Pozo Izquierdo, a factory of world champions in kitesurf, windsurf and wingfoil
by Gabinete de prensa 13 Mar 19:17 GMT
Alexia Kiefer (Pozo Izquierdo), PWA World Cup 2025 © Canakite Experiences
Santa Lucía de Tirajana honours athletes from Club Deportivo Canakite Experiences: kitesurfers Lorenzo and Leonardo Casati, windsurfers Alexia and Carlos Kiefer, and wingfoil world runner-up Mar de Arce
The Santa Lucía de Tirajana Town Council this week recognised five local athletes linked to Club Deportivo Canakite Experiences for their outstanding international achievements in the disciplines of kitesurfing, wingfoiling and windsurfing.
The athletes honoured were brothers Lorenzo and Leonardo Casati, world references in kitesurfing in the Big Air category; windsurfers and siblings Alexia and Carlos Kiefer, who stand out in the wave discipline; and rider Mar de Arce, runner-up in the Wingfoil Surf-Freestyle World Championship.
The institutional ceremony was chaired by the Mayor, Francisco José García López, and the Councillor for Physical Activity, Sports and Youth, Julio Jesús Ojeda Medina, who highlighted the importance of sport as a means of international projection for the municipality.
During the event, the Mayor thanked the athletes for their commitment to the municipality and encouraged them to continue developing their sporting careers in Santa Lucía de Tirajana, stressing the pride they represent for the entire community.
Meanwhile, Councillor Julio Jesús Ojeda Medina congratulated the athletes on their international successes and encouraged them to continue working with effort and dedication to keep taking the municipality's name to the very top of world sport.
Despite their youth (aged between 16 and 21), this new generation of athletes already boasts a solid track record in international competition and stands out for its significant achievements in these disciplines, representing both the present and the future of wind sports.
According to the athletes themselves, living and training in Pozo Izquierdo is a genuine privilege. This area of Gran Canaria has become their natural training ground thanks to its extraordinary wind conditions, which frequently exceed 35 to 40 knots on many days each year - something rarely found elsewhere in the world.
In this context, Manuel Martínez, president of Club Deportivo Canakite Experiences, highlighted the club's role in supporting the athletes, fostering unity among them and working to facilitate access to grants and funding from both public and private institutions to help them continue developing their sporting careers.
All the athletes are members of the Royal Canary Sailing Federation, the body that supports their competitive activity within the federated framework. Thanks to this support, they compete in the main international kitesurfing, windsurfing and wingfoil championships, representing the Canary Islands on the world circuit and helping to position the archipelago as one of the international benchmarks for wind sports.
The next step for Club Deportivo Canakite Experiences will be to begin the process of applying for official recognition of these young athletes as high-level and high-performance sportspeople before the Department of Physical Activity and Sports of the Government of the Canary Islands. This recognition will allow the athletes to access various support programmes and benefits aimed at facilitating their sporting preparation and ensuring the continuity of their careers in elite competition.
International talent on the water
International kitesurfing features outstanding figures such as Lorenzo Casati, GKA Big Air World Champion 2025 and two-time consecutive winner of the Red Bull King of the Air (2024 and 2025), as well as winner of the Red Bull Megaloop 2025. Alongside him, Leonardo Casati has accumulated four GKA youth world titles, a second place at the Red Bull King of the Air 2025 and fourth place on the GKA World Tour 2025, establishing himself among the top riders on the circuit.
In other disciplines, Mar de Arce stands out in wingfoil with the runner-up position in the GWA Surf-Freestyle World Championship 2025, third place in the FreeFly-Slalom world ranking and a second place in the Leucate World Cup. In windsurfing, Alexia Kiefer achieved the PWA Waves Absolute World Runner-Up title in 2025, while Carlos Kiefer holds a U17 world title (2023) and a junior world runner-up title (2024).