GKA Freestyle-Kite World Cups are the ultimate competitions for Twin-tip Freestyle riders. Male and female athletes competing in Freestyle world cups perform a constantly-updated series of tricks to earn points from the judges and advance through the knock-out contest.
The Freestyle discipline has developed to encompass a variety of formats, in order to become more inclusive and take account of variable conditions.
In pure Freestyle contests athletes use the power of the kite to go as fast as possible in order to “pop” off the water, while avoiding using the kite for lift. The aim is to achieve the greatest height and amplitude possible, combining that with the execution of technical, aerial tricks. The scoring also focuses on the power and commitment to each trick, together with the smoothness of the landing.
The GKA has expanded range of trick “families”, from which the manoeuvres must be performed. These trick categories push competitors to explore greater variety, as the scores that count from each “family” is limited. The number of counting scores from the Heel-Side groups is restricted. Similarly, those from the Variety group, which includes Toe-Side take-offs, with Re-winds, Combos, Double-inverted Rotations and Kiteloops, are also limited. The aim is to reduce the risk of injury to the athletes by increasing variation and cutting the dependency on specialisation of a narrow range of tricks. By expanding the variety of tricks scored, the desire is also to make Freestyle a more exciting show.
If conditions are unsuitable for pure Freestyleβwith too much windβthe heats may be run in a pure Big Air format. The ladder may be contested in a mixed format of exclusively Freestyle heats and Big Air heats, if conditions vary during the competition.
Competitors are able to discard an event score if there are four to six World Cups over a season. The man and woman with the most points at the end of the Freestyle discipline’s season become the World Champions.
Rulebook
Click here to download the Rulebook
Compete in a Freestyle World Cup?
Do you want to compete in a Surf World Cup? Go to events, choose your event and click the “Register” button on the buttom of the page!
Examples of Big Air & Freestyle events:
GKA KITEBOARDING AIR GAMES: Fehmarn, Germany 2018 – Finals
WORLD KITEBOARDING CHAMPIONSHIPS: Cumbuco, Brazil 2018 – Finals
