- The conditions on the final day were extraordinary, making it a day for the books
- Matchu Lopes secured his second consecutive victory
- Lopes scored a buzzer beater 10-point barrel in the final seconds of his heat
On the 10th day of the Kite-Surf World Cup, held alongside the Copa Kitley Wingfoil World Cup in Rio, the expected conditions finally arrived in Saquarema. The first day saw Moona Whyte (USA) become the women’s champion, but light wind hindered progress in the men’s category.
However, on the tenth day of the 12-day competition, strong cross-shore winds of 15 to 20 knots, along with big swells not seen in Saquarema for years, brought challenging double and triple head-high waves. These conditions tested even the best kite-surfers.
These tough conditions led to impressive performances and surprises as the competition reached round five. Canada’s Reece Myerscough couldn’t match Sebastian Ribeiro‘s skill. The most unexpected twist was when Pedro Matos, a favorite, lost to his fellow Brazilian Igor Pestana.
The day’s extraordinary conditions made it a memorable one. Standouts like Matchu Lopes, Airton Cozzolino, Charly Martin, and Sebastian Ribeiro fearlessly conquered the huge waves. Ultimately, Spain’s Matchu Lopes clinched consecutive victories by winning the Copa Kitley GKA Kite-Surf World Cup in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.