Overview
“I’m super excited to start this first event of the year. It’s a bit earlier than I expected, as I’m usually in Cape Town around this time. But yeah, I’m stoked to come over to Cabo Verde and ride Ponta Preta.”
In February 2018, the opening round of the 2018 GKA Kite-Surf World Tour took place on Sal Island, Cape Verde, off the west coast of Africa.
Set against the backdrop of the legendary point break “Ponta Preta,” a dream wave for wave riders worldwide, 49 of the world’s top male and female riders gathered to compete. Local Cape Verdean stars clashed with international powerhouses for the first title of the season in a dramatic opener marked by historic competition firsts, major upsets, and the settling of a longstanding rivalry.
Location and Conditions
The main venue, Ponta Preta on Sal Island, is a world-renowned wave spot famous for producing big, clean right-handers over a shallow reef.
During this event, the swell was slightly smaller than anticipated, and riders were tested by highly technical conditions featuring marginal, cross-offshore winds. Even so, competitors charged hard, riding waves right into the exposed rocks on the inside before kicking out at the very last second.
For the final stages of the women’s division, organizers moved the competition to the northern end of the island to a spot called “Secrets” in search of better wind and wave conditions, where the final showdown unfolded in ideal side-shore breezes.
Format and Competitors
The competition was contested as a Pure Wave single elimination format.
In the men’s division, all eyes were on the three local heroes born and raised on Sal Island: Mitu Monteiro, defending champion Airton Cozzolino, and 2016 World Champion Matchu Lopes. Determined to keep the trophy on home soil, they faced a stacked international field including four-time World Champion Keahi de Aboitiz, Brazilians Sebastian Ribeiro and Pedro Matos, Portuguese powerhouse Paulino Pereira, and Australia’s James Carew.
The women’s division centered on a showdown between two heavy favorites: Hawaii’s Moona Whyte, entering 2018 to defend her inaugural crown after winning the standout Mauritius event the previous year, and two-time World Champion Jalou Langeree of the Netherlands, alongside contenders such as Portugal’s Ines Correia and France’s Marie Gautron and Charlotte Carpentier.
Highlights and Iconic Battles
Men: Major Upsets and Airton’s Maiden Heat Victory Over Keahi
Australian four-time World Champion Keahi de Aboitiz delivered the standout performance of the opening session, immediately finding his flow. Meanwhile, local hero Airton Cozzolino turned up the dial in his very first heat, landing the first-ever “grabbed Backroll” off a wave in competition history despite the tricky cross-offshore winds.
Day 3 brought even more drama. Capitalizing on some of the biggest sets of the day, Portuguese powerhouse Paulino Pereira threw down committed turns to score not one, but two perfect 10s. Then in Round 4, Brazil’s Pedro Matos caused a massive upset by eliminating title favorite and 2016 World Champion Matchu Lopes.
In the first semifinal, Keahi stopped Pedro Matos with a polished display, while the second semifinal between Airton and Sebastian Ribeiro was a tight affair with long lulls between sets and marginal winds, with Airton narrowly prevailing.
The final set up a blockbuster clash between Airton Cozzolino and Keahi de Aboitiz. Despite having faced each other numerous times over the years, reigning champion Airton had never managed to beat Keahi in a heat. Charging hard from the start, Airton launched some of the best aerials of the event, attacking each wave until the final moment. Keahi responded with seamless flow and tactical wave selection, but as conditions began favoring off-the-lip maneuvers, Airton sealed the win to finally put one over his longtime rival. “Keahi always beat me, and this time in my home… I’m super stoked,” said Airton, celebrating a historic victory in front of his home crowd.
Women: Showdown at Secrets and Moona’s Season-Opening Victory
Getting underway on Day 2, defending champion Moona Whyte delivered arguably the most complete performance of Round 1 against South Africa’s Lyde Heckroodt. Meanwhile, Jalou Langeree adapted quickly to the challenging backside offshore waves at Ponta Preta, and the two favorites proved a step above the rest of the field as they booked their spots in the final.
Relocated to the northern spot of “Secrets” for the final, Moona and Jalou engaged in a thrilling wave battle. Although the wind had been light during the preceding heats, it picked up just in time for the final, allowing Moona to switch to her smaller kite and take full advantage of the side-shore wave conditions. With less than two points separating them at the buzzer, Moona claimed the opening win of the season. “I’ve been hearing about this place for so long and now finally coming all this way from Hawaii, it was amazing to see these really nice waves and come out on top, so I’m really happy,” Moona beamed, setting the stage for a closely contested title race between the top two riders.
View Detailed Event Results (Spoiler Alert)
Men’s Final Results
- Airton Cozzolino (ITA / CV)
- Keahi de Aboitiz (AUS)
- Sebastian Ribeiro (BRA)
- Pedro Matos (BRA)
- Mitu Monteiro (CV)
Women’s Final Results
- Moona Whyte (USA)
- Jalou Langeree (NED)
- Ines Correia (POR)
- Marie Gautron (FRA)
- Charlotte Carpentier (FRA)
Search Aliases: 2018 GKA Cape Verde, 2018GKACapeVerde