Please select your home edition
Edition

GWA Wingfoil World Cup Dakhla 2024 powered by Armstrong Foils concludes

by Ian MacKinnon 5 Oct 2024 18:55 BST 29 September - 6 October 2024
GWA Wingfoil World Cup Dakhla 2024 powered by Armstrong Foils © Zakaria Taberkant / Chris Besson

Spain's Elena Moreno and the US's Cash Berzolla were the women's and men's winners at the GWA Wingfoil World Cup Dakhla in Morocco at the close of an epic day of action in the right-hand break of Oum Lamboiur.

For Moreno the victory made it back-to-back wins on the GWA Wingfoil World Tour in the Wave discipline which leaves her top of the rankings going into the final stop of the season in Brazil later in October. But she was still digesting the win.

"Actually, I'm still assuming nothing," she said, right afterwards. "In the water you don't have time to analyse anything. I'll have to look at the images later. But I'm so excited to go to Brazil. Everyone says it's an amazing place, but I've never been."

Maui-based Berzolla again was an absolute sensation as he won the final in Dakhla, his second win there in succession. During his heats he scored a perfect 10-point wave and in the final finished with a remarkable 18.96 out of 20 for his two counting scores.

"[The win] is beyond words," said Berzolla. "A final with my best friend from Maui and I'm really stoked to take out the win again in Dakhla. I never expected to get a 10. I just go out there and do my best and when a wave comes I just hope everything works out."

Primed and ready

The fourth day of the GWA Wingfoil World Cup Dakhla 2024 powered by Armstrong Foils marked possibly the final days of contestable waves and the race director took the decision to run overlapping heats to get through the competition in time.

The 24 men and 11 women from 12 countries worldwide were primed and ready to go after several days of stop-start action that had got the men as far as Round 2 and the women to the semi-final stage.

The men opened the action and the big shock of Round 3 was that the winner of the opening round in Cape Verde in February, France's Malo Guénolé, was sent out by debutant Liam Coralle (USA).

In another quarter-final, Cash Berzolla came up against his close friend and Maui training partner Finn Spencer (CAN). But the gloves came off and Berzolla buried him with a perfect 10 that took his heat total to 19.63, the highest of competition.

Berzolla came up against Vinnicius Martins (BRA) in the first semi-final. But even though Martins had laid waste to strong opponents in the run up, he was no match for Berzolla and ended up in the mini-final, the run-off for third place.

Banging final

The 14-year-old Briton, Leon Schiel, was the youngest competitor in the world cup, but forged a way to the semi-final were he met Otis Buckingham. Schiel's inexperience got the better of him and he lost.

But in the mini-final Schiel had the edge on Brazil's Martins with a big wave score early on, even though he went down in a wave and struggled to get going in the light wind inside. It was historic win for the teenager.

The final was a banger. Berzolla came out firing and never really let up. His 'airs' on the faces and foil slides were uncompromising and he again chalked up 9-point plus scores that were just unbeatable.

His rival and buddy from Maui's North Shore, Buckingham did his best to stay in touch and made a good show with some big wave scores, but it was not quite enough in the end, though he was delighted with his first final.

"To me it just felt like a normal session out there," he said. "The wind picked and the waves started pulsing and the envelope was just draining and we were losing our minds because it was full-on barrels and we were just having a super-fun time."

Taught affair

In the women's semi-final Great Britain's Francesca Maini, a top kiteboarding Big Air athlete, was found slightly wanting after a stellar run in her debut GWA competition. In the mini-final she came up against Nia Suardiaz (ESP) and it was a close run thing, but the Spaniard took the third podium step.

The women's final was taught affair between Bowien van der Linden (NED) and Elena Moreno. The Spaniard started off slowly and was trailing before she punched out a big wave that helped her to the win.

Van der Linden had opened strongly with solid scores but could not find a reply that left her several points adrift. Still, she was delighted with her performance and another final in Dakhla.

"I've been in the final twice in Dakhla, so I was really hoping I would get a third chance," she said. " I really enjoyed the conditions. I love the wave here and I really think I've improved. I'm super-happy with my riding. Next year I will come again and show them what I can do."

In the meantime, the next stop is Brazil later this month. Join us then.

GWA Wingfoil World Cup Dakhla 2024 results

Men

    1. Cash Berzolla (USA)
    2. Otis Buckingham (USA)
    3. Leon Schiel (GBR)
    4. Vinnicius Martins (BRA)

Women

    1. Elena Moreno (ESP)
    2. Bowien van der Linden (NED)
    3. Nia Suardiaz (ESP)
    4. Francesca Maini (GBR)

Related Articles

Nastro Rosa Tour La Maddalena overall
Perfect weather conditions for a spectacular and exciting inshore race The perfect marine weather conditions offered the public of La Maddalena a spectacular and exciting inshore race. Posted on 7 Jul
GWA Youth Wingfoil World Championship overall
The Surf-Freestyle and FreeFly-Slalom action rwaps up in Costa Brava The Surf-Freestyle and FreeFly-Slalom action at the the GWA 2025 Youth Worlds wrapped up after a week of intense action at San Pere Pescador, Spain, with the teenage champions chosen in the U14, U16 and U19 age groups. Posted on 7 Jul
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour LaMaddalena day 2
A fantastic second day in La Maddalena. The perfect wind conditions allowed Waszp and Wing to carry out their regatta program, thrilling with their spectacular evolutions in a breathtaking setting among the islands of the archipelago. Posted on 6 Jul
Red Bull Sailing Academy Opens
A new hub for current and future superstars to reach the top of their sport Marina Monfalcone, North Italy, made waves yesterday, as sports superstars gathered to open the Red Bull Sailing Academy, marking the beginning of a new era in the sport. Posted on 6 Jul
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour LaMaddalena day 1
The fleet left Cagliari yesterday to face the 165 miles to La Maddalena The fleet of Figaro3 of the Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour left Cagliari yesterday to face the 165 miles that will take them to La Maddalena. Posted on 5 Jul
North launches new Wingfoil Race Collection
Pinch even higher and reach even deeper at pace Pinch even higher and reach even deeper at pace. Engineered with a VMG-optimised partial double skin for improved aerodynamic efficiency, lower drag and precise manoeuvres at higher speeds. Posted on 5 Jul
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour Cagliari overall
Team Aeronautica Militare wins The Aeronautica Militare team wins the Cagliari stage, ahead of the Verein Seglerhaus Am Wannsee team and the Circolo Nautico Sanbenedettese team, which came in third. Posted on 4 Jul
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour Cagliari day 2
Today in Cagliari, the awards ceremony for the stage winners At the Regatta Village, preparations are under way for the closing ceremony of the Cagliari stage scheduled for this evening at 9:30 pm, preceded by a concert by the Banda della Brigata Sassari. Posted on 2 Jul
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour Cagliari day 1
The Circolo Nautico Sanbenedettese team was the first to arrive in Cagliari The Circolo Nautico Sanbenedettese team was the first to arrive in Cagliari and win the first offshore leg in Sardinia. Posted on 1 Jul
Athena Pathway announces AFP Foiling Festival
All abilities welcomed at Weymouth this August AFP Foiling Festival will cater for different levels of foiling experience, offering tasters for beginners, skills sessions for developing sailors, and structured training for current squad and intermediate-level athletes. Posted on 29 Jun