Please select your home edition
Edition
Hyde Sails 2024 - One Design

Surprise winners crowned at Rio Wingfoil World Cup

by Ian MacKinnon 11 Aug 2023 23:42 PDT 31 July–11 August 2023
Copa Kitley GWA Wingfoil World Cup Brazil 2023 © Svetlana Romantsova

Teenagers Nia Suardiaz and Malo Guénolé upended the form books when they lifted the crowns on the penultimate day of the Copa Kitley GWA Wingfoil World Cup Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Spain's Suardiaz, 16, turned the tables and avenged her finals' defeat at the first stop of the pure surfing wave tour in Cape Verde in March, when she was beaten by the US veteran, Moona Whyte.

"I'm super-happy to have won this competition," said Suardiaz. "I've been training a bit since Cape Verde and the conditions here were super-good. We had some nice swells and good wind. I want to become world champion in Surf-Freestyle and FreeFly-Slalom really badly, so I didn't expect the win here."

France's Guénolé, 18, the current Surf-Freestyle world champion, was equally surprised to find himself top of the pile in Brazil in his first pure surfing wingfoil competition.

"I'm pretty stoked with this first place," said Guénolé. "It's my first wave event ever. Pretty stoked because the conditions are feeling like back at home. The waves are my favourite thing in wingfoiling because I'm coming from surfing. So, yes, over the moon."

Day 11 of the world cup, hosted at Saquarema's iconic break, saw the competition again move to an alternate location to provide the best wind and wave conditions for the wingfoilers as their 12-day competition window was closing.

Out of sorts

The select women's fleet had already battled through their heats on day nine with only the final and mini-final left to run after the fickle breezes had faltered, leaving the competition on hold.

But with a perfect metre-high swell and 15 to 20 knots of wind, the athletes in the mini-final, former world champion Bowien van der Linden (NED), and Rocio Reigert (ARG) were able to get on the water. Van der Linden took the win and the third podium place.

In the final Suardiaz came out of the blocks fast and quickly earned some solid numbers from the judges, even as Whyte struggled to get out through the shore break. But even when Whyte got some waves, she was out of sorts riding a foil on unfamiliar "lefts" and gifted Suardiaz the win.

"There were some good sized waves, but it was challenging for me going left because I have not gone left much on the foil before," said Whyte. "I could see Nia was getting some good waves and good turns. She definitely deserved to win and I'm happy with my second."

The competition for the 24 men had stuttered along, the victim of massive swells and fickle breezes. But day 11 served up the perfect platform. The 10-minute heats threw up some intriguing duels and a few unexpected casualties.

By round three, there were no more second chances. In a rerun of the final in Cape Verde, the victor Wesley Brito (CPV) was up against France's Benoît Carpentier. But Carpentier won and sent the Cape Verdean packing.

"Plenty of waves"

The semi-final saw Berzolla up against Tom Auber (FRA). In the tight heat Berzolla just got the better of Auber with the two seven-plus wave scores that were counted for his total.

In the other semi-final the all-French battle between Guénolé and Hugo Marin went down to the wire. But Guénolé's 7.27 for one wave was enough to squeak through and end Marin's run.

The race for the third place overall saw a relentless Marin put up solid numbers that Auber could not answer. Auber found himself adrift on the scoreboard, giving Marin the third podium spot.

The finals' showdown was a mouthwatering prospect as Berzolla and Guénolé had earned some of the day's highest scores in their heats. Both came out firing, working the waves with tight, carving turns.

But Guénolé's big 7.13, followed shortly after by a 7.80, left Berzolla trailing. The American never quite recovered, even though less than half a point separated the pair in the end. Berzolla was stoked with his second place.

"This is only my second [GKA] event," said Hawaii-based Berzolla. "The first in New Zealand was more focused on Surf-Freestyle and FreeFly-Slalom. I was excited about this event because it's wave-oriented. That's what I love to do back home. We've plenty of waves on Maui. I was excited to see what I could do against the world's best. Brazil's been amazing."

The next wave stop on GWA Wingfoil World Tour will be Dakhla, Morocco, in late September. Join us then.

Related Articles

Athena Pathway announces AFP Foiling Festival
All abilities welcomed at Weymouth this August AFP Foiling Festival will cater for different levels of foiling experience, offering tasters for beginners, skills sessions for developing sailors, and structured training for current squad and intermediate-level athletes. Posted on 29 Jun
GWA Wingfoil World Cup Tarifa 2025 overall
Big upsets mark changing of the guard in Tarifa The GWA returned to the iconic location of Tarifa this July for the sixth consecutive year, delivering four days of thrilling Surf-Freestyle action. A total of 17 women and 28 men registered for this second Surf-Freestyle stop of the 2025 season. Posted on 29 Jun
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour Trapani day 3
Team Verein Seglerhaus Am Wannsee wins in Trapani, now heading to Sardinia The Verein Seglerhaus Am Wannsee team won the Trapani stage after about 54 hours of navigation in the offshore category, preceding the Aeronautica Militare team and the Royal Madras team who came in third. Posted on 28 Jun
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour Trapani day 2
In Trapani, the Royal Madras team was 1st in the offshore race. The Royal Madras team was the first to arrive in Trapani and win the offshore leg, followed by the Verein Seglerhaus Am Wannsee and Aeronautica Militare teams. Posted on 26 Jun
Kieler Woche Day 6
Double gold for France in Olympic classes Perfect sailing conditions marked the final of Kieler Woche in the Olympic skiff, dinghy, and surf classes: On Wednesday, June 25, the waters off Schilksee offered fresh to strong, challenging winds with flat waves. Posted on 25 Jun
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour Trapani day 1
Leaving the Ionian Sea behind them, yesterday early evening the boats passed Portopalo A route of about 200 miles that will take the Figaro3 of the Marina Militare Nastro Tour 2025 from Syracuse to Trapani for the sixth stage, the second in Sicily. Posted on 25 Jun
Kieler Woche Day 5
Tuesday served as a warm-up for the hot finale of Kieler Woche Sophie Steinlein and Catherine Bartelheimer from Bavaria in the skiff, as well as Kiel native Fabian Wolf on the foiling windsurf board, will enter Wednesday's (June 25) medal races as leaders. Posted on 24 Jun
GWA Wingfoil World Cup Tarifa 2025 Preview
This event will be held at Bibo Beach House, Valdevaqueros The second stop in the race for Surf-Freestyle crowns is ready to kick off in Tarifa with contests tightening. Posted on 23 Jun
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour Siracusa overall
Team Verein Seglerhaus Am Wannsee wins in Siracusa The Verein Seglerhaus Am Wannsee team wins the Siracusa leg in the offshore category, after 37 hours of sailing and with only one minute and twenty-one seconds of difference from the Ocean Cruising Club team that came in second. Posted on 23 Jun
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour Siracusa day 1
In Siracusa for the fifth leg and the first island stage The Nastro Rosa Tour lands in Sicily, in Syracuse, for the fifth stage, the first island stage, which will be followed by Trapani, Cagliari and La Maddalena. Posted on 21 Jun
Lloyd Stevenson - AC INEOS 1456x180px BOTTOMC-Tech 2020 Battens 2 728x90 BOTTOMSea Sure 2025