Gran Canaria GWA Wingfoil World Cup 2026: FreeFly-Slalom kicks off the season
by Gemma Hamaini 23 Jul 06:50 PDT
21-25 July 2026
Sixteen men and thirteen women lined up for the Gran Canaria GWA Wingfoil World Cup as the event returned to El Burrero for a second consecutive year — this time with FreeFly-Slalom added to the schedule, the first of the 2026 season.
With Bastien Escofet and Nia Suardiaz both looking to defend their 2025 World Titles, a strong field of challengers was ready to make them work for it.
Day one: Battling 30-knot winds
FreeFly-Slalom ran across two days in powerful conditions, with wind consistently over 30 knots. Day one saw three eliminations completed on the men's side and six on the women's, with Bastien Escofet and Nia Suardiaz topping the rankings after the opening day.
Day two: The field narrows
The wind held strong into day two as athletes fought through the remaining eliminations. On the men's side, three more eliminations were completed — Tom Pansard won two of them, and Francesco Cappuzzo took the other. After all six eliminations, Tom Pansard sat at the top of the rankings, with Bastien Escofet in second and Francesco Cappuzzo in third.
The top 6 men to qualify for the Super Final:
1. Tom Pansard
2. Bastien Escofet
3. Francesco Cappuzzo
4. Noe Cuyala
5. Sebastiano Zorzi
6. Benjamin May
Men's Super Final: three races to decide it
The top 6 fought through the Super Final ladder down to four finalists: Francesco Cappuzzo, Bastien Escofet, Sebastiano Zorzi, and Tom Pansard. To win the event, an athlete needed two bullets to his name — and Pansard entered the final already holding one, having topped the elimination rounds.
In the first final race, Pansard was over early, opening the door for Cappuzzo to take the win, with Escofet second, Zorzi third.
A second final race followed, with Pansard unable to compete due to a medical issue. This time Cappuzzo crashed after the FreeFly section, letting Escofet surge into the lead and take the win. That left Escofet, Cappuzzo, and Pansard each with one bullet apiece — setting up a third and deciding race.
Francesco Cappuzzo won that final race, securing his second bullet and the overall win at the Gran Canaria GWA Wingfoil World Cup.
"It feels so good to be back on top," said Cappuzzo. "I was having bad dreams for the last six or seven months after Abu Dhabi; I'm so happy to be back on top now here. The conditions were really challenging; anyone could win this event. I'm really happy that I pushed and came out with the win. Now I have to go full-on in Fuerteventura and finish the job."
Men's Final Results:
1. Francesco Cappuzzo (ITA)
2. Bastien Escofet (FRA)
3. Tom Pansard (FRA)
4. Sebastiano Zorzi (ITA)
Women's competition: Suardiaz seals it
The women completed one further elimination round, with Kylie Belloeuvre taking the win. The top 6 women to qualify for the Super Final:
1. Nia Suardiaz
2. Kylie Belloeuvre
3. Enoha Laurent
4. Manon Dupé
5. Bowien van der Linden
6. Mar de Arce
Heats 1 and 2 saw Enoha Laurent and Mar de Arce advance into the main final, joining Nia Suardiaz and Kylie Belloeuvre.
Suardiaz entered the Super Final already holding one bullet, giving her an early edge. She held her lead through the final course to take the win — securing her second bullet and the overall FreeFly-Slalom win at Gran Canaria. Kylie Belloeuvre finished second, with Enoha Laurent in third.
"It all went really well, and I'm super happy," said Suardiaz. "Today I won the first final. The conditions were incredible. We had really strong wind and big waves, it was really good."
Women's Final Results:
1. Nia Suardiaz (ESP)
2. Kylie Belloeuvre (FRA)
3. Enoha Laurent (FRA)
4. Mar de Arce (ESP)
What's next
That wraps up FreeFly-Slalom in Gran Canaria — attention now turns to Surf-Freestyle for the final days of competition. The GWA Wingfoil World Tour heads to Fuerteventura next week, where the 2026 World Champions will be crowned.