Inauguration of the venue and second-to-last event of the Kite-Surf discipline at GKA Kite-Surf World Cup Ibiraquera
by GKA Kite World Tour 14 Oct 02:45 PDT
GKA Kite-Surf World Cup 2024 Ibiraquera © Svetlana Romantsova
The Qatar Airways GKA Kite World Tour is about to kick off in the Brazilian location of Ibiraquera, where the Kite-Surf discipline holds its second-to-last event of the season.
Top competitors from around the world will showcase their skills in the paradise of Ibiraquera, a brand new staging area for the tour!
The Ibiraquera stop marks the first of two consecutive events in Brazil, after which the 2024 Kite-Surf world champions will be decided.
Airton Cozzolino (ITA), hailing from Cape Verde, and France’s Capucine Delannoy lead the Kite-Surf standings, though their advantages over their competitors have diminished after both were defeated at the previous tour event in Dakhla, Morocco.
Cozzolino secured his title in Brazil last year following an intense competition that concluded dramatically. He began his title defense with a significant victory at the season’s start in his home waters of Cape Verde.
Men: Former two-time world champion James Carew from Australia made a strong comeback from an 18-month injury hiatus, claiming consecutive wins in Germany and Morocco, propelling him to fourth in the rankings. Carew missed the opening event of the year, but since there are five events planned in total, he can discard that score, placing him in a strong position for the championship.
In Brazil, local riders Gabriel Benetton, Pedro Matos, and Sebastian Ribeiro will be counting on the advantage of competing at home to maintain their competitive edge. Benetton made waves in Sylt, securing second place. Matchu Lopes from Spain, who won last year’s event in Rio de Janeiro, also aims for a strong performance in Ibiraquera, where the competition may feature a mixed Kite-Surf format including both traditional surfing and strapless freestyle disciplines. However, Lopes faced an early elimination in Dakhla.
Women: Capucine Delannoy also achieved victory in Brazil last year, but world champion Moona Whyte (USA) had gathered enough points earlier in the season to claim her fourth world title. After her win in Cape Verde in February, Whyte opted to withdraw from competition for the remainder of the year.
In Dakhla, Brazilian Kesiane Rodrigues put on an impressive performance, defeating Delannoy in the final, elevating her to second in the rankings with aspirations to excel in her home waters.
Switzerland’s Camille Losserand slipped to third after finishing fifth in Morocco, but the top riders are closely positioned in points, leaving little room for mistakes in Ibiraquera.
For further details, please visit: www.gkakiteworldtour.com/news
