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Taj Burrow claims victory at 2024 Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy
Taj Burrow today became the first ever three-time winner of the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy, beating Mikey February in the grand final to cap off three radical days of competition in the best waves the event has ever seen.
Burrow’s victory was hard fought. After finishing runner-up in all three divisions and surfing the maximum 10 heats, the 46-year-old Australian did his best to conserve energy on the final day. While being conservative with wave selection is counterintuitive behaviour for a surfer when the waves are four-foot and flawless, it was a wise call. Burrow’s six excellent wave scores on the final day proved that while he may have sacrificed quantity, the quality of his waves didn’t suffer in the least.
Grey skies greeted competitors as they made their way out to the Sultans lineup this morning, but as an early tropical downpour dissipated it left a silky-smooth ocean in its wake. Slack winds and non-stop waves were the perfect recipe for the twin fin division to get underway, and Jeremy Flores came out all guns blazing. Unimpressed with his performances on the opening two days, and with no chance of winning overall, Flores was surfing for pride alone, but that was plenty. An 8.33 and a 7.17, both for beautifully ridden tubes, were warning shots to the field, and enough for a comfortable victory over Burrow and local wildcard Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil.
The second heat saw more fireworks from another passion-fuelled surfer, Jadson Andre. Going upside down on his backhand, as he has all event, Andre locked in an 8.33 and a 7.83 to move on to the next round in first. Mikey February advanced in second, while a valiant but fatigued Carissa Moore was eliminated.
After his strong opening round performance Flores stepped up further in the semi-finals against February, whose pair of sixes were no match for Flores’ 8.67 and 9.10. By now the tide was optimal, conditions had clicked, and the waves were impeccable. A 17.77 total for Flores saw him move on to the final with a head of steam after claiming the scalp of the most renowned twin fin artists in the game.
In the second semi, Andre, who needed to advance to the twin fin final to remain in contention for the overall final, had no answer to Burrow’s all out assault. Opening with an incredible 9.67 for a deep tube complete with wild foamball ride, the West Australian was never headed. As he has all week Andre stayed busy catching waves the length of the point, whether banging out big backhand blasts at the top peak, or sneaking off to hunt tubes further down the line.
While Andre’s two final waves were his highest scorers it was Burrow who had the last laugh with the event’s first perfect 10 coming in the dying minutes, thrown unanimously by the judging panel for a deep disappearing act.
“It was a really fast, perfect cylinder,” said Burrow. “I knew it was a good one because there were some foamball moments in there, then it let me out and I did a nice roundhouse cutback. The whole week has been a blur of tubes but that felt like a 10 for sure.”
Burrow’s near-perfect 19.67-out-of-20 total saw his MR x Mayhem California Twin Pin take him to his third final for the week.
A battle between two of the WSL Championship Tour’s greatest ever performers was always going to be a closely fought affair, no matter the surfboards being ridden. After five minutes Burrow sat with priority on his preferred corner of the reef, while Flores headed up the line to chase the bigger top peak. Somehow the next set delivered gems to both men, Flores the first to pull into a huge tube, exiting in time for Burrow to hear the crowd erupt as he paddled into a gem of his own.
“That was so fun!” said Burrow, of the back-to-back barrels that ensued. Flores earned a 9.67 for his bigger first pit, Burrow a 9.77 for his deeper tube behind. Like that, we had a final on our hands as the two surfers scoured every inch of the lineup looking for waves. In the end it was Flores who found a better second score, a 7.27 the reward for his last wave, a tight tube followed by a long wall that allowed him to unleash his arsenal of powerful open face carves and under the lip laybacks.
“It was crazy, it looked like the swell was dying then suddenly it turned on again,” said Flores. “I was a bit angry today, I’d been cruising at first, yesterday I was a bit bummed, but today I really wanted to win something. And I did! Still got it!”
With the twin fin division decided, the grand finalists were locked in. Burrow kept his rash vest on to surf his third straight 33-minute heat, and fourth for the day, while February had spent the previous hour relaxing in an airconditioned cabin on the Kuda Princess, the luxury yacht that has been the surfer’s locker room all week. While fatigue was starting to play a role, there was no way Burrow wanted to lose his rhythm. He opted against taking any form of break and rolled straight on to the title-deciding bout, merely pausing for a second to add a third small trailer to his twin fin set-up, given the grand final allows for any equipment to be used.
February remained atop his beloved Channel Islands twin fin, as another insane tube duel commenced. February caught seven waves to Burrow’s four, and both men had three excellent scores to their name at final’s end, but with a 9.10 and a 9.03 it was Burrow who led throughout. An 8.67 and a 9.10 ensued February was never far from first, and with a few minutes to go a storm loomed large on the horizon. Suddenly the wind turned stiff offshore, and even after a week of big barrels, suddenly they’d never seen wider.
