Overview
“This is not a minor sport here. You can see pictures of Carlos Mario in the shops, and you really feel the energy of the entire town. With endless sand dunes, it is absolutely the perfect location. I can easily see why kiteboarders from all over the world come here to hone their skills.”
The 2018 World Kiteboarding Championships (WKC) Cumbuco was an elite professional freestyle competition held in Ceará, Brazil, in November 2018.
Location & Conditions
Serving as the final stop of the 2018 season, the event took place at Douro Beach, where the overall world champions were officially crowned. Cumbuco is widely known as a freestyle paradise, providing consistent trade winds and perfect flat-water conditions that allow riders to execute the highest level of maneuvers.
Format & Competitors
As the closing event of the 2018 WKC tour, the world championship titles were on the line. Top riders from around the globe gathered to push the limits in highly competitive men’s and women’s freestyle divisions.
Highlights
In the Men’s Freestyle division, local hero Carlos Mario secured the 2018 Men’s Overall World Championship title in front of his home crowd. He triumphed over Liam Whaley, Adeuri Corniel, and local wildcard Erick Anderson, who caused a major sensation by reaching the finals. Anderson landed a Backside 317 and a Hinterberger 7 in Round 2, upsetting several top contenders. Additionally, Gianmaria Coccoluto delivered a massive KGB 5 in the Small Final, marking one of the highest scores of the day in the 8-point range.
In the Women’s Freestyle division, 14-year-old local Mikaili Sol claimed the 2018 Women’s Overall World Championship title with a dominant total score of 35.3. She secured multiple scores in the high 9s during the final and landed a huge Heart Attack for 8.17. She also landed the first Slim 5 ever seen in a women’s WKC heat, an otherworldly performance that astonished her coach, Fabio Ingrosso.
“I’ve been training the entire year for this and being world champion in the freestyle event really means a lot to me.”
— Mikaili Sol
Francesca Bagnoli took second place after scoring 8.07 with a Hinterberger Mobe, and Pippa van Iersel claimed third, marking her first podium finish in only her second elite event. The competition was fierce; Denmark’s Therese Taabbel suffered a heavy crash on her final attempt, resulting in her elimination. Local wildcard Estefania Rosa also faced a dangerous moment when her leash wrapped around her arm during a failed Slim Chance attempt.
Show Competition Results (Spoilers)
Men’s Freestyle
- 1st: Carlos Mario (Brazil)
- 2nd: Liam Whaley (Spain)
- 3rd: Adeuri Corniel (Dominican Republic)
- 4th: Erick Anderson (Brazil)
Women’s Freestyle
- 1st: Mikaili Sol (Brazil)
- 2nd: Francesca Bagnoli (Italy)
- 3rd: Pippa van Iersel (Netherlands)
- 4th: Estefania Rosa (Brazil)
Search Aliases: WKC【2018】Cumbuco, Brazil: WKC Cumbuco, Brazil:WKCCumbuco