Day Two Columbia Update: Canadian Jack Rieder stole the show at the GKA Freestyle-Kite World Cup Colombia 2023 with his insane tricks and huge riding. On the second day of competition, Rieder wowed the judges with his Slim Chance to Blind, earning him high scores for variety and difficulty.
Posito Martinez also had a strong opening round, displaying pure strength and amplitude in his riding. But it was Luis Alberto Cruz who took everyone by surprise in Men’s Round Three with his back-to-back tricks that sent him into outer space. His Front Side 319 off of a kicker on the outside earned him the highest single trick score of the day, a whopping 9.0.
The new judging criteria rewards diversity in tricks, and the riders who took advantage of the challenging conditions, including the strong, slightly off-shore wind and choppier waters, were the ones who really shone. Using the small wave kickers to their advantage, Rieder and Martinez executed handle passes both directions, demonstrating excellent skill and a wide array of maneuvers.
Carlos Mario, who took second place in Qatar, has been training in Colombia for a month and is determined to take first place in Salinas del Rey. His huge Dum Dum 5 also scored high, making for an exciting competition. Catch all the action in the full report and action video.