2019 GKA Kite World Cup Tarifa (Tarifa Kite Pro)

Table of Contents

Overview

“My home Valencia is always like this, so it’s perfect.”
— Kiko Roig

The 2019 GKA Kite World Cup Tarifa (Tarifa Kite Pro) was an event on the GKA held in Tarifa, Spain. It served as the opening stop of the three major “Grand Slams” of the 2019 season (alongside Mauritius and Morocco), integrating both Freestyle (twin-tip) and Kite-Surf (strapless) disciplines into a single massive event.

Location and Conditions

The competition area was set up right in front of “Bibo Beach House,” a new restaurant owned by world-renowned Michelin-starred chef Dani Garcia. An avid bodyboarder himself, Garcia directly supported the event, adding a glamorous beach culture vibe.

However, despite Tarifa being known as the “Wind Capital of Europe,” the event was plagued by a severe lack of wind. The first few days saw no wind at all, and a heatwave from northern Spain blocked the thermal winds. Proper wind only arrived on the final day, leaving woefully insufficient time to complete the elimination brackets.

Format and Competitors

The riders faced an incredibly grueling schedule, having to travel across Europe from the Sylt event in Germany back to Tarifa with only one day of rest.

Among the competitors, former freestyle world champion Bruna Kajiya, highly anticipated to make her comeback from a knee injury, unfortunately had to withdraw. Adeuri Corniel from the Dominican Republic had strongly desired to push his limits in Tarifa’s famous 40+ knot “Levante” winds—conditions not found in his home country—but the lack of wind dashed those hopes.

Highlights and Showdowns

The unusually light winds led to a series of major upsets. In the early rounds of the Men’s Strapless division, heavy favorites like Camille Delannoy and James Carew suffered shocking early eliminations.

On the other hand, promising Spanish rookie Kiko Roig, nicknamed “El Anguilita” (The Eel), thrived. While many pros struggled in the ultra-light, tricky wind, Roig fully capitalized on the conditions, marking a major breakthrough and securing a joint 1st place finish. This impressive performance served as a strong foreshadowing of his eventual victory in Sylt a few years later.

Due to the lack of wind, both the Men’s Twin-Tip Freestyle and Men’s Kite-Surf divisions could not complete their tournaments. Consequently, the top eight riders remaining in each division shared a “joint 1st place” as the official result.

The Women’s Kite-Surf division was the only one to complete all heats, where Spain’s Carla Herrera Oria claimed a flawless victory backed by overwhelming local support.

Show Detailed Event Results (Spoiler Alert)

Women’s Kite-Surf Division Final Results

1st: Carla Herrera Oria (Spain)
2nd: Sabine Beukeleers (Belgium)

Men’s Freestyle Division (Joint 1st Place)

Men’s Kite-Surf Division (Joint 1st Place)

Search Aliases: Tarifa Kite Pro, TarifaKitePro