Please select your home edition
Edition
A+T Instruments BFD 2024 Leaderboard

The top tricks from the Gran Canaria Wingfoil World Cup

by Gabinete de prensa 11 Aug 10:57 UTC
Viola Lippitsch - Day 01- GWA Wingfoil World Cup Gran Canaria © Lukas K Stiller

The Surf-Freestyle wingfoil discipline is one of the most spectacular in watersports, blending a hydrofoil board - a submerged fin with wings that lifts the rider above the water - with a handheld inflatable wing to harness the wind.

Unlike windsurfing or kitesurfing, there's no mast or fixed lines, giving riders the freedom to launch jumps and spins from any position.

Surf-Freestyle showcases the sport at its most daring, with aerial manoeuvres, multi-axis rotations, lightning-fast direction changes and pinpoint landings - a discipline demanding strength, body control, refined technique and a flair for creativity.

At the 2025 GWA Wingfoil World Cup in El Burrero, Ingenio, the most crowd-pleasing and highly scored moves included backflips (backward somersaults), frontflips (forward somersaults) and 360 Shiftys, which require wing and board to twist in opposite directions mid-air. Riders also pulled off advanced tricks such as the backmobe - a reverse rotation paired with a mid-air handle pass - and the intricate palau, a multi-rotation sequence requiring absolute control of the wing from take-off to landing.

While Denmark's Benjamin Castenskiold claimed the Surf-Freestyle world title, it was France's Axel Gerard who stole the technical spotlight, earning a perfect 10 from every judge for a towering double frontflip. Castenskiold's consistency, however, sealed his crown, with each of his three scoring runs marked by rock-solid landings.

In the women's division, Germany's Marie Schlittenbauer emerged as the new world champion and current world number one. In the final, she earned her highest score of the day - an 8 - for a dramatic frontflip off the wave's lip. Her game plan was clear: secure three high-value waves before risking a rare double palau, which she ultimately failed to land.

Austria's Viola Lippitsch also turned heads with a frontside 360 palau, earning strong marks to claim third place behind Tarifa-born, Gran Canaria-based Mar de Arce.

Spanish strength in surf-freestyle

Spain's Mar de Arce and Nía Suardíaz currently hold second and third place in the world rankings for Surf-Freestyle. In Gran Canaria, De Arce impressed with her adaptability and creativity, particularly when throwing palaus and backflips into her runs. Suardíaz, meanwhile, is known for her explosive yet fluid style, delivering technically precise and cleanly landed tricks such as backflips with standout execution.

Moves performed with maximum height, flow and control typically earn the judges' top marks, with scores reflecting not just technical difficulty but also innovation and personal style. Some riders are now pushing the boundaries further by linking two or three tricks into a single aerial sequence. The technical standard has risen sharply in recent seasons, with new variations adding even more spectacle to each event.

The Gran Canaria GWA Wingfoil World Cup 2025 was organised by Club Deportivo Canakite Experiences, Club Náutico El Burrero and the Ayuntamiento de Ingenio, with sponsorship from the tourism and sports departments of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria and the Canary Islands Government, alongside partners including the Real Federación Canaria de Vela and Ahembo's 7UP brand.

Related Articles

GWA Wingfoil World Cup Gran Canaria concludes
Benjamin Castenskiold and Marie Schlittenbauer take the titles The GWA returned to Gran Canaria for the third consecutive year, but 2025 brought a fresh twist with a new competition site — the vibrant and wind-blessed shores of El Burrero. Posted on 9 Aug
German Marie Schlittenbauer claims World title
The teenager triumphs at the Gran Canaria GWA Wingfoil World Cup 2025 The German teenager triumphs at the Gran Canaria GWA Wingfoil World Cup 2025 over Spanish riders Nía Suardíaz and Mar de Arce. Posted on 8 Aug
Castenskiold wins Wingfoil Surf-Freestyle Worlds
Young Dane snatches men's world title from American Chris MacDonald GWA World Tour returned to Gran Canaria for the third consecutive year, but 2025 brought a fresh twist: the vibrant shores of El Burrero in Ingenio, famed for their cross-onshore winds and perfect kickers, made their debut as the competition venue. Posted on 8 Aug
2025 Gran Canaria Wingfoil World Cup day 2
The women's title is still up for grabs The east coast of Gran Canaria will set the stage for the ultimate showdown to determine the new queen of Wingfoil Freestyle. The Gran Canaria GWA Wingfoil World Cup 2025 will officially decide this year's world champion. Posted on 8 Aug
Audi WingFoil Racing World Cup Turkiye preview
The stage is set for a pivotal showdown on the Bosphorus The 2025 WingFoil Racing World Cup Series lands in Istanbul, bringing high-speed action to the exclusive Fenerbahçe Sailing Club, part of the storied Fenerbahçe Sports Club, better known to football fans as one of Turkey's most iconic teams. Posted on 8 Aug
GWA Wingfoil World Cup Fuerteventura concludes
Nia Suardiaz takes the win in the female FreeFly-Slalom division Following the conclusion of the Surf-Slalom discipline, attention turned to the FreeFly-Slalom for the final days of the GWA Wingfoil World Cup Fuerteventura 2025. Posted on 3 Aug
GWA Wingfoil World Cup returns to Fuerteventura
Third Surf-Freestyle stop to see title races intensify after upsets in Tarifa The battles for the Surf-Freestyle and FreeFly-Slalom world titles are set to move up a gear when the GWA Wingfoil World Cup Fuerteventura returns to the Spanish island for five days of intense competition. Posted on 27 Jul
Gran Canaria, World Wingfoil capital again
Cementing its place on the global stage of nautical sports For the third year in a row, Gran Canaria cements its place on the global stage of nautical sports as it hosts a key event on the Global Wingsports Association (GWA) World Tour: the Gran Canaria GWA Wingfoil World Cup 2025. Posted on 19 Jul
Nastro Rosa Tour La Maddalena overall
Grand Finale in Genoa Having departed from Venice on June 1, after 43 days of sailing, the 5th edition of the Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour (Sailing Tour of Italy) concluded in Genoa in the magnificent setting of the Palazzo Ducale, which hosted the awards ceremony. Posted on 14 Jul
Nastro Rosa Tour La Maddalena day 4
Team Aeronautica Militare wins in La Maddalena, now on to the grand finale in Genoa The team of the Aeronautica Militare, after Cagliari, also wins in La Maddalena, preceding the team of the Guardia di Finanza and the team of the Marina Miliatre who came in third. Posted on 8 Jul
Stoneways Marine 2021 - FOOTERNorth Sails Loft 57 PodcastPantaenius Sail 2025 ROW Footer