The second round of the GWA Wingfoil World Tour’s freestyle surfing season takes place in Tarifa from 24 to 27 June. Following the season opener in Leucate, the title races are wide open. Defending champions Benjamin Castenskiold from Denmark and Marie Schlittenbauer from Germany are under pressure to perform. The 14-year-old Castenskiold failed to find his rhythm at the Mondial du Vent and finished ninth. The 16-year-old Schlittenbauer missed the event entirely due to injury following an operation.
The first stop in Leucate threw the rankings into disarray. Former world champions such as Chris MacDonald from the USA and France’s Malo Guénolé were knocked out early on and lost valuable ranking points. The final was won by Tomas Acherer from Austria, ahead of his twin brother Aleksander, who will be sidelined for the rest of the season due to injury. Rocco Makana from Italy achieved a breakthrough by finishing second. Luca Vuillermet from the USA and Spain’s Nathan Berger secured third and fourth places respectively.
The women’s competition was somewhat less of a surprise, with the multiple world champion Nia Suardiaz The Spanish competitor came out on top in the opening event and leads the rankings. Her compatriot Ava Sergersten from the USA and Sofia Ginzinger from Spain showed signs of improvement, finishing second and third respectively in Leucate. Zara Maillard from Switzerland and Viola Lippitsch from Austria are hoping for stronger winds in Tarifa so they can improve their form further.
All the information and results can be found at wingfoilworldtour.com
