GKA Kite-Surf World Cup Ibiraquera 2024 – Tour arrives in Ibiraquera for second-last event
by Ian MacKinnon 18 Oct 08:56 PDT
19-26 October 2024
Gemma Soloman – GKA23 Cauipe Strapless day 2 © Svetlana Romantsova
The Qatar Airways GKA Kite World Tour is set to make its debut at the Brazilian break of Ibiraquera, where the Kite-Surf discipline will make its second-last appearance of the season.
The Ibiraquera stop will be the first of two consecutive events in Brazil, after which the 2024 Kite-Surf world champions will be determined.
Airton Cozzolino (ITA) from Cape Verde and France’s Capucine Delannoy currently lead the standings, but their margins over the competition have tightened after both faced defeats at the last event in Dakhla, Morocco.
Cozzolino secured his title in Brazil the previous year after a tightly contested race. He kicked off his title defense with a significant victory in Cap Verde’s home waters at the start of this season.
Campaign stumbled
However, in Sylt, Germany, his campaign stumbled as he was eliminated in the semi-finals and ended up fifth overall. In Dakhla, Cozzolino again placed third, reducing his lead in the rankings going into Ibiraquera.
James Carew from Australia, a two-time former world champion, made a strong comeback after an 18-month injury hiatus, securing consecutive wins in Germany and Morocco, raising him to fourth in the rankings.
Carew missed the season’s opening event, but with five total stops planned, he can discard that score, putting him in a favorable position for the title.
Locals Gabriel Benetton, Pedro Matos, and Sebastian Ribeiro are hoping that competing at home will give them an advantage and sustain their title aspirations. Benetton was remarkable in Sylt, where he finished second.
Brazilian showed strength
Matchu Lopes from Spain, who won in Rio de Janeiro last year, also seeks a strong performance in Ibiraquera, where the event may feature a blend of pure surfing and strapless-freestyle in a mixed Kite-Surf format. However, Lopes had an early exit in Dakhla.
Capucine Delannoy won in Brazil last year, but world champion Moona Whyte (USA) secured her fourth title earlier this season. After her win in Cape Verde in February, Whyte stepped away from competitions for the rest of the year.
In Dakhla, Kesiane Rodrigues (BRA) displayed dominance by defeating Delannoy in the final. This victory propelled the Brazilian to second in the rankings, and she is excited about competing on her home turf.
Switzerland’s Camille Losserand dropped to third place after finishing fifth in Morocco, but at the top, just a few points separate the leading riders, leaving little margin for errors in Ibiraquera. Join us for all the action here.
