“Gone are the days where conditions determined the show. These guys are so good now. They put on a show no matter what. The conditions do not damage the show now… Who gives a shit? It was awesome.”
Overview
The Cold Hawaii Big Air 2026, held in the unforgiving North Sea of Denmark, is one of the world’s premier extreme kiteboarding events. This edition left a massive impact on the scene, marking both the birth of a new champion and a historic first. Evolving from its previous status as a mere qualifier into a true Grand Slam-level event, it became a monumental occasion by introducing the Women’s Division for the first time in the event’s history.
Location and Conditions
Taking place in northwestern Denmark, affectionately known as “Cold Hawaii,” the event faced extreme nuclear storm conditions with massive 4-meter swells and relentless gusts exceeding 40 knots (approx. 75 km/h). With sharp rocks and jetties scattered throughout the inside sections, riders needed not only top-tier aerial techniques but also exceptional spatial awareness and immense mental fortitude to navigate the dangerous hazards.
Format and Competitors
The scoring format heavily prioritized height and radical extremity, while also applying a strict rule where unique points (an overall impression score evaluating style, risk, and variety) were added to the total of the top three tricks. The biggest talking point was the historic debut of the Women’s Division. Six elite female riders from countries like Egypt and the UK took on these extreme waters. The Men’s Division featured a stacked roster of world champion-caliber riders, testing their ultimate adaptability to both savage natural elements and highly technical tricks.
Highlights and Epic Battles
A unique scoring system combined with extreme conditions resulted in numerous legendary moments throughout the competition.
A Chaotic Semifinal
In the semifinals, where tickets to the finals were on the line, unique points heavily influenced the outcomes.
・The Rock Jump: Jamie Overbeek launched a “Board-off Tornado” that carried an unimaginable distance, appearing as though he would crash directly into the dangerous rocks along the jetty. However, he pulled off an astonishing mid-air recovery to barely clear the rocks, leaving the crowd completely stunned.
・An Upset During an Interview: The heat between Shahar Tsabary and Stino turned into a historically close battle, separated by a mere 0.36 points. While a reporter was interviewing Shahar in excitement over an apparent giant-killing upset, the judges’ booth updated the unique points, causing a dramatic score reversal that secured Stino’s spot in the finals.
・Victory of Precision: The showdown between Leonardo Casati and Jeremy Burlando was also decided by unique points. While Jeremy targeted high-difficulty tricks with a 6/8 success rate, Leonardo secured a flawless 10/10 success rate. Building his points with the precision of a machine, Leonardo steadily advanced to the final.
The First Queen: Nathalie Overcomes Jet Lag
Behind Nathalie Lambrecht’s crowning as the inaugural Queen of the Women’s Division lay a grueling backstage story. Due to an unexpected early green light for the event, she had to take an emergency flight from her training base in Brazil all the way to Denmark. Suffering from a 5-hour time difference and extreme sleep deprivation from the long journey, she was in a state of exhaustion where even standing up was difficult. However, spurred on by words of encouragement from her friends, she charged into the ocean running purely on willpower. Overcoming the extreme conditions, she successfully captured the historic first Queen’s crown.
“Yeah, it was really cool conditions. Like I’m not gonna lie, I was super tired the whole day because of jet lag and not sleeping well the past night traveling here. But I had good people around me to kick me in the butt of this and say some good things…”
— Nathalie Lambrecht
An Extreme 3-Way Final
The men’s final turned into a 3-way battle among Lorenzo Casati, Leonardo Casati, and Stino. Notably, all three finalists were riding Harlem Kites equipment. The heat remained neck-and-neck throughout, and with less than one minute remaining on the clock, the scores read: Lorenzo 30.40, Leonardo 29.67, and Stino 28.72. Furthermore, all three riders had maxed out their unique scores at “7,” creating an ultimate deadlock where literally anyone could win.
Show detailed event results (Spoiler Alert)
In the final moments, Leonardo mounted a ferocious comeback, pushing his score to catch the leader and creating an unprecedented absolute tie of “30.40 to 30.40” against Lorenzo. The match was ultimately decided by a split-second opening and clutch execution. Right after co-leader Lorenzo suffered a devastating crash, Leonardo spotted a perfect kicker (wave ramp) and took off. Mid-air, he executed a flawless “Zack Attack,” scoring an 8.47—the highest single trick score of the final.
For years, his older brother Lorenzo had stood as an insurmountable wall on the biggest stages. However, with just 25 seconds remaining, Leonardo landed this miraculous strike, fairly and squarely defeating his brother to complete a historic upset. The live commentators screamed, “Are we seeing a passing of the torch, a changing of the guard!?… He’s proved it wasn’t fake!” marking a truly legendary final.
“Ah man feels amazing you know especially beating my brother you know it’s something like really special you know because at King of the Air he won me yeah now here I beat him so yeah something really like special you know family vibe”
— Leonardo Casati
【Men’s Division】
1st: Leonardo Casati (Italy)
2nd: Lorenzo Casati (Italy)
3rd: Stino (Netherlands)
【Women’s Division】
1st: Nathalie Lambrecht
2nd: Francesca Maini (UK)
3rd: Sarah Sadek(Egypt)
Search Aliases: 2026 Cold Hawaii Big Air, 2026ColdHawaiiBigAir