Gran Canaria GWA Wingfoil World Cup 2026: MacDonald and Lippitsch take Surf-Freestyle glory
by Gemma Hamaini 26 Jul 01:58 PDT
21-25 July 2026
El Burrero, Gran Canaria, provided the perfect setting for the penultimate Surf-Freestyle event of the season, with 27 men and 18 women registered to compete.
Strong winds and solid kickers set the stage for an epic showdown, and the stakes couldn't be higher with the World Titles on the line.
Opening Rounds
The athletes advanced through the first rounds with the level high from the very start, delivering exactly what the judges were looking for — height, amplitude, clean execution, and technical difficulty in challenging conditions.
The quarter finals got under way in intense wind conditions. There was no holding back — riders went all in on every heat.
Malo Guenole pulled out an insane double backflip, scoring a perfect 10. Chris MacDonald answered with a 10-point trick of his own — a double front flip. The level kept rising throughout the day, and this was only the quarter finals.
For the women, Viola Lippitsch had an incredible day, landing the highest heat score of the day.
The Semi-Finals
For the final day of competition, athletes had 8 trick attempts, with the top 3 scores counting toward their total.
The women's semi-finals saw Viola Lippitsch once again repeat her strong performance from the previous day, posting a solid heat score of 22.13 to advance to the final. Bowien van der Linden joined her, edging out her competitors by just a fraction of a point.
The second women's semi-final saw Nia Suardiaz ride a solid heat to advance to the final, keeping her World Title chances within reach. Newcomer Sofia Ginzinger advanced alongside her.
The men's semi-finals delivered more outstanding riding, just as they had in the previous days. Franz Schlittenbauer started his heat riding incredibly well and looked set for his first-ever final appearance — but Axel Gerard landed an impressive double backflip on his final attempt to advance over him instead. Chris MacDonald was on fire, landing three high-scoring tricks for an overall total of 28.03 and a locked-in spot in the final.
The second semi-final saw Benjamin Castenskiold find his focus and ride an outstanding heat, securing his spot in the final with ease and keeping his hopes of defending his World Title alive for another year. Tomas Acherer advanced behind him after a close battle with Rocco Makana and Charlie Loch.
Women's Finals
The women's final kicked off in the early afternoon. Viola Lippitsch was having an incredible event, showing real ease and confidence in the strong wind conditions.
Reaching the final trick attempt, Lippitsch held her lead despite several crashes on her earlier attempts. Suardiaz had one last chance, on her final trick, to overtake Lippitsch and seize the title — but she crashed, settling for second place and leaving her title battle to continue in Fuerteventura.
Lippitsch earned a well-deserved first-ever win on tour. Suardiaz took second, Sofia Ginzinger third, and Bowien van der Linden fourth — capping off some truly outstanding skill from the women's fleet in tough, demanding conditions.
Final Results Women:
1st Viola Lippitsch (AUT)
2nd Nia Suardiaz (ESP)
3rd Sofia Ginzinger (ESP)
4th Bowien van der Linden (NED)
Men's Finals
The men's final showdown pitted Gerard, Acherer, MacDonald, and Castenskiold against each other in insane action from start to finish. The final was intense, with athletes closely matched in points throughout. Chris MacDonald meant business, landing three scores in the 9s to solidify his lead. Castenskiold trailed by a fraction, followed by Gerard and Acherer, who were almost dead even.
It came down to the final trick attempt — still anyone's win — but none of the riders managed to improve on their scores. MacDonald took the win, Castenskiold second, Gerard third, and Acherer fourth. The title race now goes down to the final Surf-Freestyle event in Fuerteventura next week.
Final Results — Men:
1st Chris MacDonald (USA)
2nd Benjamin Castenskiold (DEN)
3rd Axel Gerard (FRA)
4th Tomas Acherer (AUT)
What's Next
Gran Canaria has been an incredible event, with strong wind conditions allowing athletes to truly showcase the level and evolution of wingfoiling. Now the focus shifts to Fuerteventura for an exciting season finale, where the 2026 World Champions will be crowned.
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