OCTOBER TO MARCH

October in Western Australia. Federico Infantino points the car north, leaves Margaret River behind, and drives into the desert chasing dry-reef perfection. He has been making this trip for years. This year, the swell of the season was lining up to land on his first full day up north.

Federico arrived Monday around midday and set up camp. A sunset warm-up in medium waves; nothing dramatic, just a feel of what was building offshore.

“I knew the next day would be a completely different story,” says Federico.

He was right. That same Monday, Margaret River saw the biggest swell of 2025 land on its reefs. Federico and the crew had already made it up north, positioned and waiting.

He skipped the surf in the morning to save energy. Sailed out around 2pm as the swell started to build, and stayed in the water until 6pm with one short break. Sets were too big for airs; the day called for long down-the-line rides, heavy bottom turns, and fast escapes from the lip. Scott McKercher and Simon Peterson made the two-day mission up just to score it. The conditions held into sunset.

The reef extracted its price. Federico took two heavy wipeouts; one of them probably the biggest he has ever had out there. The gear came back intact.

Small sail, board-led

What ties this season together isn’t the highlight reel. It’s how Federico has been refining his approach.

“I like to use small sails even in very light wind,” says Federico. “I’m aiming to bring a more surf-style approach into my windsurfing, taking inspiration from Jaeger Stone, Levi Siver, and Keith Teboul.”

The logic is straightforward. Smaller sail, less power to manage, more attention on the board and the wave. His go-to is the S-1 Pro 4.4. It gives him enough drive on the wave before the bottom turn so he can carry speed into the cutback. He often lays the sail down close to the water through a turn.

“You can really neutralize the sail, and at that point it’s all about the board, just like surfing.”

That’s the lens for the rest of the season.

November to March

Margaret River started strong after the desert trip. November delivered clean offshore winds and quality waves. January was patchier; plenty of wind, but often too strong, leaving the faces choppy. February and March kept producing solid sessions.

The light, side-off days are where the surf-style approach pays off. You spend time in the lineup waiting for sets to roll through. The board has to plane easily and drive through long lulls. The Stone fits that brief.

“The boards give you incredible drive and plane very easily,” Federico says. “That’s essential for my sessions in Margaret River, especially in light, side-off winds where you spend time waiting in the lineup. It becomes pure wave riding.”

Late sunset sessions through the season produced some of the cleanest conditions and best colour, even when the daytime wind didn’t cooperate.

The contest

The 2026 Margaret River Wave Classic delivered good conditions. Federico made it through to the quarterfinals feeling confident and mentally locked in. He committed to a big aerial on one of the largest sets of the heat. It didn’t come together, and that was the heat.

“I ‘eliminated myself’ due to poor wave selection,” Federico admits. He pushed for the move that fit how he wanted to ride; it didn’t pay off this time.

Outside of the heat, the event ran well; international riders came through Western Australia, the sessions before and after the contest were good, and Federico’s Unleash Media House produced strong content out of Western Australia.

The gear

Federico rides the Stone 74 and Stone 80; quad on small to medium days, thruster when it gets bigger. The boards were co-developed with Jaeger Stone, which closes the loop on Federico’s surf-style references. The S-1 Pro 4.4 has been his sail for the season.

“The 2026 sail has been amazing,” Federico says. “After a full season of testing, I’m already looking forward to what’s coming next with the 027 gear.”

The road ahead

The work with Unleash Media House continues to produce content out of Western Australia for team SEVERNE and many others. Away from the water, Federico runs Unleash Adventure and handles marketing for Gath Sports.

Testing for 027 is already underway. A full season of refinement behind him; the next one already starting.

Federico rides the Stone 74 and Stone 80, S-1 Pro 4.4, with a quad fin setup on small-to-medium days and a thruster setup when conditions size up.

Photos: Unleash Media House

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