2025 GKA Kite-Surf World Cup Dakhla - Preview
by Ian MacKinnon 7 Oct 06:25 PDT
8-12 October 2025
GKA Kite-Surf World Cup © Lukas K Stiller
Reigning world champions, France's Capucine Delannoy and Brazil's Gabriel Benetton, top the Kite-Surf rankings as they head to the season's penultimate stop in Dakhla, Morocco, on the Sahara desert's coastline.
Delannoy is in the driving seat in the race for the women's world title after taking the opening two stops of the season in different conditions, one in the waves of Cape Verde, the other in the light airs of Sylt, Germany, that demanded strapless freestyle prowess.
The young Brazilian Benetton managed to get podiums at both stops, but around him the order was reshuffled as the events' varied conditions challenged many of the top riders in different ways and led to some surprises.
Dakhla's point-break with its tricky winds has been a fixture on the world tour for more than a decade and its right-hander that curls into the sandy bay is one of the longest on the calendar.
A full roster of 28 men and 16 women, from a total of 16 countries around the world, are set to join the line-up in Dakhla for five days of intense action that could have a key bearing on who takes the titles.
In the men's battle for the crown, multiple former world champion Airton Cozzolino, goes to Dakhla ranked number two. His season so far has been slightly mixed, taking a second at home in Cape Verde, but struggling in the small waves and light breezes of Sylt, where he finished fifth.
Brazil's Pedro Matos stormed to the win at the season opener in Cape Verde, but crashed out early in Germany and finished only in joint-ninth position, denting his chances of landing the crown he so craves.
Australia's James Carew uncharacteristically could only get a joint fifth in Cape Verde, but eked a third place in Sylt despite the light winds that put someone of his physique at a disadvantage.
France's Theo Demanez was the big surprise in Sylt where the strength of surfing and strapless freestyle helped him to his first World Cup win. It pushed him up the rankings to sixth.
The women's order is dominated by Capucine Delannoy. In Cape Verde she finally beat the US veteran Moona Whyte in the waves for the first time. She doubled up with a strapless freestyle victory in Sylt, throwing down immaculate Frontroll Shove-its.
But Camille Losserand, of Switzerland, is never far away and will ensure that Delannoy cannot rest on her laurels. Losserand sits third in the rankings after two podium finishes.
Last year's runner-up in the Kite-Surf world championship, Brazil's Kesiane Rodrigues, has struggled so far this season, though she still sits equal third in the rankings. But Rodrigues won in Dakhla last year, and like all the riders she will have a discard after the fourth and final event at home in Taíba, Brazil, in November.
Another Brazilian, Serena Luz, will also be back in Dakhla. She sat out the Sylt event as it was more than likely to held in the strapless freestyle format which is not her forte. Dakhla will probably be held in wave format which plays to her surfing game.