“Riding styles—him being strapped and me being strapless—overall it was cool to show the world how broad foiling is, and I had a great time. Definitely fun to be down here in Fortaleza, Brazil. I’ve never been to Brazil before, gotta go back home to finish off school, but I know I’m going to be back soon!”
Overview
Held from November 11 to 16, 2020, in Fortaleza, the capital of Ceará in northeastern Brazil, the GKA SuperFoil Brazil 2020 marked the GKA’s return to live beach competition following the pandemic lockdown—kicking off just days before the GKA SuperKite Brazil 2020. Staged as a joint showcase alongside the newly formed Global Wingsports Association’s (GWA) first international wingfoil competition, the event highlighted the rapid rise of hydrofoil freestyle.
Location and Conditions
The competition took place at Praia de Iracema, set directly against Fortaleza’s dramatic urban skyline.
With winds ranging from light 10-knot breezes to 15–25 knots across the week, the hydrofoil’s efficiency allowed riders to boost 5 to 6 meters into the air even in marginal conditions, turning the city shoreline into a high-flying amphitheater.
Equipment Variety and a Clash of Styles
From the opening qualification day, the event showcased a fascinating mix of equipment and riding philosophies.
Athletes competed side by side on ram-air (foil) kites with footstraps and inflatable (tube) kites with strapless boards. While strapped foil-kite riders used massive hangtime for lofty old-school board-offs and rotations, strapless riders emphasized fluid carving, skate-style surface tricks, and even unhooked handle-passes on the foil.
Highlights and Epic Battles
Semifinal Nail-Biter: Fred Hope vs. Maxime Chabloz
Throughout the main event bracket, three riders stood out from the pack: American strapless pioneer Fred Hope, French aerialist Charles Brodel, and Swiss multi-discipline standout Maxime Chabloz.
Their head-to-head clash in the semifinals produced one of the closest heats in GKA history, as Maxime Chabloz—who even stomped unhooked handle-passes on the hydrofoil—pushed Fred Hope to the absolute wire in the battle for the top spot, with both riders advancing together into the four-man Grand Final.
The Grand Final and Final Day Super Session
The four-man Grand Final brought together Fred Hope, Charles Brodel, Maxime Chabloz, and New Caledonia’s Titouan Galea (who also won the concurrent GWA Wingfoil division).
In a classic battle of contrasting styles, Charles Brodel threw down massive strapped board-off rotations, while Fred Hope answered with seamless strapless flow and technical carving. In the end, Fred Hope’s strapless mastery prevailed over Charles Brodel by just 1.03 points (26.57 to 25.54) to crown the young American the GKA SuperFoil Brazil 2020 champion. Meanwhile, Maxime Chabloz secured 3rd place on the podium with 23.00 points—building momentum just days before going on to win the twin-tip title at the GKA SuperKite Brazil 2020 in Ilha do Guajiru.
“I finished second at this competition. I’m a French kite-foil freestyler and I do a lot of airstyle and board-off rotations. And I think this event was really cool because I can see the other style, like Fred Hope with the strapless, and it’s really cool for the future because I want to try the strapless style.”
— Charles Brodel
Click to reveal detailed competition results (Spoilers)
On the final day (November 16), riders returned to the water for the “Hydrofoil Freestyle Kite Super Session,” a best-trick showdown where athletes were judged on their single best maneuver. Amid a flurry of handle-passes, spins, and twirls, main-event runner-up Charles Brodel claimed the Super Session victory with his signature stylish board-offs—setting the stage for his World Title triumph at the same venue a year later.
[Hydrofoil Freestyle Main Event Results]
1st: Fred Hope (USA) — 26.57 pts
2nd: Charles Brodel (France) — 25.54 pts
3rd: Maxime Chabloz (Switzerland) — 23.00 pts
4位: Titouan Galea (France) — 19.17 pts
[Super Session (Best Trick) Result]
Winner: Charles Brodel (France)
Search Aliases: 2020 GKA Hydrofoil Freestyle World Cup (Superfoil), 2020GKAHydrofoilFreestyleWorldCup(Superfoil)