Burrow’s final pit for the week was a gem, but an 8.00 was no help to him. He kicked out in the channel leaving February alone in the lineup chasing a 9.04. As the buzzer went February snuck into one last long wall. The crowd seemed to be paying little attention as the South African flew through section after section in the tube. Burrow was worried but he needn’t have been, as the resulting 8.17 fell short. Bottles began popping on the back of the Princess as Burrow’s 18.13 scoreline narrowly shaded February’s 17.77 two-wave total.
“I almost feel guilty for winning,” said Burrow afterwards. “Mikey was the best surfer here this week. He looks beautiful on any board but especially that twinny. His turns were looking so perfect, he was on point and ripping and I knew he was the one to beat.
“But I know how to surf a heat, and I knew how I could do it. I patiently sat on my spot, got a couple of drainers, did a few turns of my own. Even at the end I knew he could get me, and then the storm hit! The wind ripped in hard offshore, the waves were so groomed and I got maybe my roundest tube for the week. I thought I’d done enough at that point, then Mikey caught another wave on the buzzer, and was in the barrel for ages. I didn’t think it was the score, but you never know, and finally it was read out that’d I’d won.
“I was staring down the barrel of a bunch of seconds, and that led me to dig deep for the final. I was very tired and running on adrenaline, but I knew my formula and the ocean delivered. That might be one of the funnest finals I’ve ever surfed. I don’t know if I’ll ever wear a jersey again … unless I get invited back! I got so tubed, with friends, staying at the Four Seasons, there’s no way you can better that. The pinch-me moments have been non-stop all week.”
Twin Fin Division Results:
- Jeremy Flores (FRA) 1000pts
- Taj Burrow (AUS) 900pts
- Jadson Andre (BRA) equal with Mikey February (ZAF) 800pts
- Carissa Moore (HAW) equal with Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil (MDV) 700pts
2024 Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy Leaderboard:
- Taj Burrow (AUS) 2700pts
- Mikey February (ZAF) 2600pts
- Jadson Andre (BRA) 2500pts
- Jeremy Flores (FRA) 2500pts
- Carissa Moore (HAW) 2200pts
- Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil (MDV) 2200pts
The Maldives is set for an electrifying sporting spectacle as CROSSROADS Maldives welcomes the country’s first FIP Silver Women’s Padel tournament, taking place from 5–8 November 2026 at SAii Lagoon Maldives. Organised in collaboration Asia Padel Events, the event brings international sporting excellence to paradise, with professional competition, exclusive masterclasses, and exciting opportunities for the public to experience the game firsthand.
The tournament will feature 26 international professional players, including eight athletes ranked among the world’s Top 100. Headlining the competition are Spanish padel stars Nuria Rodriguez (World No. 24) and Marta Talavan (World No. 36), alongside an impressive line-up featuring Finland’s No. 1 player Martina Minetti, UK’s No. 3 Rosie Pooley, an Italian national champion, European champions, Malaysia’s No. 1 player, and national team representatives from multiple countries.
Beyond the championship, CROSSROADS Maldives is opening the courts to everyone. From 5–8 November, padel enthusiasts can train alongside Nuria Rodriguez and Marta Talavan through exclusive masterclasses, available at USD 450 per day or USD 1,200 for the four-day experience. The programme includes:
- Four hours of intensive training and matches daily, divided into two sessions.
- An exclusive dinner with the professionals on 5 November.
- Access to watch all FIP Silver Women’s Padel tournament matches.
For those seeking a personalised experience, exclusive training sessions with Finland’s No. 1 Martina Minetti and UK’s No. 3 Rosie Pooley will also be available from 2–4 November, offering one-on-one private coaching at USD 200 per hour, or an exciting one-hour matchplay session with two professionals at USD 400.
The tournament is open for everyone to watch, welcoming resort guests, Maldivian residents, expatriates, and visitors to witness world-class padel against the spectacular backdrop of the Indian Ocean. Masterclasses and private coaching sessions are likewise open to the public, with limited slots available.
As a multi-island lifestyle destination, CROSSROADS Maldives, home to SO/ Maldives, SAii Lagoon Maldives, Hard Rock Hotel Maldives, and The Marina at CROSSROADS, continues to elevate the island experience through international sporting events, entertainment, and lifestyle programming that connect travellers with the local community.
This November, the CROSSROADS Maldives isn’t just one destination. It’s centre court.
