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The GWA Wingfoil World Cup in Gran Canaria met the GWA team and riders with strong winds that allowed for three different disciplines to be run over the course of six consecutive days. The week began with the FreeFly-Slalom discipline, followed by the new Big Air discipline, and culminated with the Surf-Freestyle on the final day.

In the FreeFly-Slalom discipline, 15 eliminations were completed for the women and seven for the men. The unstoppable Titouan Galea (FRA) and Nia Suardiaz (ESP) emerged as the winners of the FreeFly-Slalom discipline.

There couldn’t have been a better place and conditions to introduce the brand new Big Air discipline than the iconic windsurf spot, Pozo Izquierdo. This spot provided perfect kickers for the riders to jump high and showcase what wingfoil Big Air is all about. Julien Rattotti (FRA) and Mar de Arce Sánchez (ESP) were crowned as the very first GWA Wingfoil Big Air World Champions.

Alongside the Big Air & Surf-Freestyle competitions, the Red Bull Rockets Awards were given to the highest jump measured by the Surfr App. The Wingfoil Big Air World Champion – Rattotti (FRA), also received the Red Bull Rockets Award for the highest jump across the entire competition, with a leap of 11.2 meters made in the Big Air final. Suardiaz (ESP) also won an award for her jump of 6.3 meters in the Big Air competition.

However, the best was saved for last in the Surf-Freestyle event. The showdown between the two teenage wingfoil prodigies, Axel Gerard (FRA) and Christopher MacDonald (USA), was a mouthwatering final, with American MacDonald coming out on top. On the women’s side, the teenager Nia Suardiaz emerged victorious against Oran Ceris (FRA), securing two podiums at this event.

Read the full report here.

Men’s Surf-Freestyle

1st Christopher MacDonald

2nd Axel Gerard

3rd Alan Fedit

Women’s Surf-Freestyle

1st Nia Suardiaz
2nd Orane Ceris
3rd Bowien van der Linden

Men’s Big Air World Champions

1st Julien Rattotti
2nd Benjamin May
3rd Titouan Galea

Women’s Big Air World Champions

1st Mar de Arce Sánchez
2nd Nia Suardiaz
3rd Agata Blach

Men’s FreeFly-Slalom

1st Titouan Galea
2nd Francesco Cappuzzo
3rd Alan Fedit

Women’s Surf-Freestyle

1st Nia Suardiaz
2nd Flora Artzner
3rd Orane Ceris

Red Bull Rockets Highest Jump Men’s & Women’s

Julien Rattotti – 11.2m
Nia Suardiaz – 6.3m

The tour now moves to neighbouring Fuerteventura for another round of Surf-Freestyle and FreeFly-Slalom disciplines. It will be the first time for the tour on this island, so make sure you tune in for the live stream from 21 to 26 July. Click here to find out more!

Words: Ian MacKinnon & Photos: Lukas K Stiller

Tue 18th Jul, 2023 @ 9:30 pm

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