Report from Day Six – Pozo Izquierdo, Gran Canaria
Words: Ian MacKinnon
Photos: Lukas K Stiller
- Three disciplines within six days of competition were completed
- Macdonald and Suardiaz won the Surf-Freestyle competition
- Maiden Big Air world titles were crowned in Pozo Izquierdo
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.
