World Cup Hvide Sande: Suardiaz wins 2nd World Cup title, heart-stopping men's final

The 16-year-old German-Spanish rider Nia Suardiaz celebrated her biggest success to date in Hvide Sande, Denmark. A few days after her victory in surf freestyle, she also took the World Championship title in free fly slalom. Although there are still two events to go this season ( HERE here's the tour schedule), Suardiaz has an unassailable lead due to the possible cancellation results.

A year ago, I wouldn't have thought that possible. But this year I was super motivated. Winning both disciplines is a dream!

On the penultimate day of the World Cup Hvide Sande, early risers once again had the advantage. The skippers' meeting was called at dawn and the course was prepared. With eight to 15 knots of wind, big wings and tactical skill were once again the order of the day.

The course set by the race organisers was a mirror image of the first day's course. The 10-stroke course, which included a triangle with a short upwind section and a pump section, was again entertaining and challenging. Suardiaz obviously coped well with it, winning all seven runs - a demonstration of power. She often led at the first buoy and was particularly strong in the "FreeFly" section, where the riders have to keep their wings neutral. As a result, she extended her lead all the way to the finish line.

The battle for second place in the women's race was closer. French team-mates Kylie Belloeuvre and Orane Ceris constantly swapped places and are currently only a few points apart. Belloeuvre may therefore have to fight for her 2nd place on the final day.

"I didn't feel as comfortable today," said Belloeuvre. "The start line was a starboard start and I'm a goofy rider, so it was a little harder for me to get a good spot on the first beat in Switch Stance. But the pump track went well for me and I was able to overtake a few others."

Excitement for the men at the World Cup Hvide Sande

Five races were held in the men's event before the wind died down towards the end of the morning. It couldn't be tighter at the top of the field. France's Julien Rattotti, the GWA Big Air World Champion, consolidated his third place in the standings with a win in one round and a string of consistently high-placed results that give him a good chance of a podium finish.

Titouan Galea, who had been in the lead until then, got off to a slow start. His narrow lead on the scoreboard melted away on the water after his bumpy start. A disastrous collision on the start line with his closest rival Francesco Cappuzzo (ITA) in a decisive heat put them at the back of the field.

But Galea won the penultimate race of the day and thus remained in contention for the overall victory, taking the lead again by 0.3 points. In a dramatic final race, Galea battled Cappuzzo all the way to the finish line, but was narrowly defeated. This means that the points are currently level. However, because Capuzzo has a better streak, the Italian currently leads the ranking by a wafer-thin margin.

This Saturday is the last chance to make a decision. You can of course find out how it turns out here on the site. Stay tuned!