GWA Wingfoil Racing World Cup 2024 in Jericoacoara - Event winners and world champions crowned

by Ian MacKinnon 3 Dec 07:54 NZDT 26-30 November 2024

Austrian twins Tomas and Aleksander Acherer launched themselves onto the world stage with a remarkable one-two on the dramatic closing day of the season finale at the GWA Wingfoil World Cup Brazil in Jericoacoara.

Seventeen-year-old Tomas Acherer scored a perfect 10 for a "world first" Double Backflip in the semi-final, when he dispatched the newly-crowned world champion, the US's Chris MacDonald, and went on to win the Surf-Freestyle discipline.

GWA Wingfoil Racing World Cup 2024 in Jericoacoara - photo © Svetlana Romantsova

"It was my first win, so I'm super-stoked that I did it after all the hard work," said Acherer. "It's even better that my brother is on the podium right next to me. It's crazy. We've proved we can do it and I hope the winning continues."

Spain's Nia Suardiaz won the women's Surf-Freestyle competition, but was pushed hard by her countrywoman, Mar de Arce. The win gave 17-year-old Suardiaz four wins from four for the season and was the cherry on the cake of her consecutive world titles.

"It was a really exciting event," said Suardiaz. "Mar [de Arce] had done a perfect Frontflip earlier. She couldn't manage it in the final, but I was nervous. We've had four stops this year and I won all four. It's amazing. For sure I'm going to train hard for next year. I feel the girls are coming for me."

The fifth and final day of the GWA Wingfoil World Cup Brazil saw the deciding heats play out in the perfect kickers and strong breezes of the bay of Malhada, just around the point from Jericoacoara.

GWA Wingfoil Racing World Cup 2024 in Jericoacoara - photo © Svetlana Romantsova

Tie-break rule

In the women's quarter-finals Bowien van der Linden (NED) was locked in an epic tussle with Leonie Trondl (AUT). Both had identical trick scores and exactly the same heat score at the end. Van der Linden just won out and advanced on a tie-breaker.

France's Orane Ceris opened with her big trademark Backflip that gave her the edge over the young Austrian, Viola Lippitsch. But Lippitsch kept herself in the hunt and overhauled the Frenchwoman with a big 7.03 from 10 for a Backloop Spin to progress.

By then Spain's Mar de Arce was clear ahead of her semi-final rivals with series of solid moves. A 9.23 for a Frontflip was not as big as an earlier effort, but put the hammer down an gave her the win.

GWA Wingfoil Racing World Cup 2024 in Jericoacoara - photo © Svetlana Romantsova

The second semi-final saw Nia Suardiaz come out charging. She opened with a Backflip for 7.17 and backed it up with a 7.13 trick that helped her advance. Van der Linden was the teenager's closest rival, with some solid moves that earned her a place in the final.

The deciding heat matched Viola Lippitsch against Bowien van der Linden, Mar de Arce and Nia Suardiaz. Nerves seemed to get the better of Lippitsch and she struggled to land her tricks in the difficult conditions. Van der Linden found her feet as the heat progressed, but ended up a little adrift in third place.

The battle between the Spaniards was one to savour. Suardiaz drew first blood with her usual Backflip, for 7.33, and built her heat with a 6.07 for a Backloop Spin.

De Arce was always chasing the game. She found her groove with a Backloop Spin but still needed a big score. She was looking for another massive FrontFlip like her earlier efforts, but only came up with one for 6.70 and ultimately fell just short.

GWA Wingfoil Racing World Cup 2024 in Jericoacoara - photo © Svetlana Romantsova

Came to grief

Suardiaz eased to the win in Brazil, her fourth from four starts for the season. It sealed her second consecutive world title in style.

The men's Surf-Freestyle competition held out some surprises. Italy's Francesco Cappuzzo, the newly-crowned FreeFly-Slalom world champion, came to grief in one quarter-final. He was out-pointed by the French 16-year-old, Axel Gerard.

France's Bastien Escofet threw down a Backloop Spin Frontside3 in mid-heat for a 9.03 score. His countryman Noé Cuyala kept the pressure on and almost got the edge late in the heat, but Escofet advanced in second place. Aleksander Acherer had already streaked away for the win.

Twin brother, Tomas, went to town in the next heat. He took the win with some massive tricks, including a 9.5 for a new move. France's Luca Vuillermet went one better with a 9.7 score for another Innovation trick that the judges loved.

Both advanced at the expense of world champion Chris MacDonald. He put down a 9.0 for a Frontside 10, but the 'goofy' kickers were working against him and he was unexpectedly out, despite already having the world title in the bag.

"I'm super-stoked to get my second world championship title," said MacDonald. "To clinch it after three wins in a row is just amazing. Unfortunately I didn't get my best result here. It was pretty hard to be 'regular' in the 'goofy' kickers."

In the first semi-final Bastien Escofet and Luca Vuillermet could not match their earlier heroics. Both had poor heats pocked with crashes that saw them leave. That left the stage for the French duo of Clément Hamon and Axel Gerard, who landed all his tricks in the eight-point plus range. Gerard just had the edge, though both went to the final.

GWA Wingfoil Racing World Cup 2024 in Jericoacoara - photo © Svetlana Romantsova

Piled on pressure

The second semi-final pitched Aleksander and Tomas Acherer against one another, with the their team-mate Britain's Charlie Loch in the mix. Loch looked like he might split the twins and advance. But Aleksander Acherer played it smart after a series of crashes and landed a simple Frontflip that gave him the edge over the young Briton.

By contrast Tomas Acherer was on fire. He piled on the pressure, going bigger and bigger. Acherer was way out in front when he landed the massive Double Backflip for a perfect 10.

The men's final was an incredibly tight affair that saw Clément Hamon face off against, Aleksander Acherer, Axel Gerard and Tomas Acherer. The moves were off the charts, with the judges constantly reaching for the Innovation category of new tricks not seen before.

France's Hamon opened with some big moves and pressed with a 9.50 for a Backmobe 3. Still he found himself behind, and went for a Double Backflip off a massive kicker, but just crashed it and ended fourth.

GWA Wingfoil Racing World Cup 2024 in Jericoacoara - photo © Svetlana Romantsova

Gerard was in a tight battle with Aleksander Acherer. The French teenager posted a clutch of tricks in the long eight-point range, but was gutted to come up just short to finish third just behind Aleksander Acherer.

Tomas Acherer was on another plane. He casually threw down a couple of massive Innovation moves for 9.80 and 9.30 early in the piece. He could not quite match those numbers as the heat wore on, but his big eights secured him win.