The fifth edition of the Gran Canaria Air Battle Kite & Wingfoil Festival was unveiled this Wednesday, 6 December, at the sandy shores of Las Burras in Gran Canaria. The event will take place from 7 to 10 December and will feature athletes from five different countries, including Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany, Morocco, and Spain.
Organized by the Canakite Experiences Sports Club in collaboration with the Royal Canarian Sailing Federation and with the institutional sponsorship from the Sports and Tourism departments of the Gran Canaria Council, the competition will serve as a qualifying test for wingfoil in the Surf-Freestyle and Freefly-Slalom categories, as well as host the Open Kitesurfing Championship of the Canary Islands in the Big Air (high jumps) and Strapless Freestyle (freestyle tricks in the air) classes.
Head judge of the competition, Javier Hipólito, expressed his excitement about the event, saying, “It is the national kiteboarding event with the most participants I have seen, just like what happened in the last edition where we also exceeded a hundred athletes.”
Organizer Manuel Martínez added that the festival is open to all ages and levels, and that the event is a “boost to the leisure and sports offerings that the municipality sorely needs.” He also mentioned that there are many registered for the fan race scheduled for this Saturday and the free initiation courses in kitesurfing and wingfoil.
The festival will also feature giveaways of equipment from brands such as CORE, North Kiteboarding, and Duotone, among others, and a free workshop in Strapless Freestyle technique, conducted by youth kitesurfing world champion Noah Nicolas.
The competition aims to qualify athletes for the Global Wingsports Association (GWA) World Circuit and the Open Kitesurfing Championship of the Canary Islands.
The fifth edition of the Gran Canaria Air Battle Kite & Wingfoil Festival kicked off on Wednesday, 6 December, at the sandy shores of Las Burras in Gran Canaria. Around a hundred athletes from five different countries, including Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany, Morocco, and Spain, will compete until 10 December for the last chance to qualify for the Global Wingsports Association (GWA) World Circuit and the Open Kitesurfing Championship of the Canary Islands across various classes.
Organized by the Canakite Experiences Sports Club in collaboration with the Royal Canarian Sailing Federation, the event will also feature free initiation courses in kitesurfing and wingfoil, a free workshop in Strapless Freestyle technique by youth kitesurfing world champion Noah Nicolas, and giveaways of equipment from brands such as CORE, North Kiteboarding, and Duotone, among others.
Head judge of the competition, Javier Hipólito, expressed his excitement about the event, saying, “It is the national kiteboarding event with the most participants I have seen, just like what happened in the last edition where we also exceeded a hundred athletes.”
Organizer Manuel Martínez added that the festival is open to all ages and levels, and that the event is a “boost to the leisure and sports offerings that the municipality sorely needs.”
This year’s event was officially presented by Ancor Sosa from Fuerteventura, who has just returned from the GWA Wingfoil Freestyle tour in Brazil, Gran Canaria’s Daniela Moreno, already in the top 10 worldwide in the Waves category, Tarifa’s Noah Nicolas, youth kitesurfing world champion, and veteran Klaus Fietz, who has been participating since the first edition of the festival.
Representing the municipality hosting the festival, the councilor for Tourism, Festivals, and Events, Yilenia Vega, welcomed the riders with a few words, encouraging participation and expressing her joy at hosting such a large number of athletes.
The fifth edition of the Gran Canaria Air Battle Kite & Wingfoil Festival is set to be an exciting event that will bring together athletes from around the world for the qualifying test for the Global Wingsports Association (GWA) World Circuit and the Open Kitesurfing Championship of the Canary Islands. The event will feature free initiation courses, giveaways of equipment, and a free workshop in Strapless Freestyle technique, and will be held from 7 to 10 December at the sandy shores of Las Burras in Gran Canaria.
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