Airton Cozzolino and Jalou Langueree take the 2018 Kite-Surf World Tour titles. Sunday 16th December Report: Matt Pearce Photos: Ydwer van der Heide Videos: Mintautas Grigas After a few days of faltering winds, a fair bit of waiting and consistent but mostly onshore surf, Point Danger delivered cross-off winds and peeling waves for an epic final round in the men’s single eliminations. Done and dusted / Photo: Ydwer van der Heide On the last day with any reliable wind on the forecast we watched Keahi de Aboitiz beat Sebastian Ribeiro in a world class final to take the KSWT Torquay title (and on his birthday no less). Ribeiro takes second / Photo: Ydwer van der Heide The women’s single elimination had wrapped up the day before and their results were announced alongside the men’s with Jalou crowned the winner after a testing single elimination round that saw the women competing in some of the toughest conditions of the event at nearby Thirteenth Beach. Tropical feels at Thirteenth Beach / Photo: Ydwer van der Heide Today the riders were back on the point at 08:00 AM for a possible start to the double eliminations but, although there were clear blue skies …
2018 GKA Kite-Surf World Tour
KSWT Torquay – Day Four – Single Eliminations Wrap Up
Keahi de Aboitiz and Jalou Langeree win the Single Eliminations. Check the report below. Saturday 15th December Photos: Ydwer van der Heide Report: Matt Pearce Videos: Mintautas Grigas Matchu prepares / Photo: Ydwer van der Heide It was another early start this morning as the men rigged up in the dark preparing for a 06:00 AM kick off at Point Danger. The wind was more side shore than yesterday with a slightly improved swell angle as well which made for some decent conditions and the day’s first heat – heat 10b featuring Matchu Lopes and Jarrod Snow – was on the water shortly after sunrise. Matchu icking off day four and the single eliminations / Photo: Ydwer van der Heide Matchu took the heat convincingly with a super clean no-handed wave 360 and fellow Cape Verdean wave seeking savant Mitu Monteiro then came up with a masterful backhand performance to win the following heat against Paulo Aurelio. Next up wave riding heavyweights Sebastian Ribeiro and local legend James Carew went at it for a place in the quarter finals. James is one of the tour’s standout up-and-comers but Sebastian used to compete on the QS pro surfing tour and his …
Ceara Kite Pro – Big Air Wrap-Up in Brazil
The Ceara Kite Pro came to a close on Saturday with a big air competition. Check the report below. Saturday 24th November Report: Jim Gaunt Photos: Ydwer van der Heide Videos: Mintautas Grigas Unofficial big air extravaganza closes out the Ceara Kite Pro Four action packed days in Prea, Brazil for round six of the GKA Kite-Surf World Tour came to a close on Saturday with a big air competition. This unofficial result doesn’t count towards the overall World Championship ranking, but with pride on the line as well as performance momentum propelling the winner positively onwards towards the final round in Australia next month, the beach crowd was treated to one more afternoon of aerial acrobatics. Man and machine, Airton Cozzolino Two tricks counted for each rider in the heats, with judges awarding 70% of the score for height and 30% for technicality. Kiko stoked to make his first ever final!! 17 year-old Spaniard Kiko Roig has impressed all week and reached the final against Airton Cozzolino but couldn’t topple the reigning World Champion who was riding high after his main event win yesterday. Carla back to winning ways against Jalou In the women’s unofficial big air event Carla …
GKA Kite-Surf World Tour in Brazil
Is Airton Cozzolino really from another planet?
His opponents deliver their thoughts PAULINO PEREIRA “Pfff, maybe in the next life I can get up to his level. There’s always one guy on the tour that’s an alien. In freestyle it was the same back in the day with Aaron. Airton is doing the same; he’s pushing the sport and we’re trying to go with him, but it’s really hard. He’s so technical and aggressive but he makes it look so clean. It’s amazing to see.” Hear more reaction and check the mind blowing action in this video: KEAHI DE ABOITIZ “It’s been insane to see Airton, especially at these last few events, because he’s able to do almost anything. Wave riding has perhaps been his slight weakness in the past, but in Cape Verde he was on fire and here in a strapless freestyle event at Sotavento he was on another level. It’s been crazy to see someone going that big and that powered. But yeah, in conditions like this he’s a huge inspiration.” MALLORY DE LA VILLEMARQUE (JUDGE) “The thing that really stands out is his commitment in all his tricks. The height, the amplitude, the speed; everything. He puts 1,000% in all the time. “In …
KSWT Sotavento: Day 3
The KSWT Fuerteventura Result – Airton The Alien lands at Sotavento The Alien has landed (but he was up there a long time) Cosmic Cozzolino Matchu pulled frustratedly on his bar after a slow and uneasy landing because of a high kite. Where Airton was finding a body and kite angle to rescue a tricky landing and create some forward pull at the last moment, Matchu seemed to be left scrambling for aerial position in the final. Matchu attempts a double front… which he had locked down earlier in the day Approaching the last minute, they both took off; Matchu attempting a fast triple front roll on the inside as Airton adjusted to the gusts around another huge back roll combination out back. As the final few seconds ticked by Airton took off halfway inside the competition box, landing 100 yards from where he started… a late back roll rodeo into a powered kite loop saw him projected in front of his kite. Still 15 feet up with his board locked between his knees he arched his back and craned his neck to look up and check his kite before pulling it in a wide arc around the top of …
KSWT Sotavento: Round One Report
KSWT Sotavento main event is underway. The howling winds were already in by mid morning signified a pumping Saturday afternoon of action. At 12 noon, the first riders were sending it on 7s. Sotavento is undoubtedly a technical place to land all your tricks perfectly, but the Kite-Surf World Tour format rewards all aspects of manoeuvres and heat management. Can you go high? Yes! Is it still possible to do a variety of moves? Yes. And because it’s technical, Airton Cozzolino managed to nail almost a perfect ten from all five judges for technical difficulty in the last heat of round one on Saturday. He’s up there… / Photo: Jim Gaunt AIRton going huge in his first heat on day two / Photo: Tom Brendt – Tillmann’s Team The essence of kitesurfing makes sense when you see good riders going big with control. Airton demonstrated once again that his ability to progress quickly is still at an unbelievable level. Remember when Aaron Hadlow was innovating almost by the event in freestyle? Well, Airton’s pretty much doing the same thing in strapless freestyle. But he manages to do it by going huge! When walking past the judges tower, they could be …