GWA Wing Foil World Tour | Gran Canaria 2023

GWA Wingfoil World Cup Gran Canaria: A Game-Changing Event!

Hold on to your hats, folks, because the GWA Wingfoil World Cup has just blown our minds! From July 11th to 16th, 2023, the windsurfing mecca of Pozo Izquierdo on Gran Canaria hosted this jaw-dropping event that left spectators and participants alike in awe. With relentless winds gusting at speeds of over 35 knots throughout the six days of intense wingfoil competition, the bar was raised to dizzying heights, setting a new standard for this rapidly evolving sport.

Surf-Freestyle and FreeFly-Slalom disciplines witnessed epic battles on the water, while the inaugural wingfoil Big Air world championships silenced any remaining skeptics. And let’s not forget the innovative addition of the Red Bull Rockets Awards, which recognized the highest jumps across the entire competition using The Surfr. App linked to mobile phones—a resounding success!

But what truly stole the show were the young teenage athletes fearlessly fighting for glory and propelling wingfoiling forward at breakneck speed. One standout star was Spain’s 16-year-old prodigy, Nia Suardiaz, who dominated the women’s side of the event. In the FreeFly-Slalom discipline, Suardiaz outclassed her opponents, comfortably winning 12 out of 15 elimination rounds, even in the challenging 35-knot breezes.

Orane Ceris from New Caledonia was the only one who managed to give Suardiaz a run for her money. Ceris secured victory in a few elimination rounds and came closest to challenging Suardiaz in the Surf-Freestyle contest, where the Spanish teenager ultimately reigned supreme. Despite stumbling at the beginning of the final with a crash, Suardiaz displayed her composure and competitive experience, gradually building her score and clinching the victory over Ceris.

In the Big Air contest, however, Suardiaz experienced her only setback. In a three-way competition judged primarily on height (80%) and technical difficulty (20%), Spain’s Mar de Arce Sánchez, a newcomer to the scene, narrowly edged out Suardiaz to claim the first-ever Big Air world title. De Arce Sánchez reflected on the extreme conditions of the event, mentioning the intense wind and waves they battled against while using 2.0m2 wings. Despite the challenges, she emphasized the thrill of survival, reaching incredible heights, and, above all, enjoying the experience.

On the men’s side, France’s Julien Rattotti secured the Rockets Award in the Big Air contest with an astonishing jump of 11.2 meters, propelling him to victory and earning him the coveted Big Air world title. Rattotti expressed his elation at winning the event, describing it as a dream come true and a testament to the endless possibilities of wingfoiling in all conditions.

While France’s Titouan Galea couldn’t replicate his earlier success in the Big Air finals, where he achieved the highest jump up to that point with 10.2 meters, he had already triumphed in the FreeFly-Slalom contest with an outstanding performance. The battle for the second and third spots on the podium went down to the wire, with seasoned waterman Francesco Cappuzzo from Italy narrowly edging out his rival Alan Fedit from France in the competition’s final race.

In the Surf-Freestyle category, Chris MacDonald, a 17-year-old prodigy from the USA, exhibited a mind-blowing performance, defeating Fedit in the semi-finals with his high-scoring and innovative tricks. This set the stage for a thrilling final between MacDonald and 15-year-old Axel Gerard from France. Although Gerard had displayed clinical precision and ruthlessness in his semi-final, nerves seemed to have gotten the better of him in the final, preventing him from replicating his earlier form.

However, MacDonald was on another level entirely. He unleashed an awe-inspiring display of wingfoil freestyle maneuvers that will be remembered for years to come. With near-flawless execution, MacDonald scored a staggering 29.01 out of a possible 30, earning the highest score ever recorded in a wingfoil freestyle heat. His repertoire included mind-bending moves such as a Combo, Front Flip Frontside 3, Frontside 10, Back Flip Frontside 3, and an unprecedented triple Combo—Back Flip into double Frontside 3s.

The GWA Wingfoil World Cup Gran Canaria 2023 was undeniably one for the ages. Spectators witnessed the evolution of this exhilarating sport, with rising stars like Nia Suardiaz, Julien Rattotti, Chris MacDonald, and Axel Gerard pushing boundaries, defying expectations, and leaving us in awe of their incredible talent. As the sport of wingfoiling continues to evolve, we can’t wait to see what these young athletes and future generations have in store for us. So hold on tight and get ready for the next exhilarating chapter in wingfoil history!

GWA Wingfoil World Cup Gran Canaria results

Surf-Freestyle Men
1 Christopher MacDonald (USA)
2 Axel Gerard (FRA)
3 Alan Fedit (FRA)
4 Benjamin May (GER)

Surf-Freestyle Women
1 Nia Suardiaz (ESP)
2 Orane Ceris (FRA)
3 Bowien van der Linden (NED)
4 Agata Blach (POL)

FreeFly-Slalom Men
1 Titouan Galea (FRA)
2 Francesco Cappuzzo (ITA)
3 Alan Fedit (FRA)

FreeFly-Slalom Women
1 Nia Suardiaz (ESP)
2 Flora Artzner (FRA)
3 Orane Ceris (FRA)

Big Air Men
1 Julien Rattotti (FRA)
2 Benjamin May (GER)
3 Titouan Galea (FRA)
4 Malo Guénolé (FRA)

Big Air Women
1 Mar de Arce Sánchez (ESP)
2 Nia Suardiaz (ESP)
3 Agata Blach (POL)
4 Orane Ceris (FRA)

Red Bull Rockets Award

Men
Julien Rattotti 11.2m

Women
Nia Suardiaz 6.3m

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