Event Overview
Held at Playa Sotaventura in Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Spain, the 2018 GKA Kite-Surf World Tour marked the 33rd consecutive year of World Cup events at this location—a legacy dating back to its windsurfing origins—and the 3rd year hosting the Strapless Freestyle discipline.
Location & Conditions
Playa Sotaventura is characterized by its summer northeast trade winds, which compress due to the local topography and blow down as strong offshore winds. Fought in notoriously strong 35-knot winds typical of Fuerteventura, the event provided an extreme environment. The relatively flat water despite the fierce wind created the perfect conditions for a specialized format focused purely on altitude, utilizing the wind’s power rather than wave kickers.
Format & Participating Riders
The international fleet consisted of 24 top riders, notably including two women who competed directly against the men. The specific judging criteria for the Big Air discipline was weighted heavily on altitude: “70% height, 30% technical difficulty”.
Highlights & Iconic Matchups
In the Strapless Freestyle (main event), top riders battled fiercely, pushing their limits. The Big Air discipline saw an insane battle unfold, taking advantage of the strong winds and flat water, resulting in unprecedented jump heights, huge crashes, and historic hangtimes.
Show Event Results (Spoiler Alert)
Strapless FreestyleIn the main Freestyle event, Airton Cozzolino delivered a dominant performance to claim the victory.
- 1st: Airton Cozzolino
- 2nd: Matchu Lopes
- 3rd: Keahi de Aboitiz
- 4th: Mitu Monteiro
Witnessing unprecedented heights and huge crashes, Australia’s James Carew was crowned the Champion after landing cleanly from insane heights. A major highlight of the event was Airton Cozzolino, who recorded an astonishing 14.3 seconds of hangtime on a Strapless surfboard, leaving the crowd in absolute awe.
- 1st: James Carew
- 2nd: Mitu Monteiro
- 3rd: Airton Cozzolino
- 4th: Matchu Lopes
Search Aliases: Big Air, BigAir