GWA Wingfoil: "Just one event isn't right" - World champions Suardiaz and Berzolla on the wave season
SURF Redaktion
· 19.12.2025
18-year-old Spaniard Nia Suardiaz and 19-year-old US-American Cash Berzolla have secured the 2025 Wingfoil Wave World Champion titles. For seven-time world champion Suardiaz, it was her first title in the wave discipline - the title she said she coveted the most. Berzolla, on the other hand, repeated his success from the previous year and won his second wave world title in a row. Both athletes prevailed in the challenging conditions at the legendary Ponta Preta Break in Cape Verde, where the only wave event of the year was held. In an interview with Ian MacKinnon, the two champions talked about their season and expressed their desire for more wave events on the competition calendar.
Suardiaz fulfils long-awaited dream
"It was a good year. Not my best, but definitely a good year," said Nia Suardiaz, summarising her 2025 season. "Winning the wave world title at the beginning of the year was definitely the highlight." The young Spaniard had worked intensively on her surfing skills in recent years and had always finished second or third in this discipline.
The fact that she won the title in Cape Verde was particularly significant for Suardiaz: "This is my favourite competition of the year. My favourite people to be with are there, so to win in front of all those people is incredible." In order to prepare optimally, the Spaniard travelled to the event a month in advance and trained in the waves of Ponta Preta for three weeks.
Rule changes and competition format
One Rule change in wave riding now allows athletes to use the wing on the wave as well. Suardiaz is critical of this change: "I don't think it gives me any advantage or disadvantage. I don't really like the new rule. I really like the trick part without the wing, it looks very stylish. But I don't like the part with the wing."
She cites the disadvantage for backside riders as the main reason for her scepticism: "Backside riders can't use it to their advantage in most competitions. I'm a backside rider, and in most competitions that's a disadvantage." Nevertheless, she recognises the spectacular manoeuvres that other athletes such as Cash Berzolla and Malo Guénolé perform with the wing on the waves: "The 360s are simply incredible."
Demand for more wave events
Both Suardiaz and Berzolla expressed their disappointment that there was only one wave competition on the calendar in 2025. "That one wave contest was amazing. But I'm really sad that there are no more stops. This is the contest I was looking forward to the most," Suardiaz explained.
She also criticised the format with just one event: "Winning a competition and being world champion is not quite right. It's fine for me, I'm on the road a lot, travelling and competing in other disciplines. But for the people who only do wave riding, one competition a year is pretty bad."
Berzolla defends his title
Cash Berzolla, who successfully defended his wave world title from the previous year, shares Suardiaz's opinion regarding the limited number of competitions: "It's definitely a problem. It adds a bit more travelling for me personally. I can travel for other things, so it doesn't affect me that much. But I know it's more of a problem for other riders who only have one event."
However, the US-American also acknowledges the logistical challenges of organising wingfoil wave events: "It's definitely hard to pull off, especially when you do it hand in hand with kite surfing. Many factors play a role in being able to organise it. You don't just need waves, you also need wind."
An excited look at the future of parawing
There are signs of an improvement for the 2026 season. According to Berzolla, an event is planned in Ibiraquera, Brazil: "It's unfortunate that we only had one event last year, but Cape Verde is probably the best stop, simply because this wave is so good and makes for a good show. Ibiraquera is definitely a close second. So we'll take it."
Berzolla, who has also gained his first experience of parawing in addition to wingfoiling, sees great potential in the development of this sport: "It's hard to say where it will go in terms of competitions. I'm sure you'll see more people doing crazier downwind runs and maybe even stuff in the waves. But I have no idea. I think it's upwind. So it'll be cool to see where it goes in the future."
