GKA Qatar Grand Finale

Gianmaria Coccoluto, fresh off his first World Championship-winning season in 2022, started the year off with a bang, taking home the win in the season-opening event in Qatar. He was looking to repeat it here for the season's final event. However, by the end of the event holding period, the conditions would never prove suitable enough to run the competition, resulting in a first-place tie for all male participants. This tie would keep the standings intact, awarding Carlos Mario Bebe the coveted world title. Nonetheless, Coccoluto takes home the Vice-World Championship title for his performance throughout the season! This result was well deserved by his incredibly powerful riding, his unparalleled style, and his relentless effort off the water. Huge congratulations to Coccoluto for another spectacular season!

“Everything was to be decided in Qatar where the winner of the event would be the world champ. I was still 2nd in the ranking, so I was ready to take the Win there as I did in January, but unluckily, we had a terrible week of no wind. It was flat, and the waiting game was so stressful for me. In the end, there was no wind to fight for the title and I ended up with VICE WORLD CHAMPION."

Mikaili Sol also finishes the year as our new women's Vice-World Champion! This is a fantastic result that was well deserved through her determination, perseverance, and well honed talent. It was another tight battle between Sol and the 2023 World Champion Bruna Kajiya all season long. The two often went trick for the trick in heats decided by the tiniest of margins. At the grand finale, which returned to Qatar for the second time this year, the conditions only granted enough wind to complete two women's heats. This would also ultimately result in a tie that would close out the season for the women's competition, thus keeping the standings as they were before the start of the event. Even though she didn't get to fight until the end, Sol gave another stellar performance on tour this year, further cementing her athleticism and talent.

"The competition in Qatar was a bit of a bummer, since there was no wind but I already went there with the expectation that it wasn’t likely to happen for me. It was most probably that Bruna would take the win, she’s a spectacular competitor and really pulls everything together when it has to be done. Despite the challenges of this year, I am incredibly proud of my achievements. Securing 2nd place is a testament to show the growth, hard work, and determination in women of kiting, and I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of it. I am determined to take all that I have learned this year and apply it to elevate my performance in the upcoming 2024 season."

To finish off the women's podium, Duotone's Claudia Leon earns the title of 3rd in the world for 2023. Leon has worked her way up the women's field for years, showing consistent progression in power, technicality, and competition savvy. This year, she was on an absolute heater, making it to the final heat of every event she attended until her season came to an unexpected halt in Brazil, where she sustained a knee injury. Despite Leon's unfortunate injury, she had an amazing year on tour and, as always, keeps a great attitude as she looks forward to what was next for her.

"I feel so grateful to have had the best year of my life! Although it didn't end as I would have wished - I got a severe ACL injury, and now I have to pause my competitive career for a while."

In other standout performances for the year, Nathalie Lambrecht showed everyone that she is a force to be reckoned with. Not only can she hang with the top ladies, landing on multiple podiums throughout the season, but she came out this year with a new bag of tricks, most notably her technical toeside riding. As one of the finalists in the grand finale in Qatar, Nathalie finishes with a tied first place and a fourth-place finish overall for the year. Lambrecht comments about her experience at the last event.

"So unfortunately, the wind was not on our side to finish the last stop of the Freestyle World Tour. However, at least on the first day, we managed to get out on the water."