Overview
With a shifting balance of power in the kite scene, partly due to the rise of the new North brand, the 2020 Red Bull King of the Air kicked off with unprecedented formats and unconventional challenges. At the end of this grueling tournament awaited a deeply moving drama of a man determined to make a complete comeback after suffering devastating fractures to both legs.
Location and Conditions
The stage was set at the familiar Kite Beach in Cape Town, South Africa. On this day, the famous “Cape Doctor” wind blew fiercely and consistently, creating extreme conditions that Sports Director Sergio Cantagalli praised as a “perfect day.” While KOTA is typically spread out over several days, the wind supply never wavered from the morning, allowing all 34 heats to be completed in just about 7 hours—a legendary “Day of days.”
Format and Riders
The 2020 event introduced a new and irregular seeding system. Round 1 and Round 2 saw winners from video entries and Fly-to events battle it out. Then, from Round 3 onward, the top six seeded riders from the previous year—including Kevin Langeree, Jesse Richman, and Lasse Walker—made their highly anticipated entry, making it a brutal format for those climbing the ladder.
This year also featured two challengers who left a massive impact.
The first was Airton Cozzolino, who made history as the first rider ever to compete in KOTA’s main event on a “Strapless surfboard.” Taking on Cape Town’s gale-force winds and massive kickers without foot bindings was a crazy display of riding that carved a new page in Big Air history.
The second was Angely Bouillot, the first woman ever to compete in the main KOTA event. Riding against the men, she executed massive, fearless loops and posted the highest score of her heat in Round 1 (6.92), delivering a huge shock to the world.
Highlights and Showdowns
The competition rapidly heated up from Round 3, when the seeded riders entered. In Heat 18, Aaron Hadlow faced off against champion Kevin Langeree and veteran Lewis Crathern, ultimately advancing in first place thanks to a superior impression score after a fierce battle.
The turning point of the event was Round 5 (the quarter-finals), which featured a one-on-one knockout format. Heat 27 saw an intense clash between defending champion and three-time winner Kevin Langeree and Jesse Richman. Here, Jesse pulled off a massive upset, dropping an 8.2 impression score to defeat Kevin by a margin of 2.14 points.
Meanwhile, Ewan Jaspan, who had advanced from Heat 20, suffered a violent crash on the landing of a huge loop. He injured his ribs, and the rescue jet ski had to be rushed in, once again highlighting the inherent dangers of Big Air.
The Semi-Finals were all historic battles.
In SF 1, Nick Jacobsen executed massive tricks, including a boogie loop, to cause an upset and defeat Liam Whaley.
In SF 2, Jesse Richman perfectly executed unhooked tricks like a Half Cab in the closing moments to secure a dramatic comeback victory over Marc Jacobs.
SF 3 was a fierce battle between Aaron Hadlow and Steven Akkersdijk. Steven put together an incredible ride with high scores including an 8-pointer (8.08, 7.94, 7.44), surpassing Aaron’s trick total (7.92, 7.62, 7.58). However, the monster that is the impression score (8.20 to 7.50) decided the match, giving Aaron a dramatic comeback victory to advance to the final.
The final stage featured a historic lineup of three past KOTA champions: Jesse Richman, Nick Jacobsen, and Aaron Hadlow. Having struggled in the past with peaking too early and faltering in the finals, Jesse Richman brilliantly adjusted his strategy this time. He calmly strung together unhooked maneuvers like the “Kung Fu” and perfect rotations, dropping an astonishing “9.0” in impression score to completely dominate his rivals.
Show Detailed Event Results and Conclusion (Spoilers)
Men’s Open Division Final
1st: Jesse Richman (Total 34.10 / Impression 9.0)
2nd: Nick Jacobsen (Total 31.52 / Impression 7.8)
3rd: Aaron Hadlow (Total 29.94 / Impression 7.3)
After enduring grueling rehabilitation from breaking both legs in 2014, Jesse Richman claimed his second African mask since 2013. Celebrating his victory on the podium with his newborn daughter in his arms became one of the most beautiful moments ever etched in KOTA history.
