Event Overview
The 2019 GKA Kite World Cup Dakhla took place in Dakhla, Morocco, in October 2019. The competition featured two primary GKA disciplines: Kite-Surf (wave riding and strapless freestyle) and Freestyle (twin-tip).
Location and Conditions
The event utilized Dakhla’s distinct geographical conditions, hosting the Freestyle heats during the first five days in the flat-water Dakhla lagoon in front of Dakhla Attitude, and the Kite-Surf heats during the remaining five days at the Foum Labouir (West Point) right-hand point break.
Format and Participating Riders
In the Freestyle discipline, the judging criteria became stricter, emphasizing the quality of tricks over quantity.
The event also featured the “Game of Kites Super Session,” a mixed-team format. Teams had to land tricks dictated by the judges, and the duo of Pippa van Iersel and Liam Whaley claimed victory, crashing only once out of eight trick attempts throughout the session.
Highlights and Iconic Matchups
In the Freestyle division, Posito Martinez faced adversity when his gear failed to arrive on his flight. Competing on borrowed equipment, he created a dramatic moment by scoring a massive 16.57 in Round 3 to advance to the Semi-final in second place. In the Men’s Final, 17-year-old Valentin Rodríguez claimed his maiden tour victory, while Mikaili Sol won the Women’s Freestyle event to mathematically clinch her third Freestyle World Title ahead of the season finale.
In the Kite-Surf discipline at West Point, Canada’s Reece Myerscough caused an upset in the Men’s Single elimination quarterfinals by defeating undisputed champion Airton Cozzolino, while Mitu Monteiro went on to defeat Reece in the final to claim provisional first place. However, with smaller waves prompting a mixed format of one best freestyle trick and two best wave scores in the Double elimination, Airton launched an incredible comeback. Winning five heats from the bottom of the repechage to reach the Semi-final, he exacted his revenge on Reece and then defeated provisional leader Mitu twice in the Final and sudden-death Super Final—completing an astonishing 8-heat winning streak to win the event and lock in his 2019 Kite-Surf World Title.
In the Women’s Kite-Surf division, Welsh rider Kirsty Jones, who resides in Morocco, used her local knowledge to win the Single elimination. In the Double elimination, tour leader Carla Herrera Oria fought back through five consecutive heats to reach the final. While Kirsty defended her crown to win the event as “Queen of the Desert,” Carla’s second-place finish guaranteed her maiden Women’s Kite-Surf World Championship title.
Innovation and High Scores
The competition witnessed numerous incredible tricks and high scores. In the Freestyle Quarterfinal, Valentin Rodríguez landed a Slim chance 9, racking up an astounding 9.67 score. In the Best Trick Men’s Final, Brazil’s Erick Anderson stomped a Double Heart Attack 5 (8.77 points) on his final attempt to take the win, while Liam Whaley successfully executed a Back Mobe 7 (8.43 points) for second place. For the women, Paula Novotná hit a 9.37-point Heart Attack to win the Women’s Best Trick Final. Furthermore, Louka Pitot introduced wakeboard-style innovative tricks, incorporating backwards landings into his heat.
Accidents
The extreme nature of the competition resulted in several accidents. Carlos Mario suffered a heavy bouncing crash while landing a Slim 7 during his Freestyle heat, sustaining a knee injury. A rescue boat and doctors rushed to his aid, and he was forced to retire from the rest of the competition. Nico Delmas also injured his leg in a severe crash during the Freestyle Final, causing the competition to be temporarily put on standby. During the Women’s Freestyle heats, Alexandra experienced a hard crash as well.
Memorable Quotes
“It’s been my dream since I’m ten years old. And yeah, I have no words. I want to thank everyone that supported me.”
—Valentin Rodríguez
“Almost I almost crashed but I said no Claudia you have to land it and I could land it I’m super happy.”
“Yesterday what I did is say listen I came here to have fun… if I don’t get world champion this year I’m gonna be the next one because because I get even stronger. So I’m not scared of anything.”
Show Event Results (Spoiler Alert)
Kite-Surf Men’s Double Elimination
- 1st: Airton Cozzolino
- 2nd: Mitu Monteiro
- 3rd: Reece Myerscough
Kite-Surf Women’s Double Elimination
- 1st: Kirsty Jones
- 2nd: Carla Herrera Oria
- 3rd: Charlotte Carpentier
Freestyle Men’s Final
- 1st: Valentin Rodríguez
- 2nd: Liam Whaley
- 3rd: Adeuri Corniel
- 4th: Nico Delmas
Freestyle Women’s Final
- 1st: Mikaili Sol
- 2nd: Bruna Kajiya
- 3rd: Paula Novotná
- 4th: Claudia León
Best Trick Men’s Final
- 1st: Erick Anderson
- 2nd: Liam Whaley
- 3rd: Christophe Tack
Best Trick Women’s Final
- 1st: Paula Novotná
- 2nd: Pippa van Iersel
- 3rd: Helena Brochocka
Game of Kites Super Session Super Final
- 1st: Team Pippa van Iersel & Liam Whaley
- 2nd: Team Mikaili Sol & Maxime Chabloz
Search Aliases: 2019 Dakhla, 2019Dakhla, 2019 GKA Kite World Cup Dakhla, 2019GKAKiteWorldCupDakhla