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Qatar Airways GKA Awards night presents coveted trophies to biggest names in the sport
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Gala evening caps stellar year as it makes debut in kiteboarding mecca of Cape Town
10 January, 2025 | Qatar Airways GKA Awards, City Hall, Cape Town
The Qatar Airways GKA Awards once again celebrated the pinnacle of kiteboarding achievements with a gala evening to honour the sport’s greats when it made its debut appearance in Cape Town, South Africa.
The third edition of the awards presented 14 of the coveted trophies to mark the biggest achievements in kiteboarding over the past 18 months at an emotional ceremony in Cape Town City Hall.
The city, a kiteboarding mecca renowned for its strong winds during the European winter, made the grand setting of the City Hall available to the GKA in recognition of the pivotal role the sport plays in the make-up of Cape Town’s international reputation.
The big winner of the evening was Brazil’s Bruna Kajiya. The most senior woman on tour at 37, Kajiya won Female Rider of the Year after recently clinching a remarkable fifth Freestyle world title at the final in Qatar, capping a perfect season.
Kajiya put a cherry on the cake when she also won the Women’s Freestyle Move of the Year for a perfectly-executed Combo (Slim to Back Mobe) trick that was the hallmark of her season. She won all the year’s three Freestyle events with some of the greatest riding of her storied career.
Spain’s Lorenzo Casati won the Male Rider of the Year award. The former Red Bull King of the Air winner displayed his prowess across multiple disciplines, landing podiums in Big Air Twin-tip and Hydrofoil, as well as the Kite-Surf discipline.
“Winning the Male Rider of the Year for me, it’s just super-special,” said Casati. “I can’t believe it. It’s been a dream of mine for many years. This year has been great year, with so many great results in many different disciplines. I’ve trained hard and I’m super-happy.”
The Rookie of the Year trophy went to Britain’s Francesca Maini after she burst on to the Big Air Twin-tip scene, earning a second podium place at the final in Gran Canaria, last July. She went on to win the first Red Bull King of the Air women’s division in Cape Town, in December.
βWinning two is so insaneβ
“Winning Rookie of the Year, I’m super-stoked,” said Maini. I wasn’t expecting it and I’m pretty happy about it. I’m ready to push more and really push the level these next few years and really make it to world champion. All the girls are inspiring and for the young girls coming through it’s really cool for them to see everyone competing.”
The evening also showcased mind-blowing moves, such as JosuΓ© San Ferreiraβs Double-loop Board-off Front-flip and Mikaili Solβs Doobie Board-off, which won the respective Big Air awards. Multiple world champion Sol marked her comeback with a win at the opening Big Air event of the 2025 season on home waters in Brazil.
Men’s Freestyle Move of the Year went to the popular Egyptian Karim “Kimo” Mahmoud for a KGB Melon Grab Rewind that marked a big step up for him.
“I’m over the moon to win Freestyle Move of the Year,” said Mahmoud. “I’ve been Freestyling since I was 10 years old, putting in so much hard work. I’ve been to a bunch of GKA stops, but never quite made a name for myself. Finishing fourth on the 2024 tour and getting the Freestyle move, I’m speechless. So happy. Finally the hard work is paying off.”
In the men’s Surfboard division, 2024 Kite-Surf world champion Gabriel Benetton, was a master of consistency. Last year’s Rookie of the Year won the Surfboard-Freestyle Move of the Year for a Triple Front-roll Shove-it in competition, in Germany, as well as the Wave of the Year for a barrel in Indonesia.
“This means a lot to me,” said Benetton. “I started really young. I’ve only got two years on the tour. I got world champion last year and to get two awards, wave of the year and trick of the year is so insane. The Triple Front-roll Shove-it was a trick I dreamed about. Until today, I’ve landed it only four times, and once was in competition. It’s super-special.”
Women’s Kite-Surf world champion, France’s Capucine Delannoy, took the Surfboard-Freestyle Move of the Year for a Triple Front-roll in Sylt, Germany, which earned a perfect 10 and was a ‘world first’ in women’s competition.
“I feel happy to win this award, especially with a Triple Front-roll,” said Delannoy. “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. 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. Being part of this with the other female athletes is really special.”
βUps and downsβ
Hydrofoil Big Air Move of Year went to reigning and six-times world champion France’s Charles Brodel for a Front Double Contra-loop Board-off, in the same year he was the first hydrofoil athlete to battle in the Red Bull King of the Air in Cape Town.
“I’m really happy winning Hydrofoil Big Air Move of the Year,” said Brodel. “Last year [2023] was difficult for me; a lot of ups and downs. I was ready to come to Cape Town to the King of the Air, but I couldn’t because I hurt myself. Coming back here to win this means so much to me. This trick was one that I never did again because it’s so hard.”
The Photo of the Year of Cohan van Dijk in action, was captured by Samuel CΓ‘rdenas, his second successive win. The Video of the Year, FEAR by Julien Leleu, also highlighted the artistic brilliance inspired by kiteboarding.
GKA CEO Dr JΓΆrgen Vogt said that staging the awards in Cape Town was the realisation of long-held ambition that was made possible by unwavering support from all sides. He hoped the awards’ success would help put the image kiteboarding and the GKA on a new plane.
“Coming to Cape Town is a dream,” said Dr Vogt. “We’ve been working on it for 10 years. Be patient and never stop dreaming. In my opinion Cape Town is the best place we can run this awards night. Thanks to all those who supported us in Cape Town, we finally made it.
“Each World Cup event has it’s own agenda. It depends where [in the world] we run the World Cups. But generally we’re trying to make kitesurfing and the GKA Kite World Tour more famous; more recognised by the general public. That will bring more and more people on to the stage of those who want to run an event.
“Also sponsors. Without sponsors we couldn’t do all this. For the sponsors seeing that we are not a bunch of crazy people hanging around the beach, but a serious sport with serious athletes, and a lot of people around the world love this sport and come together here on such a nice occasion might convince them to help us run events all over the world.”
words: Ian MacKinnon
images: Bianca Asher
2024 Qatar Airways GKA Award Winners
- Male Rider of the Year: Lorenzo Casati
- Female Rider of the Year: Bruna Kajiya
- Rookie of the Year: Francesca Maini
- Men’s Big Air Move of the Year: JosuΓ© San Ferreira β Double-loop Board-off Front-flip
- Women’s Big Air Move of the Year: Mikaili Sol β Doobie Board-off
- Men’s Freestyle Move of the Year: Karim βKimoβ Mahmoud β KGB Melon Grab Rewind
- Women’s Freestyle Move of the Year: Bruna Kajiya β Slim to Back Mobe
- Men’s Surfboard-Freestyle Move of the Year: Gabriel Benetton β Triple Front-roll Shove-it
- Women’s Surfboard-Freestyle Move of the Year: Capucine Delannoy β Triple Front-roll
- Men’s Wave of the Year: Gabriel Benetton β Kitesurf Barrel, Indonesia
- Women’s Wave of the Year: Moona Whyte β Ponta Preta, Cape Verde
- Hydrofoil Big Air Move of the Year: Charles Brodel β Front Double Contra-loop Board-off
- Photo of the Year: Cohan van Dijk | Samuel CΓ‘rdenas
- Video of the Year: FEAR – James Carew by Julien Leleu