Additionally, the “Woo Highest Jump of the Day” for the highest altitude recorded throughout the event went to Marc Jacobs for a 22m Big Air. The “Mystic Move Of The Day” for the most extreme trick was awarded to Nick Jacobsen for his kite-loop board-off, which scored a massive 9.02 out of a possible 10.
Heat Ladder
Round 1 (Qualifiers)
Heat 1: 1st Aaron Hadlow / 2nd Ewan Jaspan / 3rd Ozwald Smith
Heat 2: 1st Marc Jacobs / 2nd Jason van der Spuy / 3rd Stuart Downey
Heat 3: 1st Ross-Dillon Player / 2nd Joshua Emanuel / 3rd Ryan de Witte
Heat 4: 1st Reno Romeu / 2nd Steven Akkersdijk / 3rd Airton Cozzolino (First Strapless Rider)
Heat 5: 1st Antonin Rangin / 2nd Clement Huot / 3rd Luis Alberto Cruz
Heat 6: 1st Posito Martinez / 2nd Lewis Crathern / 3rd Angely Bouillot
Round 2 (Elimination)
Heat 7: 1st Steven Akkersdijk / 2nd Ryan de Witte
Heat 8: 1st Joshua Emanuel / 2nd Airton Cozzolino
Heat 9: 1st Lewis Crathern / 2nd Luis Alberto Cruz
Heat 10: 1st Ewan Jaspan / 2nd Angely Bouillot
Heat 11: 1st Ozwald Smith / 2nd Jason van der Spuy
Heat 12: 1st Stuart Downey / 2nd Clement Huot
Round 3 (Top Seeds Enter / 1st to R5 or SF)
Heat 13: 1st Marc Jacobs / 2nd Ewan Jaspan / 3rd Lasse Walker
Heat 14: 1st Liam Whaley / 2nd Posito Martinez / 3rd Ozwald Smith
Heat 15: 1st Jesse Richman / 2nd Joshua Emanuel / 3rd Reno Romeu
Heat 16: 1st Steven Akkersdijk / 2nd Aurelien Petreau / 3rd Ross-Dillon Player
Heat 17: 1st Nick Jacobsen / 2nd Stuart Downey / 3rd Antonin Rangin
Heat 18: 1st Aaron Hadlow / 2nd Kevin Langeree / 3rd Lewis Crathern
Round 4 (One-on-one Knockout)
Heat 19: 1st Stuart Downey / 2nd Ross-Dillon Player
Heat 20: 1st Antonin Rangin / 2nd Ewan Jaspan
Heat 21: 1st Lewis Crathern / 2nd Aurelien Petreau
Heat 22: 1st Joshua Emanuel / 2nd Lasse Walker
Heat 23: 1st Kevin Langeree / 2nd Ozwald Smith
Heat 24: 1st Reno Romeu / 2nd Posito Martinez
Round 5 (Quarter-Finals / One-on-one Knockout)
Heat 25: 1st Marc Jacobs / 2nd Lewis Crathern
Heat 26: 1st Liam Whaley / 2nd Stuart Downey
Heat 27: 1st Jesse Richman / 2nd Kevin Langeree
Heat 28: 1st Steven Akkersdijkl / 2nd Reno Romeu
Heat 29: 1st Nick Jacobsen / 2nd Antonin Rangin
Heat 30: 1st Aaron Hadlow / 2nd Joshua Emanuel
Semi-Finals
SF 1: Winner Nick Jacobsen / Eliminated Liam Whaley
SF 2: Winner Jesse Richman / Eliminated Marc Jacobs
SF 3: Winner Aaron Hadlow / Eliminated Steven Akkersdijk
🔗 関連リンク: https://www.redbull.com/int-en/videos/red-bull-king-of-the-air-2020-action
Search Aliases: KOTA 2020, KOTA2020, Red Bull King of the Air 2020, RedBullKingoftheAir2020