletes from around the world gather in Hvide Sande in 2024 to compete for the world championship in slalom.
The North Sea and Ringkøbing Fjord are attracting the world’s best surfers to compete in Denmark again. The 2024 IFCA Slalom World Championship Grand Slam is set to take place in Hvide Sande in September next year. A delighted project leader from the local organizer WATERZ, Katrine Kock Frandsen, shares:
- We are incredibly proud to bring such a major international surf competition to Hvide Sande. It demonstrates what we can achieve when we work together to establish the West Coast as one of the world’s best surfing spots. It’s the first time in 15-20 years that the world championship will determine eight titles so that it will be extensive, and we are very excited, said Katrine Kock Frandsen.
Longstanding Partnership
WATERZ, supported by Sport Event Denmark, Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality, and Esmark Holiday Home Rentals, has been awarded the 2024 IFCA Slalom World Championship Grand Slam. Between 350 and 450 participants from about 25 countries are expected to join the competition, which has previously been staged countries such as Italy, France, and Greece.
The World Championship will be staged with the annual WATERZ festival in Hvide Sande, which also features a mass-participation event where elite athletes and amateur surfers compete.
- We have a longstanding partnership with WATERZ in Hvide Sande. The concept of a water sports festival with various activities, including an international championship, fits perfectly with our desire to unite people around a passion for sport and major sporting moments, said Lars Lundov, CEO of Sport Event Denmark.
Hvide Sande on the Surfers’ World Map
Hvide Sande has hosted major surfing competitions before. Recent years have seen the European Championship in SUP and the GWA Wing Foil World Cup, and these events have had a positive impact on the local area, said the mayor of Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality, Hans Østergaard:
- It means a lot to our area that we are hosting a major international water sports competition again, thanks to WATERZ’s thorough work over several years and continued support from Sport Event Denmark. It’s something we can be proud of, and it allows us to showcase our unique natural area to water sports tourists and people considering moving here, said Hans Østergaard.
About the 2024 IFCA Slalom World Championship Grand Slam
- The competition will take place from September 7-14 in Hvide Sande
- Expected number of participants: 350-450
- Expected number of nations: 25
- Discipline: Slalom
- Eight titles: Youth, Junior, Senior, and Master for both men and women
