Premiere

MEMORABLE GWA WAVE WORLD CUP

FIRST WORLD CUP WIN FOR THE LOCAL WESLEY BRITO IN FRONT OF ADORING FANS AT THE FIRST GWA WING FOIL WORLD CUP DEDICATED TO PURE SURFING IN PONTA PRETA, CAPE VERDE.

 

CONGRATULATIONS WESLEY BRITO – THAT’S A BIG ONE!

Thrilling duels

The final day of the competition saw Ponte Preta firing, its hollow and steep wave offering double head-high faces breaking on the rocky point. During thrilling duels, the athletes were risking everything in the bombs breaking on the rocks.

After amazing wave riding and the biggest heat score the day before the French Clement Roseyro was out of the competition with an ankle injury, suffered when he crashed on the rocks in the closing heats of the day before. Quick recovery Clement!

Nia Suardiaz also pushed her limits and ended up on the rocks during the women’s final battle. Luckily nothing happened and she claims a remarkable second place at her first wave event – our big respect to Nia!

Men

Wave

Local hero Wesley Brito was on fire and netted the day’s best wave score and highest heat total on his path to the overall win in epic waves.

 

The men’s final was no-holds-barred clash. Our Duotone and Fanatic team rider stamped his authority on the duel with a big wave score right out of the gate. He piled on the pressure with an air 360. Carpentier chased his rival but paid the price, ending on the rocks twice and bursting his wing.

 

Final results for the men at the first ever wave discipline World Cup:

1st Wesley Brito CPV

2nd Benoît Carpentier FRA

3rd Zane Schweitzer USA

A day to remember

for Cape Verdean Wesley Brito

“I’m so happy. I’m stoked about it! It’s my first win at the first wave event of the season. This is going to stay in my mind forever"

Klaas Voget caught up with Wesley to get firsthand impressions from the freshly crowned winner

Klaas: How was the moment when you came back to the shore, and you realized that you won?
Wesley: In the beginning I did not realize it! I was like, “really, it is finish already?” I was so stoked, so happy!

Klaas: Did you get the feeling during the final, that you won it?
Wesley: Still wanted to catch more waves, still wanted to surf more… I have no words to explain. I knew I won the heat because I could hear the guys talking. So, I knew when I came out of the water… that was crazy. I still don’t believe it!

Klaas: At which point of the event did you get the feeling that you could win it?
Wesley: On the second day, when I saw the wind is getting stronger and the waves bigger, I said, OK, now is the day I can win this competition. The direction of the wind and the waves were almost like at my home spot. I was feeling the same than on a normal day at home. Now if I put everything together and do no mistakes I can win.

Klaas: How did you handle the pressure for the final to keep calm?
Wesley: The hardest heat was the semifinal because I really had to give a lot. Then you wrote me the message that I didn’t need high scores to win. So, I was trying to play save at the beginning and take no risk to be smashed on the rocks. I got two good waves at the beginning, then I was doing a trick and crashed. That got me a bit nervous. But I waited for a good gust, went back out and then landed the trick and got a good score. The final was very intense!

Klaas: When you got that good wave I basically knew, now you have it! What set up did you use and how important was the gear for this event?
Wesley: The gear is helping me a lot! I have been riding the same equipment for a long time, I did not want to change anything on it: the 5 qm Unit DLAB, I can get out on light winds, with a 65-liter Sky Style TE and the 82 cm mast, the 216 back wing, 60 fuselage and the 750 Aero Carve front wind. That is the gear I ride every day!

Klaas: How did you like the new wave format?
Wesley: It is good! It was the first time I have ever competed in waves. I love the format, but we are already talking, what we could further improve. the only thing I would like to change are scoring details to get more radical moves in like radical turns, tricks without using the wave, backflips without using the wing.

Klaas: What’s next? Will you focus on waves or will you do all the other disciplines?
Wesley: I want to do all disciplines as I have been practicing all of them. I think I can get good scores as well. I want to win the wave tour, but I also want to go for Freestyle really hard. All the tricks the guys are pushing, I am pushing them too, so I think I am on the same level.

Klaas: Sounds great! Congrats again, we are all super stoked for you! Enjoy the moment!

WOMEN

Wave

The women’s final was a battle of youth and experience. The 16-year-old Spaniard, Nia Suardiaz, faced off against veteran, Moona Whyte. Whyte used all her surfing experience to forge a strong lead that secured the win.

 

Suardiaz ended up in the washing machine on Ponta Preta’s rocks however can be very proud with her impressive performance!

 

Final results for the women at the first ever wave discipline World Cup:

1st Moona Whyte USA

2nd Nia Suardiaz ESP

3rd Bowien van der Linden NED

stoked after her first Wave finals

Nia Suardiaz

“I think I did really well here. It’s my first wave event and the final was pretty good. I’m thinking of doing the whole tour. I love waves, I’m addicted to them.”

Photos by GWA Lukas K Stiller

Highlights

GWA Video