“I won?! No, it’s not true. Really, I won? … Four months ago, I did a tattoo of the Megaloop trophy. But I didn’t know that the Red Bull was going to happen now. So I think some sign!”
Overview
After a grueling waiting period of 1,566 days (roughly four years), the world’s pinnacle big air event, “Red Bull Megaloop 2023,” finally took place. Set in Zandvoort, Netherlands, amidst a 30 to 50-knot storm, 16 invited riders battled in extreme conditions. Marking a significant generational shift, young Italian ace Andrea Principi emerged victorious after a fierce showdown.
Location and Conditions
The event was held in Zandvoort, Netherlands, a spot notorious for punishing riders with heavy and irregular North Sea chop, strong currents, and gusty 30 to 50-knot winds.
Following four years without the perfect storm, a 48-hour green light was suddenly called. The 16 riders scattered across the globe had to converge on the Netherlands within 48 hours. In one incredible journey, Joshua Emanuel, who was staying on a remote island off the coast of Mozambique, took a boat and three connecting flights, arriving in the freezing Netherlands just an hour and a half before the morning skippers’ meeting.
Format and Competitors
With 2015 champion Lasse Walker withdrawing, only three riders from the 2019 event (Ross-Dillon Player, Liam Whaley, and Joshua Emanuel) competed, making this a true turning point for the new generation.
The judging criteria followed a “best one-trick” format. The winner was determined solely by the single highest-scoring trick executed during a 12-minute heat. The scoring philosophy demanded extreme risk: 70% of the score was based on “Height & Extremity” (keeping the kite low and horizontal travel distance), while the remaining 30% accounted for “Execution & Flow” (grabs, rotation aesthetics, and a clean landing).
“To me, a Megaloop feels like pure freedom. You’re in pure connection with Mother Nature… really tensing up your core, absorb that yank, you fly 100 meter downwind and the kite comes back up to catch you. It’s just pure bliss.”
Highlights and Drama
A 0.26-Point Margin and Principi’s Triumph
The final heat featured Andrea Principi, Liam Whaley,Cohan van Dijk, and Jeremy Burlando. Midway through the heat, all four finalists were separated by a historically tight margin of just 0.26 points. Liam Whaley nearly dominated the heat by repeatedly throwing extreme megaloop backroll board-offs with his 7m kite. However, Andrea Principi answered back by aggressively using the lip of crashing waves for takeoff, landing multi-rotation front rolls and ultra-low loops to snatch the victory. Local Dutch hero Cohan van Dijk also showed his pride, securing 3rd place with beautiful superman-style board-offs.
The Prophetic Tattoo and a Hilarious Strip-Down
On the beach right after winning, Andrea Principi provided the biggest highlight and laugh of the day. Four months prior, when the event wasn’t even confirmed for the year, he had tattooed the “Megaloop Trophy” on his right leg. Amidst the adrenaline on the beach, he tried to show it off but struggled to pull up his wetsuit from the ankle. Giving up on peeling it from the bottom, he hilariously threw off his harness, lycra, and impact vest in a wild strip-down, forcefully unzipping his wetsuit from the top to finally reveal the tattoo, sending the crowd into roaring laughter.
Ambitions for the Double Crown
While proudly displaying his tattoo, he made an ambitious statement about achieving the yet-unseen “Double Crown”—winning both Megaloop and King of the Air (KOTA) in the same year. True to his word, he conquered KOTA in South Africa that December, successfully cementing his name in big air history with the legendary Double Crown.
Final Results
- 1st: Andrea Principi (ITA)
- 2nd: Liam Whaley (ESP)
- 3rd: Cohan van Dijk(NED)
- 4th: Jeremy Burlando (ESP)
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