Brazil’s Bruna Kajiya won the Qatar Airways GKA Freestyle Kite TwinTip World Championship in Fuwairit after a perfect season when she took three-from-three events. The victory gave her a remarkable five Freestyle crowns. The evergreen Kajiya, at 37 the most senior woman on tour, told Diogo Cardoso and Rasa Iselionyte how her historic title haul had proved the doubters wrong and how she has much more to achieve.
Question: This season you won all three events. How did you approach them?
Bruna Kajiya: For the season this year I took each event and I understood that they all needed different things from me. Luckily I had been to all of the stops before. So these are events that I already knew and also events that I had already won the previous year. That made me understand even better the details I could expect.
We started the season in Dunkerque, [France]. I needed to have extra everything because there the conditions can be pretty tough and it’s quite choppy and you can get waves.
That [win] meant a lot. I love to compete in those places because you have to bring the best of you. It’s important to make it look good for the spectators and make sure people are also having fun watching you. I take it super-seriously and you can bet that I’m out there doing my very best. So that was done. I had won there previously here, so it was amazing.
So, then we moved to Brazil. It’s my hometown. Obviously, I’m not from from Cauipe, I’m from the south of Brazil. But for me, kiting-wise, that’s my hometown. For me it holds a very special place. I was on cloud nine. The Brazilian people are just so special. There’s not quite the same vibe anywhere else in the world that you get in Brazil.
I could hear every time I landed a trick; the Brazilian crowd was just present. I could feel them. I could hear them. Then, for the first time when I won, I went straight to the people.
βVibe just insaneβ
Usually I first go to my loved ones and have a little celebration. But there I felt they were so with me the whole time. I got a huge hug with so many people around in a circle, and they’re screaming and jumping. They were singing and just being there and sharing that moment. The vibe was just insane. I get goosebumps. I think that’s my very favourite moment from the whole year.
Then we came to to Qatar for the final event. I had won to stops already, so for me it was, ‘let’s seal the deal’. But I was not taking any chances. I came here for this and I know what I need. I don’t need to show off here.
Then my friend said, ‘Bruna, you already Combo-ed them out, you already won’. So for me to be holding back to make sure I get the scores, it’s not where I feel the most alive.
So then thought ‘I’m going for from Blind Mobe’ because it’s a trick that you don’t see the girls doing. It was the first time I even attempted it in a comp and I’m super stoked. I had a butt check because we didn’t have enough wind. But I landed it and I got a score for it and for me that was my little moment. It was pretty cool.
Q: What does it mean for you to have five world titles?
BK: Five world titles. It feels like a lot. But at the same time I’ve lived through it. So I know what they each meant and then when I look at that way, it doesn’t feel like a lot. I feel there’s so many more I could get and I will pursue them. But this one was special.
βPeople writing me offβ
When I had only three titles, I was going through quite a hard time with my career where I wasn’t riding the way I wanted, I didn’t have the gear I wanted. I had many little things were not working the way I wanted. At that time a lot of people were writing me off.
But I know where my North is. Sometimes other people’s beliefs can come into your life and make your dream crumble. I’m really proud to have stood up for what I believe. I want the people that didn’t really believe to see it and be inspired by it. So, it means a lot to me. I’m super happy with it.
Q: What what does Bruna want to do from here?
BK: For me it’s not how many were titles I have, but where I get to in my career and how many people’s lives it touches. It’s amazing to have more titles obviously, but I feel like my trajectory, the way it’s been, is just so unique. People who follow me know what I’ve been through: ups and then injuries, and ups and downs and ups and downs.
I feel like that alone carries a lot and I want to keep doing that. So many people ask me, how do you keep your motivation? How is your body still working? I love to create things. To be curious and think how can I do that? Because I’m a curious person and for me this is ‘how do I get better?’ ‘How do I improve myself?’ So I want to keep going. I will pursue more titles and I feel there’s more to come in 2025. I just can’t wait. I’m just super-excited.
edit: Ian MacKinnon
images: Samuel CΓ‘rdenas
