“I’m feeling really confident, ready to go ahead and try to clinch a second title. Arthur and Davi are really quite close behind. Here in Brazil there’s a lot of really big talent. We’re a really stacked field, so it’s going to be interesting.”
Overview
The GKA Freestyle Kite World Cup Ilha do Guajiru 2026 was the third and final stop of the 2026 GKA Kite World Tour Freestyle season, held from October 20 to 24, 2026, in Ilha do Guajiru, Ceará, Brazil. Replacing the traditional season finale venue of Taíba, the tour returned to Ilha do Guajiru for the first time in roughly six years since SuperKite Brazil 2020, serving as the decisive “World Kite Fest” showdown to crown the 2026 Men’s and Women’s Freestyle World Champions.
Location and Conditions
Ilha do Guajiru is a vast shallow-water lagoon located in Itarema, in the northeastern Brazilian state of Ceará. While tidal shifts significantly alter the water depth and create technical chop across the competition box, the October dry season reliably delivers sunny skies around 30–32°C and steady trade winds.
In the six years since the previous GKA stop in 2020, infrastructure around the main Hura Beach arena had expanded considerably. During the event, regional developer Monte Dourado unveiled its “Vila da Ilha” project—an integrated development featuring a gym curated by one of Brazil’s largest fitness networks, a spa, restaurants, and a kite garden—highlighting how the competition connected athletes with local hotels, restaurants, and kite schools in front of roughly 15,000 spectators.
Format, Riders, and World Title Scenarios
Defending Champion Finn Flügel’s Absence and an Open Men’s Title Race
The competition ran under the standard freestyle format, counting each rider’s top four trick scores from different trick categories (families) out of seven attempts. The biggest twist of the finale arrived just before the opening horn: 16-year-old defending World Champion Finn Flügel (Germany), who had won the 2026 season opener in Nuevo Nayarit, Mexico, and placed third in Borkum, Germany, to sit tied on points at the top of the standings with Switzerland’s Maxime Chabloz, did not travel to Brazil.
Flügel skipped his freestyle title defense because shoulder and elbow inflammation made back-to-back days of heavy freestyle competition difficult to sustain, prompting him to prioritize the Red Bull King of the Air (KOTA) Qualifier in Hsinchu, Taiwan, which took place on the exact same dates (October 20–22) (Flügel went on to finish runner-up in the Taiwan KOTA Qualifier behind New Zealand’s Hugo Wigglesworth).
With Flügel out of contention for back-to-back crowns, the men’s world title race opened up around rankings leader Maxime Chabloz (3rd in Mexico, 1st in Germany), pursued by second-ranked Arthur Guillebert (France), third-ranked local favorite Davi Ribeiro (Brazil), and fifth-ranked Karim Mahmoud (Egypt). They were joined by a deep Brazilian contingent that included four-time World Champion Carlos Mario (“Bebê”), returning after more than a year away due to injury, alongside Erick Anderson, Pedro Alexandre, and João Lucas.
Women’s World Title Scenarios
In the women’s division, Brazilian legend Bruna Kajiya entered her home finale in complete command after winning both previous stops in Mexico and Germany. Having spent 38 days in Brazil preparing for the event, Kajiya’s path to the crown was straightforward: reaching the final (top four) in Ilha do Guajiru would mathematically guarantee her an unprecedented seventh Freestyle World Title regardless of where her rivals finished. Second-ranked Claudia León (Spain) needed Kajiya to be eliminated before the final while winning the event herself to claim her first world crown, with Martyna Konkel (Poland), Francesca Bagnoli (Italy), Naïs Balbinot (Italy), and French rookie Phoebe Rocher rounding out the 16-woman field.
Highlights and Drama
Local Hope Davi Ribeiro’s Category Mistake with Carlos Mario as His Caddy
The early rounds produced high-stakes drama that went far beyond standard highlight reels. Four-time World Champion Carlos Mario, back in a GKA jersey after more than a year out with injury, saw his comeback end in Round 2 (in a heat won by Venezuela’s Einar Saad) when Mexico’s Anthar Racca overtook him on his final trick by a razor-thin margin of just 0.27 points.
