Overview
The 2019 GKA Gran Canaria Freestyle World Cup was a twin-tip freestyle discipline event of the GKA, held at Playa de Vargas, Gran Canaria, Spain. Taking place in mid-June 2019, the event served as a crucial stop contributing to the overall Freestyle World Championship titles for that competitive season.
Location and Conditions
While Gran Canaria is notoriously known for its strong winds and choppy water, this event was heavily dictated by unpredictable conditions. On the second day, the thermal wind effect arrived exceptionally late, delaying the start of the heats until 6 PM. Competitors and organizers were forced into a grueling schedule, running heats continuously until sunset and testing everyone’s absolute focus.
Furthermore, during Women’s Heat 7, the wind dropped abruptly, leading the judges to cancel the heat after just three trick attempts, adding to the chaotic nature of the event.
Format and Competitors
A special “Open Format” was uniquely prepared for this competition, which would have blended freestyle and big air criteria had the wind exceeded a certain threshold. However, this rule was ultimately not applied as the extreme winds never fully materialized.
Highlights and Showdowns
In the Men’s division, the wind completely shut down on the final day, preventing the completion of the double elimination bracket. This resulted in an unprecedented scenario where all eight riders who advanced to the semi-finals were awarded a “joint first position” to conclude the event. Earlier in the competition, Liam Whaley delivered a memorable performance by navigating extremely tricky and light wind conditions with outstanding kite control to advance through Heat 15.
In the Women’s division, Mikaili Sol claimed the victory with a total score of 29.47, cleanly landing a Heart Attack and a Back Mobe. Bruna Kajiya took 2nd place, showcasing consistent riding with an 8.07 Front Blind to secure her first podium finish since returning from injury. The battle for 3rd was fiercely contested; Pippa van Iersel from the Netherlands snatched the spot by landing a Back to Blind on her final attempt, taking advantage of Spain’s Rita Arnaus crashing her last two attempts.
Show Detailed Event Results (Spoiler Alert)
Men’s Division Final Results (Joint 1st Place)
- 1st: Gianmaria Coccoluto (Italy)
- 1st: Arthur Guillebert (France)
- 1st: Liam Whaley (Spain)
- 1st: Maxime Chabloz (Switzerland)
- 1st: Luis Alberto Cruz (Dominican Republic)
- 1st: Valentin Rodriguez (Colombia)
- 1st: Carlos Mario (Brazil)
- 1st: Set Teixeira (Brazil)
Women’s Division Final Results
- 1st: Mikaili Sol (Brazil)
- 2nd: Bruna Kajiya (Brazil)
- 3rd: Pippa van Iersel (Netherlands)
- 4th: Rita Arnaus (Spain)