Mika Sol back with huge Big Air win in Brazil

• Epic final sees young Brazilian pushed to the limit by Italy’s Alice Ruggiu

• Switzerland’s Andrea Zust wins first women’s Hydrofoil Big Air world title

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

Multiple world champion Mikaili Sol stormed back to competition with an emphatic win in an epic final at the Copa Kitley GKA Big Air Kite World Cup Jericoacoara in Brazil.

The young Brazilian sealed the win in winds of almost 30 knots with a perfect 10 for her last trick in one of the greatest women’s heats ever witnessed as the sun was setting in the legendary kiteboarding venue.

“I’ve had a few super-stressful days and I don’t think I could have asked for a better result,” said Sol. “To end the competition with a 10 and winning. This is the first event I’m doing in the past year. This year off was really beneficial for my mental health. So coming back strong, this really pushes me and motivates me. I’m ready to come back full force next year.”

Sol just got the better of Italy’s Alice Ruggiu, who had laid down the heat of her life and was leading until the dying seconds thanks to a huge 9.77 trick score that came close to landing her the win.

“Really, I can’t describe this feeling,” said Ruggiu, holding back the tears. “I put a lot of work into this and then I got to the final. I tried so hard to do my best, and I did it. I just want to cry. It’s my dream. I’m super-happy

The climactic women’s final on day three of the Jericoacoara world cup came after a few early casualties in the quarter-finals. Reigning world champion Zara Hoogenraad (NED) advanced with a win along with Israel’s Inbar Lerner, at the expense of Jasmine Cho (USA).

Foretaste of fireworks

Francesca Maini (GBR) also progressed with a strong heat, along with Sarah Sadek (EGY) after a trick was correctly reclassified, allowing her to get the better of the competition’s youngest rider, Bulgaria’s Aya Kasabova, 14.

The semi-finals were a foretaste of the fireworks to come and held some surprises. Hoogenraad put up a good fight. But she seemed to struggle in the right-foot forward kickers and was chasing game, only to go out.

Pippa van Iersel (NED), winner of Lords of Tram in April, came out charging and chalked up the highest trick score of the day to that point—8.23 for a Kite-loop Board-off. She went to the final with Sol, who had won the heat.

Slovenia’s Lana Herman, who placed third at the GKA Big Air finale in Gran Canaria in July, fell to the firepower of Maini and Ruggiu. Maini netted 8.7 for Kite-loop Board-off, while Ruggiu was just warming up with 8.6 for a Kite-loop Front-roll.

The final between Van Iersel, Maini, Sol and Ruggiu was one for the ages. Maini struggled for height riding left-foot forward, but put down two good scores at the close. It was not enough and she finished fourth, just 0.03 of a point behind.

Van Iersel put a solid heat together and racked up 8.6 for a Kite-loop Board-off late in the piece, helping her to the third podium spot.

The real battle

But the real battle was between Ruggiu and Sol, who came out of the gate fast with two big eight-point tricks. Ruggiu replied with a world first in competition—9.77 for a Contra-loop Back-roll Board-off—and backed it up with a 9.0.

It lit a fire under Sol and she bounced back with a 9.8 trick, which she then followed up with the perfect 10 form a massive, powered Kite-loop Front-roll Board-off as the Brazilian fans on the beach went wild. When the scores were revealed, she was carried aloft up the beach.

Earlier in the day the one-off world championship of GKA Hydrofoil Big Air was staged in the women’s division for the first time. Francesca Maini had also chosen to compete in the discipline and looked unbeatable after the semi-final, only to come unstuck in the final and finish third.

The Czech Republic’s Katerina Salandova put up a good fight, but it was Andrea Zust, of Switzerland, who found her rhythm and put an 8.0 on the board for a Contra-loop, followed by a 7.13 for a Kite-loop Back-roll that gave her the win and her first world title.

“I’m stoked because in the beginning it didn’t go so well because I messed up two of my rounds,” said Zust. “I was super-nervous. But I’m really happy. I got it back together and won the title. It’s really important for the women to see that they can compete in Hydrofoil Big Air.”

words: Ian MacKinnon
images: Svetlana Romantsova

GKA Big Air Kite World Cup Jericoacoara TwinTip results

Women
1 Mikaili Sol (BRA)
2 Alice Ruggiu (ITA)
3 Pippa van Iersel (NED)
4 Francesca Maini (GBR)

GKA Hydrofoil Big Air Kite World Cup Jericoacoara 2024 results

1 Andrea Zust (SUI)
2 Katerina Salandova (CZE)
3 Francesca Maini (GBR)
4 Agate Prince (FRA)

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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