Overview
Held from November 20 to 24, 2018, in Prea, Brazil, this event was Round 6 of the GKA Kite-Surf World Tour. Three years into the history of strapless freestyle competition, rider levels evolved dramatically, making it a historic event that set a new benchmark for big air in kiteboarding.
Location and Conditions
With perfect strong winds of 25 to 30 knots blowing consistently every day, the conditions were absolutely ideal for pushing the limits of strapless freestyle progression.
Format and Athletes
The men’s division featured top-ranked riders such as Airton Cozzolino, Camille Delannoy, Mitu Monteiro, and James Carew, alongside Matt Elsasser and Evan Netsch returning from a year off, and wildcard entry Leonardo Da Souza. The women’s division was contested by eight riders, including Carla Herrera Oria and Jalou Langeree.
Highlights and Key Moments
In the men’s division, Airton Cozzolino achieved a dramatic comeback victory by defeating single elimination winner Camille Delannoy twice in the double elimination. Shifting into a completely new gear that day, Airton scored an event-high 54.33 points. During that heat, he landed a massive, legendary “boogie loop” (kite loop front roll)—one of two perfect 10-point trick scores he achieved that day—leaving a profound impact on the history of strapless big air.
Wildcard Leonardo Da Souza scored a huge upset by defeating world No. 10 Ralph Boelen, finishing as the highest-placed Brazilian rider. Canada’s Reece Myerscough also made a significant breakthrough, utilizing a newly learned front roll shovit to record his career-best finish.
In the women’s division, Carla Herrera Oria, who was eliminated in her first heat of the single elimination, fought through four heats in the double elimination to reach the final against Jalou Langeree. Carla won the first heat to force a rematch, but in the final minute of the deciding heat, Jalou landed a massive “rodeo” to snatch a narrow victory.
Show detailed event results (Spoiler Alert)
[Men’s Division]
1st: Airton Cozzolino (ITA / CV)
2nd: Camille Delannoy (FRA)
3rd: James Carew (AUS)
4th: Mitu Monteiro (CV)
[Women’s Division]
1st: Jalou Langeree (NED)
2nd: Carla Herrera Oria (SPN)
3rd: Sabine Beukeleers (BEL)
4th: Marcela Witt (BRA)