GWA Wingfoil World Cup France - Mondial du Vent 2025: Title defences begin!
by Ian MacKinnon 16 Apr 00:13 AEST
16-21 April 2025
GWA Wingfoil World Cup France - Mondial du Vent 2025 © Samuel Cardenas
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.
Spain's Nia Suardiaz, at 18 the back-to-back world champion in both wingfoil disciplines, starts her journey to stay on top at the GWA Wingfoil World Cup France hosted by the 28th edition of the Mondial du Vent.
The remarkable Suardiaz holds all four wingfoil world titles, including Big Air, after recently adding the Wave discipline to her trophy haul when she won the world championship in Cape Verde in March.
Despite Suardiaz's dominance, she believes that the "girls are coming for me" and has vowed to work harder than ever to stay on top. With a rapidly expanding women's field, 16 in FreeFly-Slalom and 15 in Surf-Freestyle, Suardiaz is right to be wary.
In the FreeFly-Slalom discipline France's Kylie Belloeuvre is ranked number two after taking the runner-up spot in the title race last season. Belloeuvre is one of almost 30 French athletes, including Orane Ceris, set to battle on home waters.
Full roster
In Surf-Freestyle, Suardiaz is likely to be challenged by her fast-rising compatriot Mar de Arce during the discipline's four stops that are slated for the season which is due to conclude again in Jericoacoara, Brazil.
Current men's Surf-Freestyle world champion, the US's Chris MacDonald, heads the order for Mondial du Vent, which has a full roster of 28 men. He began his successful title defence in Leucate in 50 knots' winds last year that he likened to his native Hood River, Oregon, and felt right at home.
Already, the opening days of the six-day event (with one extra reserve day at the end), boasts a similar forecast for the icy Tramontana winds that sweep down off the snow-capped Pyrenees from the north-west to blow off-shore.
For MacDonald the biggest challenge may lie in the form of Austrian twins, Tomas and Aleksander Acherer, who burst on to the scene at the end of last year when they took first and second places at the closing stop in Brazil.
Hungrier than ever
But again the French threat will be ever-present, with 16-year-old Axel Gerard ranked number two and hungrier than ever, with former Surf-Freestyle world champion Malo Guénolé also in the mix.
Italy's Francesco Cappuzzo will also be keen to get his campaign for a third successive title off to a flying start in FreeFly-Slalom, hoping to repeat his win in Leucate of a year ago. It is one of three stops that are slated to conclude in Abu Dhabi, UAE, in October.
But at Mondial du Vent, Cappuzzo will be pressed harder than ever by the French trio of Julien Rattotti, Bastien Escofet and Oscar Leclair. Leclair twice bested Cappuzzo at the tour's closing stops in Brazil.
With cranking winds and drama in the air and on the race track, it is certain to be six days not to miss. Join us here for all the action.