France’s Capucine Delannoy took back the GKA Kite-Surf World Championship that she first captured at the age of 16. A year on from the painful loss of her crown, she reflected on the positives. Near here home in PreΓ‘, Brazil, she told Ian MacKinnon that the tears following her relinquishing the Kite-Surf and Big Air Surfboard titles in the same year had ultimately made her stronger. It helped refocus her priorities and led to renewed success, including winning Move of the Year at the GKA Awards for a ‘world first’ Triple Front-roll.
Ian MacKinnon: How did it feel to reclaim the Kite-Surf world title this year?
Capucine Delannoy: I was super-happy the last time I won the title in 2022. After that I lost both titles: the Big Air and wave riding. This year was definitely a comeback. I really wanted to get the title back. But my focus was on improving. My full focus was putting the best riding out there on the water and I knew the result was going to follow.
I was having a laugh on the beach and fun on the water. I enjoyed kiting during my heats and I think that’s why the title came along. I was just focused on riding well and that’s what got me the win.
IM: When you lost both titles, was that a hard year for you?
CD: It was definitely hard. I remember crying a lot. But I think it was amazing for me because it made me think so much. If Moona Whyte hadn’t come back on tour I think I wouldn’t have pushed so my limits so much. It was really positive not to get that title, so I could get stronger and better.
This year was amazing also because Kesiane Rodrigues improved so much at wave riding. I was really in a battle for the title.
IM: Talk us through your season.
CD: We started in Cape Verde, but I didn’t get the win there. But I improved a lot and I was happy with my riding. So, I was happy with the start of the year. Then Sylt [Germany] was amazing. I managed to finish first. It was really good and I was really happy about this competition. [Delannoy landed a βworld firstβ Triple Front-roll for a perfect 10-point score.]
βFull season title fightβ
Dakhla [Morocco] was a little harder. I wasn’t in the right place mentally, so I got second. I was really happy for Kesiane [who won]. She’s a good friend of mine and she rode super-well during the whole competition.
Then we finished in Ibiraquera [Brazil]. Ibiraquera was a little hard because it was not my right side. Even the day before I didn’t know if I should ride backside, because I’d been training for a whole month backside, or go ‘switch’. After talking about it a lot with my dad, I decided I should ride ‘switch’. I think it was the best decision and it worked well. I got third and got the title there.
It was a full season to get the title and that’s what I really enjoyed. If I didn’t win an event, I knew there was going to be the whole season and I knew I would get there at some point.
IM: You won the Surfboard-Freestyle Move of the Year for the Triple Front-roll, a ‘world first’, in Sylt. What did that mean to you?
CD: I feel happy to win this award, especially with a Triple Front-roll. I’ve been dreaming about this since I was 10. My older brother was one of the first to land it and I remember saying, I’m going to be the first girl to do it. It took me a couple of years, but here we are.
What makes it more special is that we have this trophy for best strapless move for women. I think it’s a big step forward for the sport and how much it’s growing. Being part of this with the other female athletes is really special.
IM: How are you looking at next season?
CD: I don’t know. This was such a good season for me. I got good results. I had a lot of fun training and I had a lot of fun kiting in the water and competing, which I always had before. But this year even more so. So, I’m going to try and keep it like this and focus on my kiting and the title will follow again [this] year.
βIt will be greatβ
IM: Do you focus on strapless freestyle or wave riding?
CD: I think I need both. I don’t think I would have won the title if I hadn’t won in Sylt. Sylt was 100 percent freestyle and it’s my favourite discipline. It’s something I love to do. So I’m going to keep training freestyle and get as many ‘world firsts’ as I can.
But wave riding is just so amazing as well, and I have a big love for both. So, next year I’ll go one month freestyle, and one month wave riding.
IM: This year you went to train in Indonesia before the last event. How was that for you?
CD: I went to train in Indo, and it was amazing. I started to ride backside there and I was definitely happy with my backside. I definitely want to go back there next year, because it was really good. So, when I got to Ibiraquera, I didn’t know whether I should ride backside. But I’d trained it only for a month. I decided on ‘switch’, as I think you need to train a lot more for backside.
IM: Away from kiting and the tour, how is your life?
CD: I just finished high school in July and now I’m going to start university. I’m going to do a bachelors in Business. It’s a French university. It’s on-line, but I have to go to France four times a year for exams. It’s a very flexible programme. So I can compete and train at a high level and do my studies at the same time, so it will be great.
edit: Ian MacKinnon
images: Svetlana Romantsova / Bianca Asher
