Overview
The 2018 season was a paradigm shift in the history of kiteboarding, full of ambition and evolution.
Alongside the traditional Kite-Surf (Wave & Strapless) discipline, a grueling new format called “Air Games” (Twin-Tip) was born, pushing the fusion of big air and freestyle to its absolute limits. Facing the capricious whims of Mother Nature—from raging seas to desperate, windless days—the riders continuously set new benchmarks in kiteboarding history.
First Half to Mid-Season: The Birth of Air Games and the Pursuit of Altitude
2018 Cape Verde
The Kite-Surf season kicked off at Ponta Preta, where perfect waves curled over the exposed reef. “This is like the Brazil of the surfing world right now, a breeding ground where rippers feed off each other,” the commentator noted of the fierce environment. In extremely light winds, Hawaii’s Moona Whyte burst with joy, saying, “Seeing these really nice waves and coming out on top, I’m really happy.” In the men’s division, reigning champion Airton Cozzolino suffered an early upset, but local legend Mitu Monteiro defended the champion’s prestige.
2018 Dakhla
Round 2 of the Kite-Surf tour took place in Dakhla, Morocco. Utilizing a combo format of waves and freestyle, wave specialist Sebastian Ribeiro caused a major upset by defeating Matchu Lopes. In the women’s division, Jalou Langeree’s rigorous backhand training paid off as she defeated Moona Whyte for the first time at a GKA event, claiming her maiden tour victory.
2018 Leucate
Slated to be the monumental season opener for the Air Games in Leucate, France. However, for the first time in the nearly 20-year history of the traditional international wind sports festival “Mondial du Vent,” the event was struck by a completely windless (no-wind) condition. Unable to meet competition standards, the event was mercilessly canceled, becoming a phantom contest.
2018 Portugal
The Kite-Surf event in Viana do Castelo was plagued by rain and no wind, finally seeing a breeze on the last day but absolutely zero waves. With the format abruptly changed to “100% Freestyle,” Matchu Lopes broke new ground by landing the first-ever “Triple Frontroll” in competition history, opening a new door for strapless riding on flat water.
2018 Tarifa
In the wind capital of Europe, a historic mega-event hosted both Kite-Surf and Air Games simultaneously. Amidst the howling easterly “Levante” winds, Jesse Richman and Mikaili Sol dominated the Air Games with overwhelming height to claim victory. As Aaron Hadlow stated about the tour’s purpose, “It’s about crowning the most overall rider,” true versatility was put to the test.
2018 Cabarete
The Air Games in the Dominican Republic were fueled by strong trade winds. While local Posito Martinez fed off the crowd’s passionate cheers to secure 3rd place, Carlos Mario and Mikaili Sol perfectly blended complex handle passes with big air to take the wins.
2018 Fuerteventura
The Kite-Surf division’s Strapless Freestyle and Big Air disciplines were held in Fuerteventura. The extreme conditions—35-knot gusts and flat water—provided the perfect stage for pursuing maximum altitude. While James Carew won the Big Air division, absolute champion Airton Cozzolino, riding a strapless board, recorded an insane hangtime of 14.3 seconds during the main freestyle event. The commentator praised him: “When he wants something he goes for gold… he’s the pure inspiration of everybody.”
Mid-Season: The Title Race Picture
Passing the halfway mark through grueling back-to-back events, the title race was fiercely heating up heading into the second half of the season.
- Kite-Surf Division: In the men’s, defending champion Airton Cozzolino, who stumbled in the opener, regained the lead with dominant performances in places like Fuerteventura, hotly pursued by Matchu Lopes and Keahi de Aboitiz. The women’s race turned into a fierce two-way battle for the top spot between Moona Whyte and Jalou Langeree, with Carla Herrera Oria closing the gap.
- Air Games Division: The men’s side was a showdown between Carlos Mario and Jesse Richman. Attention was focused on the clash of completely different styles: Jesse attacking with altitude and death-defying megaloops, versus Mario weaving in highly technical handle passes. On the women’s side, 14-year-old prodigy Mikaili Sol was running away with the lead, showing untouchable dominance.
Second Half: Champion’s Awakening and the Birth of Legends
2018 Fehmarn
The final event of the Air Games. Watched by tens of thousands of spectators, the men’s final was a clash between Jesse’s megaloops and Carlos’s perfect handle passes. Carlos claimed a narrow victory in front of the massive crowd, securing the inaugural annual title via countback. Mikaili Sol also won the women’s event, and both riders achieved the unprecedented “double crown” of winning both the pure freestyle tour and the Air Games.
2018 Prea
At the Kite-Surf event in Prea, Brazil, where strong winds over 30 knots blow daily, locally-raised 19-year-old Camille Delannoy caused a historic upset by defeating reigning champion Airton. However, clawing his way back through the repechage, Airton shifted into a completely different gear. He landed a historic, massive “boogie loop” (Kiteloop front roll), scoring two perfect 10s in a single day to secure a comeback victory and lock in the annual World Championship.
In the women’s division, Jalou snatched a dramatic victory by landing a massive “rodeo” in the final minute, putting herself in prime position for the annual crown.
This event also saw Camille’s younger sister, Capucine Delannoy, make her world debut as a wildcard at just 12 years old. Despite her mother saying she would “just have a go,” Capucine confidently landed back rolls and displayed solid riding, sending shockwaves through the global scene.
2018 Torquay
The Kite-Surf season finale awaited in Australia, featuring freezing waters and heavy, powerful Southern Ocean swells. After days of waiting for wind, the final day became a grueling marathon starting at 5:00 AM. As the commentator described, “We’ve had clouds, we’ve had rain, turning into the sun, ending up with beautiful conditions with a perfect sunset.” Keahi de Aboitiz, perfectly reading his local waves, scored an event-high 8.1 to take the win. Jalou Langeree won the women’s division, brilliantly crowning herself the annual queen, and the turbulent 2018 season closed alongside a perfect sunset.
2018 Annual Final Rankings (Detailed Results / Spoilers)
2018 Kite-Surf Annual Final Ranking Top 10
Men
- Airton Cozzolino (ITA / CV)
- Matchu Lopes (SPN)
- Keahi de Aboitiz (AUS)
- Mitu Monteiro (CV)
- Camille Delannoy (FRA)
- Jan Marcos Riveras (DR)
- Paulino Pereira (POR)
- James Carew (AUS)
- Gustavo Arrojo (SPN)
- Ralph Boelen (FRA)
Women
- Jalou Langeree (NED)
- Carla Herrera Oria (SPN)
- Charlotte Carpentier (FRA)
- Johanna-Catharina Edin (SWE)
- Moona Whyte (USA)
- Ines Correia (POR)
- Marie Gautron (FRA)
- Odile Cavin (SUI)
- Didi Lopes (CV)
- Justyna Sverpwska (POL)
2018 Air Games Annual Final Ranking Top 3
Men
- Carlos Mario (BRA)
- Jesse Richman (USA)
- Maxime Chabloz (SUI)
Women
- Mikaili Sol (BRA)
- Hannah Whiteley (GBR)
- Pippa van Iersel (NED)
Search Aliases: 2018 GKA Kite World Tour, 2018GKAKiteWorldTour, Season Wrap-Up, SeasonWrap-Up