As golden light fell over Dakhla’s desert coastline, Airton Cozzolino sealed victory after a day of thrilling battles and upsets — marking a spectacular start to the GKA Kite-Surf World Cup Dakhla 2025
GKA Kite-Surf World Cup Dakhla 2025
8-12 October, 2025 | Oum Lamboiur, Dakhla
Men’s Division Wrap-Up
Dakhla welcomed a full lineup of 24 athletes in the men’s division and 13 in the women’s, including 4 Moroccan riders. A long-standing favourite among kite-surfers, Dakhla once again delivered world-class conditions to kick off the 15th edition of the event. With steady winds and a powerful swell, competition began without delay — the organizers eager to make the most of the promising forecast. Riders faced waves of around 1.5 metres and consistent winds ranging from 20 to 25 knots.
Each heat ran for 17 minutes, with athletes given 10 wave attempts and their top two scores counting. Judges applied a pure wave-riding format, focusing on wave selection, powerful bottom turns, committed hits in the critical section, flow, speed, power, and innovative manoeuvres.
Rounds 1 and 2 wrapped up smoothly, with all top-ranked riders advancing to Round 3. But that’s when things started to heat up. French rider Clément Roseyro was eliminated by Switzerland’s Hendrick Witschi in a tight matchup. Soon after, Sylt event winner Théo Demanez was knocked out by Airton Cozzolino in Round 3 Heat 2. Spain’s Matchu Lopes was then edged out by Bulgaria’s Nicola Abadjiev, and the biggest upset of the day came when reigning World Champion Gabriel Benetton was eliminated by James Carew, who unleashed an incredible 9.13 on his fifth wave of the heat. Benetton started strong, but it was Carew’s hunger and determination that proved decisive.
As the competition moved into the semifinals, tensions were high. The first heat saw Airton Cozzolino face James Carew, followed by an all-Brazilian showdown between Pedro Matos and Sebastián Ribeiro in the second.
Cozzolino came out firing, opening with a stunning 9-point ride. Carew pushed hard but couldn’t replicate the magic of his previous round. Airton maintained momentum with another solid wave scoring 8.13, giving him a commanding total of 17.13 points. Carew’s 14.06 wasn’t enough, and as the buzzer sounded, Cozzolino secured his place in the final.
The Matos–Ribeiro semifinal was incredibly close, with both riders trading scores throughout. In the final minutes, Matos edged ahead by a fraction, leaving Ribeiro to settle for a spot in the mini-final. Matos advanced to face Cozzolino in what promised to be a thrilling final showdown.
As the sun began to set over Dakhla, the men’s final got underway. Both athletes came into the heat after an intense day of nonstop action. They remained neck and neck until Cozzolino’s final wave — a 7.30 that pushed him into the lead. Matos couldn’t find the wave he needed to respond, leaving Cozzolino to ride back to shore in celebration. His exceptional performance secured victory on just the first day of the Dakhla event window.
With the men’s division now complete, all eyes turn to the women’s competition. Four days remain in the event window, ensuring plenty of time to score the best possible conditions for the world’s top female kite-surfers.
Event information
- Location: Oum Lamboiur, Westpoint, Dakhla
- Dates: 8-12 October
- All event information here.
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Event highlight video will be published next morning. Written reports will be posted to the website at the end of the competition.