Overview
In November 2020, the GKA SuperKite Brazil took place in Ilha do Guajiru. Under strict COVID-19 protocols where all athletes were required to test negative to enter the competition area, riders gathered for the only official live event of the year following months of online Distance Battles.
Location and Conditions
Located in northeastern Brazil, Ilha do Guajiru is renowned as a freestyle mecca. Although blessed with Brazil’s signature warm sunshine and blue skies, the wind remained extremely strong and gusty, creating a challenging, choppy water surface during high tide.
“It’s a little bit tricky here with the conditions. The wind is super strong and gusty, and on high tide it gets choppy. But overall, it’s awesome. The spot is great, and everyone is super happy with their results today.”
Format and Participating Riders
Over 40 top riders from more than 20 countries participated. The Men’s division featured Maxime Chabloz, Liam Whaley, Manuel Suarez, and Erick Anderson. The Women’s division included Mikaili Sol, Rita Arnaus, Pippa van Iersel, and Claudia León. 12-year-old Brazilian local Davi Ribeiro drew massive attention by dropping top scores among the adults in a sensational debut. Meanwhile, title favorite Liam Whaley had to unfortunately withdraw due to injury just before the semi-finals.
Highlights and Epic Battles
The Men’s final was a showdown between South American powerhouses and Switzerland’s Maxime Chabloz. Despite dislocating his finger the previous day, Erick Anderson delivered a fierce performance landing a “Backside 3-1-7”. Manuel Suarez applied intense pressure with a flawless “Slim 7” scoring 8.80. However, Maxime maintained his composure. On his final attempt, Maxime unleashed an incredible “Grab Mobe 7”, earning a unanimous historic perfect “10.0” from the judges to claim a dramatic victory.
In the Women’s final, Brazil’s crown jewel Mikaili Sol proved to be in a world of her own. She dominated the heat by landing multiple KGBs, claiming the title in her home country.
“It’s Mika, I am 14 years old and I just won the Ilha do Guajiru Championship here in Brazil and I’m super stoked. The level of the girls has gone up so much and I just couldn’t be happier at this moment.”
— Mikaili Sol
“A small kid a few years ago, he told me, ‘Maxime, you’re gonna be world champion 2020,’ and now it’s not a world title, but I mean, only event of the year, finishing first almost feels like the same. And yeah, I’m over the moon and super stoked.”
—Maxime Chabloz
Click to reveal detailed competition results (Spoilers)
- Men’s Division
1st: Maxime Chabloz
2nd: Erick Anderson
3rd: Manuel Suarez
4th: Juan Rodriguez - Women’s Division
1st: Mikaili Sol
2nd: Rita Arnaus
3rd: Pippa van Iersel
4th: Claudia León
Search Aliases: 2020 Ilha do Guazil GKA SuperKite Brazil, 2020IlhadoGuazilGKASuperKiteBrazil