Event Details
2–4 November | Private Training & Matchplay:
- One-on-one training with international professionals: USD 200 per hour
- One-hour matchplay with two professionals: USD 400
5–8 November | Padel Masterclasses:
- Daily Pass: USD 450 per person
- Four-Day Pass: USD 1,200 per person
- Includes four hours of daily training and matches across two sessions, dinner with the professionals on 5 November, and access to watch tournament matches.
5–8 November | FIP Silver Women’s Padel Tournament (Open to spectators):
- 5 November: Round of 16
- 6 November: Quarterfinals
- 7 November: Semifinals
- 8 November: Championship Final
Venue: SAii Lagoon Maldives, CROSSROADS Maldives
Bookings & Enquiries: KoimalaandMaalimi@crossroadsmaldives.com
Masterclass packages exclude food and beverages beyond the stated dinner inclusion, accommodation, and transfers. Public access and participation are subject to event arrangements and availability.
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W Maldives welcomes Olympic badminton champion Wang Chi-Lin for exclusive coaching experience
This December, W Maldives is set to elevate the island getaway experience as two-time Olympic badminton gold medalist Wang Chi-Lin takes up residence at the luxury private island resort from December 1 to 3, 2026. During his stay, the badminton icon will host a complimentary one-hour badminton coaching session for resort guests, adding an exciting sporting dimension to a tropical escape in one of the world’s most sought-after destinations for families, groups of friends, and solo travellers.
A Taiwanese badminton player specialising in men’s and mixed doubles, Wang Chi-Lin is widely regarded as one of the sport’s biggest stars. He has earned global recognition through a remarkable career winning back-to-back Olympic gold medals in men’s doubles at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and the Paris 2024 Olympics. Known for his dynamic playing style and relentless determination, Wang continues to inspire a new generation of athletes and badminton enthusiasts around the world.
Located in the heart of North Ari Atoll and reached via a scenic 25-minute seaplane journey from Malé, W Maldives is a private island playground where luxury, adventure, and vibrant island living come naturally. Guests can discover the resort’s award-winning house reef teeming with marine life, savour bold dining concepts, and recharge with wellness experiences designed to inspire every sense. Every stay embodies W Maldives’ signature spirit of energy, freedom, and unexpected discovery.
From snorkelling vibrant coral reefs and encountering nurse sharks to sunset cruises and relaxing by the water, guests can experience the many sides of island living at W Maldives. For those seeking even greater seclusion, Gaathafushi, the resort’s private castaway island, provides the perfect setting for bespoke experiences and private dining amid untouched natural beauty.
As part of this collaboration, W Maldives is also unveiling a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity through Marriott Bonvoy Moments, where members can bid on an Exclusive Badminton Coaching Experience with Olympic Champion Wang Chi-Lin paired with a four-night stay in a Premier Overwater One-Bedroom Villa from December 2 to 6, 2026.
“We are always looking for unexpected ways to bring together passion, play, and meaningful experiences for our guests,” said Amila Handunwala, General Manager of W Maldives. “Welcoming Wang Chi-Lin to W Maldives adds an exciting new dimension to the guest experience. Whether you’re passionate about badminton or simply looking for something unexpected during your island escape, this is the kind of once-in-a-lifetime moment that perfectly captures the energy, adventure, and sense of discovery we love creating at W Maldives.”
Package for the bid winner and one guest includes:
- Four-night stay in a Premier Overwater One-Bedroom Villa
- Daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner with non-alcoholic beverages at select dining venues
- A private one-hour badminton coaching session with Olympic Champion Wang Chi-Lin on the paddle court
- An intimate sunset experience with drinks and canapés on Gaathafushi, W Maldives’ private castaway island
- One 60-minute signature treatment per person at AWAY® Spa
- Guided snorkelling at the resort’s award-winning house reef
- Shared roundtrip seaplane transfers from Velana International Airport
Members can now bid on this once-in-a-lifetime experience from now through November 14, 2026 through Marriott Bonvoy Moments. For more information, visit www.wmaldives.com or contact reservations.wmaldives@whotels.com.
Kandooma Maldives has introduced a new pickleball court, expanding its recreational facilities as the paddle sport continues to gain popularity worldwide.
Combining elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis, pickleball is a sport that is relatively easy to learn and suitable for players of different ages and abilities. The new facility allows guests to participate in singles or doubles matches, offering an additional recreational activity for families, couples and groups staying at the resort.
The pickleball court is open daily from 6am to 6pm, with paddles and balls available for guests to borrow from Reception.
Court reservations can be made through the resort’s Recreation or Front Office team. Each villa is entitled to one complimentary hour of court use per day.
The introduction of pickleball forms part of Kandooma Maldives’ efforts to expand its recreational offerings and provide guests with more opportunities to participate in sports and group activities during their stay.
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