Event Overview
Served as the opening stop of the 2019 Global Kitesports Association (GKA) Kite World Tour season, the event was held at Ponta Preta, Sal Island, Cape Verde. The dates were February 25 to March 3, 2019. 39 male riders and 13 female riders from around the world participated.
Venue Conditions
Ponta Preta is a renowned surf break famous for its powerful right-hand point break and offshore winds. As a result, it provided ideal conditions for pure wave riding rather than strapless freestyle. Although there were moments when heats were canceled due to unstable winds, the wave conditions brought out the riders’ true potential.
Highlights
In the men’s division, an upset occurred early in the single elimination when Airton Cozzolino was defeated by James Carew. However, Airton defeated Matchu Lopes in the double elimination, exacted revenge on James Carew, and advanced to the final. In the final, he clashed with local Cape Verdean Mitu Monteiro. Mitu rode through the barrel, executed consecutive vertical turns, and scored a massive 9.2 on a single wave, as the two engaged in a heated battle.
In the women’s division, Moona Whyte consistently scored high with flowing turns and hitting the right sections of the wave. In the super final, she faced Portuguese rider Ines Correia, who knows the waves of local Ponta Preta inside out, engaging in a fierce battle for the championship.
Accidents
In stark contrast to the cheerful island vibes symbolized by Jo Ciastula’s words, “Cape Verde, no stress. That’s the way of this island,” the harsh conditions on the water troubled the competitors. It was a tough event where danger was always present, such as when Frances Kelly was slammed hard onto the lip of a wave at Ponta Preta.
Quotes
“Cape Verde is the kite surfing what Brazil is to surfing right now it’s basically a breeding ground of just rippers feeding off of each other”
— Jo Ciastula
“This event is gonna go down in history and this is why Cabo Verde is one of the best place to come in the world to kite surf.”
— Jo Ciastula
“It feels amazing to take the win here for the second year in a row. It was definitely a tough battle a lot of the girls were ripping and Ines was on fire the whole day…”
— Moona Whyte
Event Results
Show Event Results (Spoiler Alert)
Men
- Mitu Monteiro
- Airton Cozzolino
- Matchu Lopes
Women
- Moona Whyte
- Ines Correia
- Johanna Catharina Edin