Qatar Airways GKA Awards | 10 January, 2025

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Kitesurfing News
Qatar Airways GKA Awards | 10 January, 2025

The Qatar Airways GKA Awards once again celebrated the pinnacle of kiteboarding achievements with a gala evening to honour the sport’s greats when it made its debut appearance in Cape Town, South Africa.

The third edition of the awards presented 14 of the coveted trophies at an emotional ceremony in Cape Town City Hall to mark the biggest achievements in kiteboarding over the past 18 months.

The city, a kiteboarding mecca renowned for its strong winds during European winter, made the grand setting of City Hall available to the GKA in recognition of the sport’s pivotal role in shaping Cape Town’s international reputation.

Francesca Maini

The big winner of the evening was Brazil’s Bruna Kajiya. The most senior woman on tour at 37, Kajiya won Female Rider of the Year after recently clinching a remarkable fifth Freestyle world title at the final in Qatar, capping a perfect season.

Kajiya put a cherry on the cake when she also won the Women’s Freestyle Move of the Year for a perfectly executed Combo (Slim to Back Mobe) trick that was the hallmark of her season. She won all the year’s three Freestyle events with some of the greatest riding of her storied career.

Spain’s Lorenzo Casati won the Male Rider of the Year award. The former Red Bull King of the Air winner displayed his prowess across multiple disciplines, landing podiums in Big Air Twin-tip, Hydrofoil, and the Kite-Surf discipline.

Lorenzo Casati

“Winning the Male Rider of the Year for me, it’s just super-special,” said Casati. “I can’t believe it. It’s been a dream of mine for many years. This year has been great year, with so many great results in many different disciplines. I’ve trained hard, and I’m super-happy.”

The Rookie of the Year trophy went to Britain’s Francesca Maini after she burst onto the Big Air Twin-tip scene, earning a second podium place at the final in Gran Canaria last July. She went on to win the first Red Bull King of the Air women’s division in Cape Town in December.

‘Winning two is so insane’

“Winning Rookie of the Year, I’m super-stoked,” said Maini. I wasn’t expecting it, and I’m pretty happy about it. I’m ready to push more and really push the level these next few years and really make it to world champion. All the girls are inspiring, and for the young girls coming through, it’s really cool for them to see everyone competing.”

The evening also showcased mind-blowing moves, such as Josué San Ferreira’s Double-loop Board-off Front-flip and Mikaili Sol’s Doobie Board-off, which won the respective Big Air awards. Multiple world champion Sol marked her comeback with a win at the opening Big Air event of the 2025 season on home waters in Brazil.

Men’s Freestyle Move of the Year went to the popular Egyptian Karim “Kimo” Mahmoud for a KGB Melon Grab Rewind that marked a big step up for him.

Kimo Mahmoud

“I’m over the moon to win Freestyle Move of the Year,” said Mahmoud. “I’ve been Freestyling since I was 10 years old, putting in so much hard work. I’ve been to a bunch of GKA stops but never quite made a name for myself. I’m speechless after finishing fourth on the 2024 tour and getting the Freestyle move. So happy. Finally, the hard work is paying off.”

In the men’s Surfboard division, 2024 Kite-Surf world champion Gabriel Benetton was a master of consistency. Last year’s Rookie of the Year won the Surfboard-Freestyle Move of the Year for a Triple Front-roll Shove-it competition in Germany and the Wave of the Year for a barrel in Indonesia.

“This means a lot to me,” said Benetton. “I started really young. I’ve only been on the tour for two years. I got world champion last year, and to get two awards, wave of the year and trick of the year, is so insane. The Triple Front-roll Shove-it was a trick I dreamed about. Until today, I’ve only landed it four times, and once ,I was in competition. It’s super-special.”

Women’s Kite-Surf world champion, France’s Capucine Delannoy, took the Surfboard-Freestyle Move of the Year for a Triple Front-roll in Sylt, Germany, which earned a perfect 10 and was a ‘world first’ in women’s competition.

“I feel happy to win this award, especially with a Triple Front-roll,” said Delannoy. “I’ve been dreaming about this since I was 10. My older brother was one of the first to land it and I remember saying, I’m going to be the first girl to do it. It took me a couple of years. What makes it more special is that we have this trophy for best strapless move for women. I think it’s a big step forward. Being part of this with the other female athletes is really special.”

Hydrofoil Big Air Move of Year went to reigning and six-times world champion France’s Charles Brodel for a Front Double Contra-loop Board-off, in the same year he was the first hydrofoil athlete to battle in the Red Bull King of the Air in Cape Town.

Josué San Ferreira

“I’m really happy winning Hydrofoil Big Air Move of the Year,” said Brodel. “Last year [2023] was difficult for me; a lot of ups and downs. I was ready to come to Cape Town to the King of the Air, but I couldn’t because I hurt myself. Coming back here to win this means so much to me. This trick was one that I never did again because it’s so hard.”

The Photo of the Year of Cohan van Dijk in action was captured by Samuel Cárdenas, his second successive win. The Video of the Year, FEAR, by Julien Leleu, also highlighted the artistic brilliance inspired by kiteboarding.

GKA CEO Dr Jörgen Vogt said that staging the awards in Cape Town was the realisation of a long-held ambition that was made possible by unwavering support from all sides. He hoped the awards’ success would help put the image of kiteboarding and the GKA on a new plane.

“Coming to Cape Town is a dream,” said Dr Vogt. “We’ve been working on it for 10 years. Be patient and never stop dreaming. I believe Cape Town is the best place to run this awards night. Thanks to all those who supported us in Cape Town, we finally made it.

“Each World Cup event has it’s own agenda. It depends on where [in the world] we run the World Cups. But generally, we’re trying to make kitesurfing and the GKA Kite World Tour more famous and more recognised by the general public. That will bring more and more people on to the stage of those who want to run an event.
“Also sponsors. Without sponsors, we couldn’t do all this. For the sponsors, seeing that we are not a bunch of crazy people hanging around the beach, but a serious sport with serious athletes, and a lot of people around the world love this sport and coming together here on such a nice occasion might convince them to help us run events all over the world.”

2024 Qatar Airways GKA Award Winners

Male Rider of the Year: Lorenzo Casati
Female Rider of the Year: Bruna Kajiya
Rookie of the Year: Francesca Maini
Men’s Big Air Move of the Year: Josué San Ferreira – Double-loop Board-off Front-flip
Women’s Big Air Move of the Year: Mikaili Sol – Doobie Board-off
Men’s Freestyle Move of the Year: Karim “Kimo” Mahmoud – KGB Melon Grab RewindWomen’s Freestyle Move of the Year: Bruna Kajiya – Slim to Back Mobe
Men’s Surfboard-Freestyle Move of the Year: Gabriel Benetton – Triple Front-roll Shove-it
Women’s Surfboard-Freestyle Move of the Year: Capucine Delannoy – Triple Front-roll
Men’s Wave of the Year: Gabriel Benetton – Kitesurf Barrel, Indonesia
Women’s Wave of the Year: Moona Whyte – Ponta Preta, Cape Verde
Hydrofoil Big Air Move of the Year: Charles Brodel – Front Double Contra-loop Board-off
Photo of the Year: Cohan van Dijk | Samuel Cárdenas
Video of the Year: FEAR – James Carew by Julien Leleu

Words: Ian MacKinnon
Images: Bianca Asher

Head over to the GKA website to find out more.