The biggest shock of the tournament struck in Men’s Round 3 (Quarterfinals) Heat 1. Third-ranked title contender Davi Ribeiro took to the water against Mexico’s Anthar Racca and Japan’s Hironobu Nakano, with freshly eliminated legend Carlos Mario serving as Ribeiro’s caddy on the beach in front of a roaring Brazilian crowd.
After duplicating the same heelside trick family on his Frontside 319 and Frontside 317, Ribeiro entered his seventh and final attempt having filled only three of the four required trick categories. He stomped a massive Slim 9 (8.30 points) at the buzzer, but because it belonged to the same family as his existing Slim 5, it merely replaced that score rather than adding a fourth category—a costly tactical mistake that left him one required category short. As a result, Ribeiro fell to Anthar Racca (1st) and Hironobu Nakano (2nd), ending his world title dream and leaving the home beach in stunned silence.
Arthur Guillebert Stopped by the Italian Armada as the Title Race Narrows to Two
The upsets continued in Round 3 Heat 2. Second-ranked Arthur Guillebert, competing on a recovering knee that was not at 100%, had won his Round 1 heat but found himself matched against a stacked Italian contingent led by former World Champion Gianmaria Coccoluto and form standout Matteo Dorotini. While Coccoluto locked in four categories including a Front Blind Mobe and a Crow Mobe and Dorotini backed up his lead with a Slim 7, Guillebert could not find the score needed on his final attempt to climb into second place. Defeated by Matteo Dorotini (1st) and Gianmaria Coccoluto (2nd), Guillebert was eliminated in the quarterfinals, ending his 2026 world title bid.
In Round 3 Heat 3, Egypt’s Karim Mahmoud—who had battled through harsh landings the previous day—rode with immense determination to advance alongside Brazil’s Erick Anderson, keeping his slim title hopes alive.
In Round 3 Heat 4, Brazil’s João Lucas suffered an injury on an early crash and was forced to withdraw after receiving medical attention on the beach. In the remaining three-man battle, Maxime Chabloz survived a violent crash on a Double Half Cab Mobe that sent his Red Bull cap flying, regrouping to advance alongside young Brazilian Pedro Alexandre (eliminating Einar Saad). That result narrowed the 2026 Men’s World Title race down to just two riders—Maxime Chabloz and Karim Mahmoud—who were drawn directly against each other in Semi-Final 2.
High-Wind Women’s Rounds and the Rise of Phoebe Rocher
As the women’s opening rounds got underway, the trade winds intensified across the lagoon, challenging the entire fleet with overpowered conditions. French newcomer Phoebe Rocher handled the gusty chop remarkably well, advancing alongside seasoned campaigners Francesca Bagnoli and Naïs Balbinot. Title contender Claudia León posted the highest single-trick score of Round 3 to book her semi-final spot, while Bruna Kajiya showcased unmatched composure on home water to cruise into the semi-finals with her seventh world crown within reach.
Show Detailed Event Results (Spoiler Alert)
Men’s Semi-Finals: Maxime Chabloz’s Final-Trick Comeback Over Close Friend Gianmaria Coccoluto
Finals Day opened with Men’s Semi-Final 1, where Mexico’s Anthar Racca and Brazil’s Erick Anderson landed clean, powerful routines to defeat Italy’s Matteo Dorotini (who could not lock in a fourth trick category) and Brazil’s Pedro Alexandre, securing the first two spots in the final.
All eyes then turned to Semi-Final 2 featuring title rivals Maxime Chabloz and Karim Mahmoud alongside Japan’s Hironobu Nakano and Italy’s Gianmaria Coccoluto. Knowing he needed to win the event while hoping for an early Chabloz exit, Mahmoud came out swinging, opening with an 8.03-point Frontside 319 before stomping a near-perfect stalefish-grabbed Blind Slim to Blind for 9.40 points—the highest single trick score of the entire competition—to lead the heat on 29.66 points.
