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DOUBLE VICTORY IN MEN’S AND WOMEN’S DIVISIONS

The Qatar Airways GKA Kite World Tour made its debut at Ibiraquera, Brazil, marking the fourth and final event in the Kite-Surf discipline this season, where the 2024 Kite-Surf World Champions would be crowned.

Ibiraquera, located in the state of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil, is a stunning coastal spot known for its consistent winds and excellent waves. The competition spot featured a unique beach break that behaves like a point break, offering long, clean waves framed by sandy shores and lush surroundings, drawing water sports enthusiasts from around the world.

Ranked fourth entering this event, Australia’s two-time World Champion James Carew made an impressive comeback after an 18-month injury hiatus, securing consecutive victories in Germany and Morocco. With four tour stops in 2024, allowing one discarded score, and despite missing the season opener in Sal, Cape Verde, James’s world title bid remained strong.

With a total of 24 men and 14 women from 10 countries registered, the event kicked off on Day 2, in challenging and unreliable conditions with light, patchy wind and small swell. Despite several attempts, only two heats in the men’s opening round could be completed.

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With two lay days (Day 3 and Day 5), the women’s division was battled out on Day 4 and 6 of the 8-day event window. Conditions remained challenging, with small swells and light winds. In the quarter-finals, world number three Camille Losserand (SUI) was narrowly defeated by Yasmina Bujanow (DEN/AUS), making her GKA debut and edging out the win by just 0.06 of a point. Riding her Neo D/LAB, Bujanow, a two-time Australian Wave Nationals winner, carried her momentum into the semi-finals, where she delivered a strong performance to advance past ranking leader Capucine Delannoy (FRA). That momentum continued into the final, where Bujanow opened with an 8-point wave against local rider and national champion Sophia Abreu (BRA), sealing her win with another 8.10-point wave—the highest wave score and heat total of the women’s contest. Congratulations to Yasmina on an impressive first World Cup win. Also congratulations to Capucine Delannoy for reclaiming the world crown and all the other female shredders for pushing so hard in those tricky conditions.

Shortly after lunch on Day 6, the men hit the water as the breeze climbed to 20 knots with the wave quality improving.

Unlucky in previous events with tough draws in the early rounds and unfortunate super tight heat losses, Brazil’s Sebastian Ribeiro, known and feared for his powerful backside surfing, catapulted himself in Round 1 straight into Round 3 with an 8.13 wave and a total heat score of 12.93. Also, big wave surfer Clément Roseyro (FRA), and two-time event winner this season James Carew (AUS) put down a big one in Round 1 moving straight into Round 3, sending their opponents to battle it out in Round 2.

With some of the biggest wave scores of the comp at that stage — an 8.83 and a 7.47 – Spain-Cape Verde’s Matchu Lopes, attacked his Round 2 heat with intensity, finishing with a heat total of more than double (16.30) to his rival competitor Everton Martins (BRA, 7.50).

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»I set out this year to do the impossible, this time last year I could not kite or even slightly jog. Right now I’m 2nd in the world. Although it’s not what I came to expect, the impossible had been achieved.«

— James Carew

World number three in the rankings, Pedro Matos (BRA), also stomped out a winning score on his home ground in Round 2, which meant a super exciting matchup to come with his teammate and friend, James Carew, in Round 3. Unfortunately, the wind folded by mid-afternoon, with the riders released to get a good rest for the next day.

Unfortunately, Day 7 came and went without the wind ever showing up. But prayers to the Wind Gods were finally answered on Day 8, bringing a steady 20-25 knots to Ibiraquera’s beautiful beach, though from a different direction. Adjusting to the southerly wind shift, the competition moved slightly north, with remaining competitors trading the left-hand waves of earlier days for right-handers.

Kicking things off were Matchu Lopes (ESP) and Clément Roseyro (FRA) in an exciting Duotone team match-up. Riding his Neo SLS, Matchu was on fire! His aggressive approach and vertical maneuvers won over the judges. With a big 8.6 wave and a 16.20 heat total, Matchu was on his way into Round 4.

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Next came an intense heat with another thrilling Duotone match-up between James Carew (AUS) and Pedro Matos (BRA). Matos came out firing, quickly landing two massive wave scores that put immense pressure on James, who fought valiantly with his title hopes on the line. James’ intensely powerful riding has won him admiration from fans all around the world, and he displayed remarkable skill and determination, pushing hard to stay in contention. But Pedro was relentless — in an extraordinary performance, he earned the competition’s highest wave score, an impressive 8.93 out of 10, to secure the win.

This set up another Duotone face-off in the quarter-finals: Matchu Lopes (ESP) versus Pedro Matos (BRA). Both riders on their Neo SLS, with Pedro on the new Blur D/LAB and Matchu choosing a stubby-shaped board, the heat turned into an absolute thriller. Despite Pedro's strong efforts, Matchu was relentless, posting the event’s highest heat total so far — an impressive 16.73 — knocking Pedro out of the running.

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»It's been an incredible journey with lots of ups and downs, but standing on top of this podium makes it all worthwhile. I'm grateful for the support I've received from so many people and Duotone and proud to have finished the season on a high note."«

— Matchu Lopes

Advancing into the semi-finals, Matchu’s unstoppable energy and winning streak held strong. Facing local hero and three-time World Champion Guilly Brandao (BRA), who runs a kite centre in Ibiraquera and knows the beach like the back of his hand, Matchu’s riding was next level. With impressive vertical hacks and creative 360s and reverses, he earned high scores from the judges, securing the win and a spot in the final against the freshly crowned World Champion, Gabriel Benetton (BRA).

The vibes in the final were incredible, with both contestants cheering each other on, embodying true sportsmanship and joy for the sport. Matchu, riding his Neo SLS 7m², was yet again absolutely on fire, going vertical with relentless intensity and leaving Benetton (BRA) in his wake. With two massive 7-point waves, Matchu clinched an undeniable victory, making an epic return to the top of the podium with pure dominance and redemption! The crowd was left buzzing with excitement over his performance and so are we here at Duotone. Congratulations to Matchu for winning this event and to the entire team for pushing so hard!

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A huge congratulations also to James Carew (AUS), who claimed the Vice World Champion title after an incredible comeback from a serious injury. James, your resilience inspires us all—thank you!

We’d also like to celebrate Camille Losserand (SUI), who secured an impressive third place in the overall world rankings for the women’s division. Her dedication and exceptional skill throughout the season have set a new standard and are truly an inspiration.

What an exciting end to the season! We’re immensely proud of everything you guys have achieved, and we can’t wait to see what 2025 brings. Here’s to even bigger waves and unforgettable moments — thank you team for giving it your all!

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