Brazilian Big Air ‘first’ set to soar

TwinTip division to take to the air first at Jericoacoara in opening event of the 2025 season

Copa Kitley GKA Big Air Kite World Cup Jericoacoara 2024
5–9 November, 2024 | Jericoacoara, Brazil

Copa Kitley GKA Hydrofoil Big Air Kite World Cup Jericoacoara 2024
5–9 November, 2024 | Jericoacoara, Brazil

The Qatar Airways GKA Kite World Tour’s three Big Air divisions, TwinTip—Hydrofoil and Surfboard—are set to take off when they make their debut in the iconic Brazilian kite spot of Jericoacoara.

The Copa Kitley GKA Big Air Kite World Cup Jericoacoara will kick off the action with two days of TwinTip action after the registration of all 57 athletes on the opening day of the contest.

The TwinTip contest marks the first stop of the 2025 season and will feature 24 men and 12 women. The right-foot forward spot outside Jericoacoara will be a challenge for many of the riders, who generally favour the left-foot forward venues that dominate the scene.

The Netherlands’ Zara Hoogenraad, who became Qatar Airways GKA Big Air Kite World Champion in July, has been practising in the right-foot forward spot and welcomes the opportunity to mix it up as she opens the defence of her crown.

Hoogenraad is one of six athletes who will get the first chance to compete in the inaugural women’s division at the Red Bull King of the Air (Kota) in Cape Town as early as later this month.

‘Take it cautiously’

The US’s Jasmine Cho is another athlete who made the starting line-up in Kota and has come to Brazil for the season opener, but has vowed to play a conservative game to avoid risk of injury.

“For this event I’m just trying to take it easy and not go too hard,” said Cho. “I’ll take a bit cautiously because of the event coming up in Cape Town soon. This is not a great place for left-foot forward riders. The right-foot forward riders have an advantage in the kickers.”

Slovenia’s Lana Herman got a third place at the GKA Big Air finale in Gran Canaria. She is looking to go one better in Brazil, where she has been training for the past six weeks.

“I love the Brazil wind,” said Herman. “I think it’s a really safe wind where you can try new stuff. You always hope you can do better, but I was happy with my third place in Gran Canaria.”

Once the Big Air TwinTip competition is completed after two days, the plan is to move on to the Hydrofoil Big Air contest. It will be made up 13 men and for the first time five women are set to compete.

‘Looks super-awesome’

Switzerland’s Peer Schnyder got a third at his first event at the season opener in Sylt, Germany, in August, and is hoping for another strong showing in Brazil. It will close out the Hydrofoil Big Air season, when the world champions will be crowned.

“It’s a first time for me in Brazil,” said Schnyder. “It looks super-awesome. Sylt was rainy and stormy. Here it looks good and ‘boosty’ and I’m really looking forward to it.”

The final day of the competition will feature 12 men going for the Big Air Surfboard world title, when Australia’s James Carew will seek to defend his crown. Unfortunately the women’s competition was cancelled when only four riders entered.

Lorenzo Casati and younger brother Leonardo, 15, have entered all three Big Air divisions.  Lorenzo Casati is seeded number one in the TwinTip contest, but has already shown he is a force to reckoned with on a surfboard and a hydrofoil. Join us here on the Livestream to see how it plays out.

words: Ian MacKinnon
images: Svetlana Romantsova

Spot Info

Jericoacoara
Jericoacoara offers lagoons for the freestylers and kickers on ocean for the Big Air athletes. The winds from 20 to 30 knots, or more, are constant and on all day from August to November. The winds are cross-onshore from the right, but outside Jeri town they tend to be cross-offshore. The lagoons, surrounded by sand dunes and palm trees, are separated from the sea by a low sandbars.

Weather
November is the driest months in Jeri. The air temperature during day can be between 32°C, the highest temperatures, and the lowest of 24°C. The water temperature of the sea is around 20-25°C, so nothing more than a summer shorty is required.  Sunrise is at about 05.30 and sunset is 17.30.

Wind
Easterly winds blow cross-onshore in Jericoacoara, between 20–30 knots. You can find the most accurate online wind forecasts on Windguru.

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