The GKA Big Air Kite World Cup 2023 season kicked off in Barcarès (FRA) from April 1st to 2nd. The event was 100% dedicated to the twin-tip Big Air discipline for a total of 24 men and 12 women from 13 different nations. The final offered challenging conditions for the riders and plenty of excitement for the spectators.

At the opening of the Lords of Tram GKA Big Air World Cup in Bacares (FRA) reigning world champion Mikaili Sol (USA)putting on an assured performance that saw her advance to the semi-finals in nuking conditions in the south of France. The 18-year-old multiple world title holder took no prisoners, throwing down massive mega-loops with back rolls as the wind headed towards 50 knots approaching the end of the day in Barcarès. But in a sign that the teenage prodigy may not get things all her own...

The first event of the GKA Twin-tip Big Air season is about to kick-off at the famous Lords of Tram event at Barcarès in southern France. Twenty-four men and 12 women are registered for the event, including most of the top names in Big Air kiteboarding, promising a spectacular show. The “green” light alert was given to the selected riders, telling them to get to Barcarès as the competition would begin at least three days later.The forecast strong Tramontana winds have shown up right on cue....

On Day 2 of the GKA Kite-Surf World Cup in Cape Verde, the battle for the title comes to a head. Reigning world champion James Carew was dumped from the GKA Kite-Surf World Cup on the second day of the contest on Cape Verde in epic waves. The Australian, who had been hoping to land a third successive title, lost the final round of the day by only a fraction of a point to Cape Verde-based legend, Airton Cozzolino. The victory of Cozzolino, an Italian who calls the island home, drew wild cheeri...

The legendary waves of Cape Verde were firing for the first clashes of the opening GKA Kite-Surf World Cup 2023 which has drawn the globe’s top athletes to fight for honours.Forty-five riders—28 men and 17 women—travelled to the idyllic African island seeking the chance to open their claims for the 2023 kite-surf world title. The women’s competition kicked off the event. It began with a bang when Hawaii-based Moona Whyte opened her account with a stunning 8.0 wave, showing her poise with pow...

Reigning GKA Freestyle Kite World Champion Gianmaria Coccoluto and past title holder Bruna Kajiya are looking to cement their early success in Qatar and further their claims to the coveted 2023 crowns at the world tour’s upcoming second stop in Colombia. The triumphant pair, Coccoluto and Kajiya, won the tour’s opening stop at the Visit Qatar GKA Freestyle Kite World Cup and are set to battle in the idyllic setting of Salinas del Rey’s Caribbean coastline. It is the second of six scheduled to...

The first World Cup of the Qatar Airways GKA Kite World Tour season has taken place in Furwairit, Qatar over the last five days. The Tour’s freestyle riders did put on an exciting show of high-performance competition in this unique, natural set-up. A shallow water lagoon makes it perfect for freestyle competition. In the end, it was brazilian Bruna Kajiya and the italian Gianmaria Coccoluto who secured the victory in the first World Cup of the season, opening the fight for the title in 2023.

A packed house at Fuwairit Kite Beach in Qatar witnessed the first clash of the Qatar Airways GKA Kite World Tour season where Bruna Kajiya made an ecstatic return to the top step and Gianmaria Coccoluto’s title defence held firm.

The opening day of the Visit Qatar GKA Freestyle Kite World Cup at Fuwairit Kite Beach Resort in Qatar saw bright blue skies and warm southerly winds at the event site all day. In the end the wind didn’t become suitable to make a start to the competition at this opening event of the Qatar Airways GKA Kite World Tour season, especially as there are stronger northerly winds forecast later in the week. Competitors took advantage of the available conditions to hit the lagoon at this amazing new...

As was forecast, conditions continued to deliver the lighter southerly winds on day two of the Visit Qatar GKA Freestyle Kite World Cup, though a positive start was made to the competition and the line-up for the women’s final is complete. The riding fleet is very compact at this event with just 16 men and eight women. The level amongst the competitors is incredibly high, but with this reduced fleet the men started directly at the quarter final stage, with four heats of four riders. There wou...

The 5th and final day of the Copa Kitley Qatar Airways GKA Kite-Surf and Hydrofoil World Cup in Taiba, Brazil was a day dominated by France's Charles Brodel with his unparalleled and innovative riding style, securing his second consecutive World Championship title. On the last day of the event in Taiba, the conditions for the Hydrofoil Freestyle riders could not have been better. Due to the special boards, which have almost no resistance in the water, the riders can show incredible tricks eve...

Day 3 of the World Cup in sunny Taiba, Brazil was one that Australian James Carew is unlikely to forget in a hurry. All season long it was a neck-and-neck race between him and Matchu Lopes from Spain, which now demanded a winner in Taiba. So both riders had to win their heats in the semifinals to put pressure on the other. James Carew (AUS) had a tough start to his day of competition, struggling early on with a broken leash and later a broken board after a rough landing. Nevertheless, the Aus...

The first day of the last World Cup of the season was opened by the men in the discipline of kite-surf, where the two best waves ridden and the best freestyle trick of each rider are scored. The strong and partly gusty wind meant that especially the Brazilian local riders were able to show their skills under these conditions and thus put the leading riders of the World Tour under pressure. In the end it was Pedro Matos (BRA) and Matchu Lopes (ESP) who won their heats with their elegant style...

The wind dropped just before the end of round three, but winning their heats and already advancing directly to round five were Juan Rodriguez, Maxime Chabloz, Gianmaria Coccoluto, Arthur Guillebert, Manoel Soares and Posito Martinez. Juan Rodriguez (COL), currently lying in third on tour, was the first big name to test the waters against Belgian Goetgebuer and Egyptian Moussa. Maxime Chabloz banging home a win in R3 heat two that contained a high trick score of 8.33 for a massive 319. Only h...

The GKA Kite-Surf World Cup Dakhla had its second day of competition. This is day Men’s Round 5 and Women’s Round 4 were completed. Brazilian Sebastian Ribeiro has given us several high 9 point scoring waves in his career. His round five heat performance was once again from the top drawer, with two high 9s. However, it was perhaps Mohamed-Ali Beqqali who delivered the individual high performance of the day as he fought back impressively through the losers round 4 to meet Gabriel Benetton i...