German Marie Schlittenbauer claims Wingfoil Surf-Freestyle World title in Gran Canaria
by Gabinete de prensa 9 Aug 06:28 AEST
Marie Schlittenbauer (Germany) crowned Wingfoil Surf-Freestyle World Champion - Gran Canaria GWA Wingfoil World Cup 2025 © Lukas K Stiller
The German teenager triumphs at the Gran Canaria GWA Wingfoil World Cup 2025 over Spanish riders Nía Suardíaz and Mar de Arce.
At just 15 years old, Germany's Marie Schlittenbauer has been crowned the new Wingfoil Surf-Freestyle World Champion after winning the final of the Gran Canaria GWA Wingfoil World Cup 2025. Her victory at El Burrero beach (Ingenio) not only secured the event title but also ended Spanish rider Nía Suardíaz's reign as defending world champion.
In the grand final, Schlittenbauer delivered her best score of the day — a spectacular frontflip off the wave ramp worth 8 points. She played it smart: locking in three strong-scoring waves with high-value combinations before attempting a rare double Palau, a trick seldom seen in competition, which she was unable to land.
Mar de Arce, from Tarifa, claimed an impressive second place in the event, maintaining her position as the 2025 world runner-up. Meanwhile, Suardíaz fell short of the title fight after bowing out in the semi-finals, where her attempt to link trick combinations came unstuck. "In Surf-Freestyle, if too much time passes between the first and second trick, only the first will count — which hurt her score," explained head judge Javier Ippólito.
The final podium was completed by Austria's Viola Lippitsch in third, followed by Switzerland's Zara Maillard, France's Manon Dupé and Suardíaz herself, who finished fifth. After this final stop on the world tour, Schlittenbauer rises straight to the top of the overall rankings, ahead of Mar de Arce and Suardíaz in third. Lippitsch (4th) and Maillard (5th) round out the world's top five.
A Special Showcase: Synchronized Wingfoil
Before the women's final, the crowd was treated to a special spectacle — the semi-finals of synchronized wingfoil. Here, style and precision take centre stage, as riders must execute the same trick at exactly the same time and land in perfect harmony.
The Force One duo, France's Bastien Escofet and Clément Hamon, took the win, while Spain's mixed pair from the Tarifa Team, Sofía Ginzinger and Leo Suardíaz, came a razor-thin 0.07 points behind in second place.
The Gran Canaria GWA Wingfoil World Cup 2025 was organised by Club Deportivo Canakite Experiences, Club Náutico El Burrero and Ingenio Town Council, with sponsorship from the Tourism and Sports Departments of the Gran Canaria Island Council, support from the Canary Islands Sports Ministry, and collaboration from the Royal Canary Sailing Federation and Ahembo's 7UP brand.