Strapless Freestyle Showdown on final day at GKA Kite-Surf World Cup Sylt

by Matt Pearce 30 Jun 2019 20:06 BST 25-30 June 2019

Airton wins again! - Strapless Freestyle Super Session at GKA Kite-Surf World Cup Sylt © Svetlana Romantsova

Sunday was the final day of the GKA Kite-Surf World Cup Sylt and, after a couple of lay days, the wind was back with a steady 17-20 knots blowing cross-on from the left. That meant that conditions were prime for a strapless freestyle Super Session to round out the event!

The riders would be competing in two twenty minute qualifying heats to earn a spot in the final with ten riders on the water in each heat. Riders were being judged solely on their highest scoring trick, so it was going to be fast and furious with the top three men and top two women progressing to the final.

Airton on the assault - photo © Svetlana Romantsova

Airton was absolutely on fire in the opening heat. He stuck two backside 3s and then finished off with a 313 to win the heat comfortably and he went through to the final alongside Kiko Roig Torres and Pedro Matos.

In the women's division, Capucine Delannoy and Charlotte Carpentier progressed to face the top placers from the following heat.

Paulino pulls out the stops - photo © Svetlana Romantsova

In the second heat, Mitu Monteiro and Paulino Pereira both stomped clean BS3 handlepasses to match Airton's unhooked antics from heat one while Simon Joosten impressed with powered yet fluid hooked in manoeuvres. His front roll shuvit 3 was super stylish and he too went through alongside Mitu and Paulino.

Carla Herrera Oria was the standout female rider with a backroll to revert and a backroll rodeo and she cruised her way in to the final as well alongside Susanne Schwarztrauber.

Carla has cemented her rep as the top performer in women's strapless freestyle right now - photo © Svetlana Romantsova

As soon as the final kicked off, Airton went all in to win once again with yet another FS3 followed by a BS3 and he was leading on technical skill but he wasn't the only rider pushing it.

Simon Joosten secured second with a faultless backroll shuvit, and Paulino took third with a front roll tic tac and a double backroll tic tac which both scored well.

Simon Joosten has had a breakout performance at this event - let's see if his form continues in Tarifa - photo © Svetlana Romantsova

In the women's division, Carla was the clear winner with a backroll rodeo and Charlotte came second with an air to blind and a board-off. She also came very close on a 360 shuvit, making the landing but crashing straight after. Susanne Schwarztrauber took third with some clean aerials off the kickers on the inside.

So that means that Airton and Carla have been atop the podium three times this week, having already won both the single and double eliminations in the main event. Their victories here in Sylt have also created some movement in the overall tour rankings!

GKA Kite-Surf World Cup Sylt results