PERRANPORTH surfer Lukas Skinner was denied a historic third successive Boardmasters Open title on Thursday.

Skinner led the final early but Sam Piter from France overtook him in the final minutes of the Boardmasters YETI Pro QS 4,000 after busting out an air in the small, tricky summer conditions of around one to two feet.

Sam Piter from France won the Boardmasters Open title (Picture: Micheal Prior)
Sam Piter from France won the Boardmasters Open title (Picture: Micheal Prior)

Janire Gonzalez Etxabarri from the Basque Country, a region in Spain, won a strategic, heavy priority battle against Clemence Schorsch from France to claim her first title at Boardmasters.

Janire has gone one better this year after finishing in the runner-up spot at the 2025 Boardmasters. She was defeated by her sister Annette Gonzalez Etxabarri in a historic one-two finish for the family. Annette missed the 2026 Boardmasters event while recovering from an injury.

Lukas Skinner busted out some radical turns despite the small surf (Picture: Micheal Prior)
Lukas Skinner busted out some radical turns despite the small surf (Picture: Micheal Prior)

Organisers were keen to get through the men’s and women’s shortboard events in the first two days due to the dwindling swell forecast.