Chabloz briefly held the lead early after a Back Mobe 5 and a Frontside 317, but a low score on his Double Half Cab on attempt five and a crash on his Double Half Cab Mobe on attempt six left him in trouble. With Hironobu Nakano crashing heavily on slack lines during a sixth-attempt combo to lock in fourth place, the scoreboard heading into the seventh and final trick rotation stood at Karim Mahmoud in 1st, Gianmaria Coccoluto in 2nd, and Maxime Chabloz outside the qualifying spots in 3rd.
Moments before Chabloz’s final attempt, competition officials confirmed to the commentary booth that because Davi Ribeiro and Arthur Guillebert had already been eliminated in Round 3, a third-place finish in the semi-final was mathematically sufficient for Chabloz to clinch the 2026 World Championship. With Nakano already tricked out in fourth, Chabloz was officially the 2026 GKA Freestyle World Champion before even leaving the water for his final trick.
Refusing to settle for a semi-final exit, Chabloz set his sights on the final. After second-placed Gianmaria Coccoluto landed a Slim 7 to raise the bar, Chabloz—supported on the beach by coach Nico Delmas and girlfriend Nina Font—went back to the exact trick he had crashed on his previous run: a Double Half Cab Mobe. Stomping it cleanly under immense pressure to replace his lowest score, Chabloz edged past his close friend Coccoluto into second place on his final attempt to book his ticket to the final.
Men’s Final: A 0.29-Point Victory Sealed by a Last-Trick Slim 7
The Men’s Final (Maxime Chabloz, Karim Mahmoud, Anthar Racca, and Erick Anderson) delivered another nail-biting duel down to the very last trick. Anthar Racca led early with a Frontside 313 to Blind before Karim Mahmoud took control with a 29.76-point total, putting himself on the verge of his maiden GKA World Cup victory.
Sitting in third at the halfway mark, newly crowned World Champion Maxime Chabloz rallied with 7- and 8-point scores on his Back Mobe 5 and Double Half Cab Mobe. Needing to replace his lowest-scoring Frontside 319 on his seventh and final attempt, Chabloz popped toeside and stomped a clutch Slim 7 for 7.67 points. When Mahmoud crashed on his final attempt trying to upgrade his score, Chabloz took the victory by a mere 0.29 points (30.05 to Mahmoud’s 29.76). Completing two last-trick comebacks in a single afternoon, Chabloz sealed both his second GKA Freestyle World Title and the Brazil event win (his second victory in three events in 2026), while Mahmoud celebrated a career-best runner-up finish both in the event and in the overall 2026 world standings (with Davi Ribeiro finishing third overall).
Women’s Semi-Finals and Final: Bruna Kajiya Completes a Perfect Season for Her 7th World Title
In Women’s Semi-Final 1, Claudia León and Francesca Bagnoli delivered composed performances to advance to the final. In Semi-Final 2, Bruna Kajiya calmly fulfilled her title scenario by advancing alongside French rookie Phoebe Rocher, officially clinching her seventh career Freestyle World Title in front of her home Brazilian crowd before the final even began.
In the season-ending Women’s Final (Bruna Kajiya, Claudia León, Phoebe Rocher, and Francesca Bagnoli), Kajiya took command from the opening exchange with clean, mistake-free execution. Claudia León climbed into second place heading into the final round and Phoebe Rocher held off Francesca Bagnoli to claim third on her final debut, while Bruna Kajiya went untouched at the top to complete a flawless 2026 campaign—winning all three stops in Mexico, Germany, and Brazil to cap her seventh World Championship.
Final Results
Men’s Final Results:
1st: Maxime Chabloz (SUI) — 2026 World Champion
2nd: Karim Mahmoud (EGY) — 2nd Overall in 2026 Standings
3rd: Anthar Racca (MEX)
4th: Erick Anderson (BRA)
*3rd Overall in 2026 Standings: Davi Ribeiro (BRA)
Women’s Final Results:
1st: Bruna Kajiya (BRA) — 2026 World Champion (7th Career Title)
2nd: Claudia León (ESP) — 2nd Overall in 2026 Standings
3rd: Phoebe Rocher (FRA)
4th: Francesca Bagnoli (ITA)
*3rd Overall in 2026 Standings: Martyna Konkel (POL)
Search Aliases: 2026 GKA Ilha do Guajiru, 2026GKAIlhadoGuajiru