The first Freestyle Kite event of the season got underway in France
GKA Freestyle Kite World Cup France
28 August—01 September, 2024 | Dunkerque
After being teased for longer than usual, the thermal winds of Dunkerque kicked in late afternoon allowing the GKA Freestyle Kite World Cup France 2024 to get underway with the first heats.
Playing host for a second time to the world tour, the GKA Freestyle Kite World Cup France 2024 saw 50,000 spectators lining the sandy beach, all eager for the action to begin.
Women fight first
The women’s heats commenced with an explosive comeback from Rita Arnaus (ESP) in heat one, where her previous injury seemed nothing but a distant memory. Going head to head with Francesca Bagnoli (ITA), the current ranked number three rider, Arnaus showed confidence, landing some clean combination tricks with decent scores. Bagnoli answered back with nice unhooked moves and the two were almost level pegging, until Arnaus just made it through to claim the win, advancing to the semi-final.
The judges expected to see a good mix of tricks from the different families, all executed with power, height and technical difficulty. Current world champion Bruna Kajiya (BRA) proved she could do just that, scoring the highest of the day, showing everyone that she is here for just one thing, and that’s to win.
Manoeuvres with a greater degree of commitment and risk that show control with clean landings are rewarded. Newcomer to the world tour, Kaya Lehmann (GER) impressed the judges and put up a good fight against Kajiya, but lost out to the champion. Lehmann went on to win her next heat in round two, and will join Matilda Roux (FRA) and Rita Arnaus in the semi-final.
Men battle until sundown
Round one, heat one of the men’s got underway with Julien Jacquet (FRA) pitched against Matteo Dorotini (ITA) and Louka Pitot (FRA). Pitot and Dorotini are seasoned competitors and an exciting heat was expected. Dorotini’s high-scoring KGB5 opened the heat putting him in a strong position with a 7.03 score.
Next, a beautifully executed slim-to-blind trick from Pitot was what he needed after Dorotini’s streak ahead. With just two tricks left, it was down to the wire between them while Jacquet lagged behind. Dorotini skimmed ahead, leaving Pitot to fight it out in the elimination round two.
Having lost to Kéo Beauducel (FRA) and vice world champion Gianmaria Coccoluto (ITA) in round one, heat four, seventeen-year-old Rafael Montero (ESP) met Pitot in knockout round two, heat one.
“I started thinking how could I have the possibility to win against Coco”, said Montero. “I knew it was really difficult, but but I managed to land a good dum dum trick, and got a good score at the start. I came third in my first heat, but the good thing was that I passed to the second round against Pitot where I scored well and made it through! Tomorrow morning I hope to perform even better”.
Round two heat one saw Theo Fermon (FRA), Rafael Montero, Louka Pitot and Baptiste Jacquemain (FRA) battle to stay in the competition. Pitot put in a strong lead throughout, but Fermon and Montero were raising their game trick after trick fighting to take second place.
Fermon jumped into first place with a tactical move from another trick family, but Pitot responded by claiming back his lead. Meanwhile, Montero waited with his father at the water’s edge to see the scores before commencing his final trick. He headed out and stomped a backside 313 and after a nail-biting wait, found out he advanced to round three along with Pitot. Fermon and Jacquemain unfortunately exited the competition.
Tactical moves
Round two heat one saw Theo Fermon (FRA), Rafael Montero, Louka Pitot and Baptiste Jacquemain (FRA) battle to stay in the competition. Pitot put in a strong lead throughout, but Fermon and Montero were raising their game trick after trick fighting to take second place.
Fermon jumped into first place with a tactical move from another trick family, but Pitot responded by claiming back his lead. Meanwhile, Montero waited with his father at the water’s edge to see the scores before commencing his final trick. He headed out and stomped a backside 313 and after a nail-biting wait, found out he advanced to round three along with Pitot. Fermon and Jacquemain unfortunately exited the competition.
Early morning action
As the sun began to slip beneath the horizon, the wind started to die with it and Race Director, Rui Meira halted the heats for the day. With a promising forecast of wind building all night, the heats can expect to kick off first thing in the morning. Get ready for an early start and stay tuned as we continue round two of the men’s heats and let the full competition unfold.
words: Caroline Morris
images: Lukas K Stiller
Spot Info: Dunkerque
Dunkerque boasts almost 15kms of wide, sandy beaches that are a kiteboarding paradise on the North Sea. It is suitable for all levels of kiteboarders, who can find spots to launch and land easily, depending on their skill level.
Weather
The average maximum daytime temperature in Dunkerque in August is around 22.9°C (73.22°F). Usually, it is the warmest month of the year. The average minimum temperature goes down to around 13.6°C.
Wind
North-east or south-west winds are the most prevalent in Dunkerque. At the event site, those equate to a cross-onshore for the north-easterlies, and cross-shore in the south-westerlies. You can expect some kickers. The average winds range from 13-18 knots, with some days pushing to more than 25 knots.
Event Information
- Event: GKA Freestyle Kite World Cup France
- Spot: Place du Centenaire, Dunkerque
- Dates: 28 August—01 September, 2024
- Follow the whole event here
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