Please select your home edition
Edition
A+T Instruments 2024 Leaderboard

GWA Wingfoil World Cup Spain 2024 - Spanish world champion takes Surf-Freestyle win on home waters

by Ian MacKinnon 3 May 2024 00:29 AEST 1-4 May 2024
Nia Suardiaz - GWA Wingfoil World Cup Spain 2024 © Samuel Cardenas

Reigning Surf-Freestyle world champion, Spain's Nia Suardiaz, tightened her grip on another title when she landed the win at the GWA Wingfoil World Cup on home waters at the Tarifa Wing Pro.

The 17-year-old's Surf-Freestyle event win in front of family and friends came less than a month after her victory in France and puts her in a commanding position half way through the scheduled four stops on this year's calendar.

"I'm so happy to win here at home in Tarifa with my friends and family," said Suardiaz. "The wind was light this morning, but it increased to a nice, strong Poniente this afternoon. It was perfect for landing all of my tricks in the final."

Day 1 of the GWA world cup hosted by the fifth edition of the Tarifa Wing Pro on the town's iconic Valdevaqueros beach opened with a blustery and early start for the 26 men and 13 women athletes.

With the forecast for the four day event looking tricky, the organisers decided to press ahead with the women's competition to ensure they would get a result.

Italy's Sofia Marchetti marked herself out as a contender, winning her early heat with some solid riding and good scores from the judges that were a sign of things to come.

Battle of big guns

By the quarter-finals, the strongest riders were showing their game. France's Kylie Belloeuvre won her heat and advanced. Her compatriot, Orane Ceris, was also beginning to find her feet again after returning from injury, winning her quarter-final heat.

In the first semi-final, it was a battle of the big guns as the breeze built to more than 20 knots and the sky cleared. Belloeuvre pushed hard but just missed out on a place in the final when she slipped behind.

The Netherlands' Bowien van der Linden kept her scoreboard ticking over with a clutch of solid numbers, landing all her seven trick attempts. It earned her a place in the final. But it was Sofia Marchetti who got the conditions dialled and took the win.

The second semi-final was a close battle. Ceris earned the biggest trick score of the heat—7.20 from 10 for a Backflip—but just missed out on a place in the final.

Mar de Arce (ESP) was strong and seemed to be heading for the win. But after a shaky start with several crashes Nia Suardiaz pulled it out of the fire and eased her way to the final, along with teammate De Arce.

The final was a tight affair. De Arce opened strongly and kept landing good scores, but finished in third. Van der Linden had been trailing all throughout the final. But she moved up into second place with her very last score of the heat, 6.0 for an Innovation trick.

Never looked back

"I'm super-happy with my result," said Van der Linden. "It's been a really good week of training here with the guys. I got to do some new tricks and innovations and I'm really happy I got to land that in the final. It was a super-exciting heat and I think I made it work."

Suardiaz did not make the mistake she made in her earlier semi-final and came out of the blocks fast, with a 7.33 for a Backflip to open the heat. From there she never looked back, putting up big numbers that took her total 19.86 from a possible 30.

The opening rounds of the men's competition witnessed a raft of standout performances filled with innovative new moves from the youngest riders. Spain's Xavi Corr scored 9.33 for an Innovation trick.

The Austrian Archerer brothers, Tomas and Aleksander, are new faces on the tour. But Tomas's 24.94 heat total, closely followed by Aleksander's 22.20, marked them out as ones to watch.

Inevitably, reigning champion Christopher MacDonald (USA) turned it on when he needed, along with Noé Cuyala (FRA), the runner up at the opening stop in Leucate, France, last month.

But Clément Hamon landed the biggest heat score of the day, 25.51 for his three counting tricks. The contest is poised at the quarter-finals stage and there are bound to be fireworks. Join us for all the action.

GWA Wingfoil World Cup Spain results

Women

    1. Nia Suardiaz (ESP)
    2. Bowien van der Linden (NED)
    3. Mar de Arce (ESP)
    4. Sofia Marchetti (ITA)

Related Articles

DMS Formula Wing Europeans overall
Returning champions hold their nerve Heart stopping, blast reaching finishes were the day's defining moments in the Grand Finals of the 2025 Formula Wing European Championships as repeat champions were crowned. Posted on 24 May
“Foil4TheGulf” sets Southern Hemisphere record
With over 200 entrants the Black Foils and Live Ocean's event “Foil4TheGulf” raises awareness With over 200 entrants the Black Foils and Live Ocean's event “Foil4TheGulf” to raise awareness for the Hauraki Gulf / Tikapa Moana Marine Protection Bill has become New Zealand's largest ever foiling event by entries. Posted on 24 May
DMS Formula Wing Europeans day 4
Golden opportunities await all in medal series. Leaders stumbled in wildly shifting winds as Friday's racing determined the first medal series competitors in the Dogus Marine Services Formula Wing European Championships. Posted on 23 May
DMS Formula Wing Europeans day 3
No daylight between leaders as championship gets back on track After a day of no racing, the locals made the wind claim early and they were right on the money. Racing started at 2 pm after a one-hour delay, in a 14-knot offshore southerly that was in the sweet spot for wing foil racing. Posted on 22 May
DMS Formula Wing Europeans day 2
No winners in waiting game It took all day for the anemometer to capture an average of 8 knots, before competitors were sent to the water at 5 p.m. The entire fleet mobilized in minutes after a day of football, sunbathing and snacking, paddling their wings to a teasing wind line. Posted on 21 May
DMS Formula Wing Europeans day 1
Youth is king as Championship doubles down on distance A 20-foot inflatable motorboat ripping upwind at 24 knots, was the pathfinder that launched all 64 riders together around Snake Island for the opening day long-distance races of the Dogus Marine Services Formula Wing European Championships. Posted on 21 May
2025 DMS Formula Wing Europeans preview
New stars and old rivals set up for battle on the Aegean Sea The 2025 Dogus Marine Services Formula Wing European Championships will host a stacked fleet of the world's top female and male wingfoil racers who have all been spending the spring months tuning their hydrofoils and wings for the racing in Urla, Türkiye. Posted on 10 May
Mondial du Vent 2025: the wrap up
Suardiaz and Cappuzzo claim win in FreeFly-Slalom discipline in Leucate The iconic Mondial du Vent returned to La Franqui, Leucate, for six action-packed days of wind, waves, and wingfoiling. Posted on 24 Apr
GWA Wingfoil World Cup France begins
Title holders open defence of crowns at Mondial du Vent 2025 The reigning world champions in Surf-Freestyle and FreeFly-Slalom are set to begin the defence of their crowns at the iconic Mondial du Vent event at Leucate in the south of France in nuking Tramontana winds. Posted on 15 Apr
2025 US Wingfoil Championship registration open
The National Championship set to take place at St. Francis Yacht Club St. Francis Yacht Club and US Sailing have opened registration for the second annual US Wingfoil Championship, to be held in San Francisco, California, June 20-22, 2025. Posted on 14 Apr
Vetus-Maxwell 2021 v2 FOOTERBoat Books Australia FOOTERVaikobi 2024 December