TRULY A TEAM OF CHAMPIONS

Coming off an impressive win in Le Barcarès, France, Mikaili Sol came out firing for the GKA Big Air Championships in Tarifa. She appeared to find her groove from her very first heat, never letting off the gas once throughout the event. With a superhuman ability to maintain composure and her signature fluid style, even as wind speeds reached 38kts, Sol consistently landed massive kite loop variations posting heat scores that gave her a clear victory over her competitors. With her second consecutive win, Mikaili takes home her 7th world title at only 18 years old and further cements her legacy in the sport.

Hot on Sol’s tail was Nathalie Lambrecht, who has been swiftly climbing the ranks of the Big Air Women’s Kiteboarding ladder. Lambrecht fought a hard battle to earn herself a spot in the heated final which was stacked with big-name players. But not to be intimidated, Natalie kept her head in the game, displaying powerful moves that earned her a second-place finish at the Big Air Tarifa event and the Vice World Championship title for the 2023 season.

Not only did our women’s team outperform the fleet in the Twin Tip division, but it was 2022 Junior World Champion Camille Losserand who displayed highly technical riding in the women’s Big Air Surfboard division, awarding her the 2023 GKA World Tour Championship title. Mikaili Sol doubles down with her podium finishes, claiming third place for the women’s Big Air Surfboard division.

If it wasn’t enough that our women’s team has been on an absolute heater, the results are equally as spectacular when we turn our attention to the men’s field. For his second consecutive year, young rider Andrea Principi earned himself the coveted title of the GKA Big Air World Champion by winning in Tarifa. Andrea had some huge scores throughout the event posting several 9+ point tricks, showing early on that he was gunning for the win.

Local favorite Liam Whaley entered the event in contention for the world title race, but after being edged out in his semi-final heat, would have to settle for Vice Big Air World Champion - still a title to be very proud to take home!

In the surfboard Big Air discipline, another local rider, Marc Garriga, who initially entered the competition with a wild card, showed a fantastic performance during the event. With 19.52 points in the surfboard men's final, he was crowned Vice World Champion in front of his home crowd in Tarifa.

And last but certainly not least, James Carew appeared to have boosters built into his surfboard fins, going to insane heights and proving himself unstoppable on his path to victory. Taking the win here in Tarifa also earned Carew his third World Championship title as he claims the 2023 GKA Big Air Surfboard World Champion.