“A small kid a few years ago, he told me, ‘Maxime, you’re gonna be world champion 2020,’ and now it’s not a world title, but I mean, only event of the year, finishing first almost feels like the same. And yeah, I’m over the moon and super stoked.”
Overview
From November 17 to 21, 2020, the GKA SuperKite Brazil 2020 took place in Ilha do Guajiru, Ceará. Under strict COVID-19 protocols where all athletes and crew were required to test negative to enter the competition bubble, riders gathered for the only live twin-tip freestyle event of the year following the online Distance Battle.
Location and Conditions
Located in northeastern Brazil, the expansive lagoon of Ilha do Guajiru (in front of Hura Beach) is renowned as a freestyle mecca. Although blessed with Brazil’s signature warm sunshine and blue skies, the wind remained strong and gusty, creating a challenging, choppy water surface during high tide.
“It’s a little bit tricky here with the conditions. The wind is super strong and gusty, and on high tide it gets choppy. But overall, it’s awesome. The spot is great, and everyone is super happy with their results today.”
Format and Participating Riders
Over 40 top riders from more than 20 countries competed under a format counting the best four out of seven trick attempts. The Men’s division featured Maxime Chabloz, Liam Whaley, Manoel Soares, Erick Anderson, returning multi-time champion Carlos Mario, and 2019 World Champion Valentin Rodríguez. The Women’s division included Mikaili Sol, Rita Arnaus, Pippa van Iersel, and Claudia León.
Twelve-year-old Brazilian local Davi Ribeiro drew massive attention by dropping top scores among the adults in a sensational debut. Meanwhile, title favorite Liam Whaley—who had scored a perfect 10.0 for a “Mobe 7” in Round 4—suffered a knee injury in Round 5 and was forced to withdraw just before the semifinals.
Highlights and Epic Battles
The Men’s final was a 3-against-1 showdown between South American powerhouses (Brazilians Erick Anderson and Manoel Soares alongside Colombia’s Juan Rodriguez) and Switzerland’s Maxime Chabloz. Despite dislocating his finger the previous day, Erick Anderson delivered a fierce performance landing a “Backside 317” and a “Double Hinterberger 5,” while Manoel Soares applied intense pressure with a flawless “Slim 7” scoring 8.80. Maintaining his composure, Maxime Chabloz unleashed an incredible “Grabbed Back Mobe 7 (Grab Mobe 7)” on his final attempt, earning a unanimous perfect “10.0” from the judges to claim a dramatic come-from-behind victory.
In the Women’s final (Mikaili Sol, Rita Arnaus, Pippa van Iersel, and Claudia León), Brazil’s crown jewel Mikaili Sol proved to be in a world of her own, landing multiple KGBs and grabbed maneuvers to hold off a super-consistent Rita Arnaus and claim the title on home water.
“It’s Mika, I am 14 years old and I just won the Ilha do Guajiru Championship here in Brazil and I’m super stoked. The level of the girls has gone up so much and I just couldn’t be happier at this moment.”
— Mikaili Sol
Click to reveal detailed competition results (Spoilers)
- Men’s Division
1st: Maxime Chabloz
2nd: Erick Anderson
3rd: Manoel Soares
4th: Juan Rodriguez - Women’s Division
1st: Mikaili Sol
2nd: Rita Arnaus
3rd: Pippa van Iersel
4th: Claudia León
Search Aliases: 2020 Ilha do Guazil GKA SuperKite Brazil, 2020IlhadoGuazilGKASuperKiteBrazil