Please select your home edition
Edition
Doyle_SailWorld_728X90px_SY TOP

Copa Kitley GKA Freestyle-Kite World Cup Brazil - Day 1

by Liam Dredge 9 Nov 2023 08:10 PST 8-11 November, 2023

The eagerly-anticipated fourth Freestyle stop on the Qatar Airways GKA Kite World Tour opened with a bang in the idyllic setting of Cauipe lagoon, Ceará, in north-eastern Brazil.

Big opening performances from some athletes returning to the tour at the Copa Kitley GKA Freestyle-Kite World Cup Brazil served notice that there would be no easy victories for the top ranked riders.

Former Freestyle world champion Karolina Winkowska (POL), back on tour after giving birth to her daughter, showed she has lost none of competitive fire when she advanced in the competition with a convincing opening win.

Britain's Tom Bridge, competing on tour for the first time in a year, was another standout from the early rounds. New judging criteria this year that encourage variety and innovation play to Bridge's strengths and he delivered with dizzying combos that helped him advance to the quarter finals.

Pushing the boundaries

Twenty-eight men and 14 women from 18 nations around the world began their quest for honours on day one of the world cup in Cauipe. Many of the riders have been training hard in Cauipe in recent weeks.

Cauipe's famous butter-flat, warm waters and consistent strong breezes have helped the athletes to push their limits and the boundaries, coming into the competition with an arsenal of new and improved tricks.

The men were first on the water in the opening rounds. No athletes are eliminated in the ladder's early heats. These are effectively seeding rounds for the competition's later stages. Nonetheless, the level of tricks was sky-high.

Among the highlights from the opening exchanges were performances like those of Tom Bridge, who threw down mind-blowing combos. They were enough to earn him the day's highest heat total of 32.97, out of a possible 40 for his four counting tricks.

Home court advantage

Brazil's Erick Anderson, who qualified for the event from the preceding national competition, had home court advantage as he calls Cauipe his backyard. He lost his heat, but lives to fight again in Round 4.

France's Louka Pitot, who sits third in the rankings, opened his account with a big heat score of 31.37 by ticking off all the trick families to book his place in the quarter-finals.

Reigning world champion Gianmaria Coccoluto (ITA), dipped his toes into the lagoon and also advanced to a quarter-final spot with a comfortable win. He is second in the overall rankings and hopes to retain his crown.

"I feel really good," said Coccoluto. "I'm super-stoked to have the competition in Cauipe. My first heat was really powerful on my 13m [kite] and the wind picked up like crazy. I managed to do all my tricks despite being overpowered with a few crashes. Let's see how tomorrow goes".

Opening skirmishes

The man who can do it on the water and in the mountains, Maxime Chabloz (SUI), will be looking to build on his second-place finish from last year's Taiba event. Chabloz put in a good shift to reach the quarter-final, along with Brazil's Davi Ribeiro, another of the first day's standouts.

In the first skirmishes of the women's contest, Brazil's Estefania Rosa opened her account with a solid slate of tricks in the perfect Freestyle conditions and moved forward straight to Round 3.

The coming days will see the top ranked women, Bruna Kajiya (BRA), Claudia León (ESP), Mikaili Sol (USA) and Nathalie Lambrecht (SWE) get their chance to go on the water to battle it out against the fleet's rising stars.

Related Articles

Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta day 2
Classic Long Beach conditions return The weather conditions at the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta shifted noticeably today, delivering the classic Long Beach breeze that many expect from this world-class venue. Posted today at 6:44 pm
2025 Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta kicks off
The first week of the OCR includes five Olympic classes The highly anticipated 2025 Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta officially commenced on Saturday, 12 July, marking the beginning of Olympic campaigns since the venues were announced. Posted today at 8:14 am
Australian sailors take to Olympic waters
Regatta serves as an important test, not just for sailors, but also for organisers The Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta is set to get begin, marking the first major combined event on the waters of the LA 2028 Olympic Games. Posted on 12 Jul
Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta 2025 Preview
The fourth stop of the five series Sailing Grand Slam circuit Over 200 elite athletes from 42 nations have converged on Long Beach to test their skills on the same waters that will host sailing events during the LA2028 Olympic Games as they compete in the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta July 12-20 Posted on 12 Jul
20 Canadians set for Long Beach Grand Slam Event
The Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta will be held July 12-20 20 Canadian sailors will take part in the fourth and next-to-last event of the 2025 Sailing Grand Slam Series, the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta, to be held July 12-20 at one of the two Olympic venues for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Posted on 10 Jul
2025 IKA Youth Europeans in Gizzeria overall
Once again, Gizzeria delivered near-perfect racing conditions Once again, Gizzeria delivered near-perfect racing conditions, with a steady thermal breeze sweeping in from the Tyrrhenian Sea across the Calabrian coast. Posted on 7 Jul
Red Bull Sailing Academy Opens
A new hub for current and future superstars to reach the top of their sport Marina Monfalcone, North Italy, made waves yesterday, as sports superstars gathered to open the Red Bull Sailing Academy, marking the beginning of a new era in the sport. Posted on 6 Jul
2025 IKA Youth Europeans in Gizzeria day 4
It's been a week of steady breeze and near-perfect conditions off the Calabrian coast It's been a week of steady breeze and near-perfect conditions off the Calabrian coast, and Gizzeria has put on a great show as host of the 2025 IKA Youth European Championships. Posted on 5 Jul
2025 IKA Youth Europeans in Gizzeria day 3
The invincibles stumble during qualifying The men's competition has moved into its decisive phase, with the top 22 riders now forming a gold fleet. After Saturday's racing, only the top ten will qualify for the medal series and today, the pressure began to show, even on the frontrunners. Posted on 4 Jul
2025 IKA Youth Europeans in Gizzeria day 2
Thrills and spills - with the speed came plenty of racing incidents Day 2 of the Youth European Championships in Gizzeria saw fantastic conditions that gave the racing added pace. With the speed came plenty of racing incidents. Posted on 3 Jul
Selden 2020 - FOOTERPredictWind - Wave Routing 728x90 BOTTOMPalm Beach Motor Yachts