The GWA Wingfoil World Cup returned to Tarifa, and Europe’s wind capital lived up to its reputation. The Poniente blew steadily throughout all four days of competition, meaning four days of freestyle surfing at the very highest level.
Perfect conditions for the semi-finals
In the women’s event, it was the local competitors Sofia Ginzinger and Nia Suardiaz who were the main focus of the spectators’ attention. Ginzinger, just 13 years old, scored 17.83 points in the quarter-finals to secure her place in the semi-finals. Her compatriot Nia Suardiaz fired up the crowd at Valdevaqueros Beach with an energetic performance in front of her home crowd. Marie Schlittenbauer returned to action at the season opener in Leucate following her injury-enforced break and picked up seamlessly where she left off last season – her score of 26.87 points speaks for itself.
The semi-finals took place in perfect Poniente winds in front of a packed Valdevaqueros Beach. Nia Suardiaz was clearly in her element at her home spot, leading the heat from the outset with calm authority. Sofia Ginzinger, one of the most exciting new names in wing foiling, pushed hard and kept up for a long time. Both progressed to the final, eliminating Zoe Marie Schönwetter and Lilly Holzer in the process. The second semi-final unfolded differently. Marie Schlittenbauer got off to a flying start – scoring 8 points on her first trick – before a series of crashed attempts saw her lead melt away. It was only a successfully executed Back Mode that gave her some breathing space again. Meanwhile, Milla Danguy rode one of the cleanest heats of the day, landing trick after trick with consistency and securing her place in her first ever final. Allegra Caffi and Sofia Marchetti, on the other hand, were knocked out.
Schlittenbauer turns the final around at the last minute
The women’s final had it all – a home crowd, a rookie finalist and a last-second goal that turned the result on its head. Suardiaz and Ginzinger had home advantage, Schlittenbauer was chasing her first win of the season, and Danguy was making her final debut – yet she looked anything but a newcomer. Consistent, composed and very clean throughout the event, Danguy led the heat at half-time, whilst Suardiaz and Schlittenbauer failed to land several attempts. Ginzinger rode solidly to third place. Then came the final moves: Schlittenbauer scored 9.33 points on her very last attempt – and catapulted herself from outside the podium to first place with a single trick. A breathtaking finish to secure victory in Tarifa. Nia Suardiaz came second, Milla Danguy third and Sofia Ginzinger fourth.
Men’s quarter-finals with close results
The men’s field was packed with young talent from top to bottom, and it showed – closely contested heats turned every round into a real battle, with no easy heats. Benjamin Castenskiold and Axel Gerard prevailed in the quarter-finals in a fiercely contested duel against Lukas Lam and Luca Vuillermet. Chris MacDonald was in top form and progressed with ease, whilst Franz Schlittenbauer edged his way through to the next round just behind him. Rocco Makana and Sacha Pallier eliminated Noe Cuyala and Kalle Dinant, whilst the final quarter-final belonged to Tom Acherer – a fiercely contested heat with a total of 26.57 points, which propelled him and Malo Guenole straight into the semi-finals.
The men’s semi-finals were as close as they could possibly be – every trick counted, every crash cost dearly, and nobody gave an inch. The standard was high right from the first moves; by half-time, Chris MacDonald and Benjamin Castenskiold had pulled slightly ahead, with Sacha Pallier and Malo Guenole just fractions behind. It stayed that way until just before the end, when Pallier and Guenole both crashed – effectively handing MacDonald and Castenskiold the places in the final. Semi-final two kicked off with a statement from Rocco Makana – back-to-back scores in the 8s gave him early control of the heat. Gerard and Makana were still in the lead at the halfway stage, but Tom Acherer stepped it up a gear at the crucial moment, took the lead and then progressed alongside Makana. Franz Schlittenbauer and Axel Gerard were eliminated – both by fractions of a point.
Castenskiold dominates the men’s final
The men’s final provided the perfect setting – a packed Valdevaqueros Beach, four hungry finalists and a performance from Castenskiold that left no room for debate. MacDonald, Makana and Castenskiold got off to a combative start, all scoring in the 20s on their first attempts. Acherer, on the other hand, got off to a difficult start, with back-to-back crashes putting him under pressure early on. Castenskiold then landed his second 9-point score of the heat – a statement that completely shifted the momentum. Heading into the final runs, MacDonald, Makana and Castenskiold were neck and neck, with Acherer hot on their heels as he tried to close the gap. But Castenskiold was already out of reach. A dominant performance from the Dane sealed victory at the second surf freestyle event of the season.
Results: GWA Surf Freestyle Tarifa
Women's
- Marie Schlittenbauer
- Nia Suardiaz
- Milla Danguy
- Sofia Ginzinger
Men's
- Benjamin Castenskiold
- Christopher Macdonald
- Thomas Acherer
- Rocco Makana
All results at wingfoilworldtour.com
