Young athletes revel in chance to land Big Air world titles before beaches packed with fans at St Peter-Ording
GKA Youth Big Air Kite World Championship St Peter-Ording
20-24 August, 2025 | Ording Beach, St Peter-Ording
After days of windy action, the winners of the first-ever GKA Youth Big Air World Championships in St Peter-Ording, Germany, have been crowned in a celebration of kiteboarding’s future.
Local hero, Germany’s Finn Flügel, won the Men’s U19 event with a flawless display that had the judges continually reaching for the Innovation category of breath-taking tricks not seen before in competition.
Bulgaria’s Aya Kasabova, still just 14, won the Women’s U19 division when she saw off strong challenges from the other six athletes who joined the female ranks. All age groups were accommodated in the U19 class.
The Boy’s U16 division was won by Denmark’s Maxwell Dahl in the second most competitive group, with 13 young athletes from around the world battling for the coveted crown.
In all, 56 young athletes from a remarkable 19 countries worldwide travelled to battle on the chilly Baltic Sea, eager for the chance of a tilt at one of the four Youth Big Air world championship titles on offer for the first time.
The GWA Youth Big Air World Championships was being hosted during the California Kitesurf Masters, one of the most historic kite events in the world, and the biggest kite expo on the planet.
The judging panel, headed by German kiteboard legend and GKA competitor, Linus Erdmann, used the same scoring criteria as the senior Big Air World Cup competitions. Height and amplitude were the key criteria, with technical difficult, power and commitment also playing a part in the scoring.
In the final of the Men’s U19 Finn Flügel was up against Italy’s Leonardo Casati—the younger brother of GKA Big Air world champion, Lorenzo Casati—and Marten Koblischke (GER) and Eliot Bouton (FRA).
Flügel landed every one of his six trick attempts, and his three counting scores were in the nine-point plus range from a possible 10. One, for an Innovation trick of kiteloops, board flips and tic-tacs, earned 9.8 from the judges, taking his total to 28.30 from 30.
Casati, who has won podiums at senior Big Air World Cups, could not quite keep pace with the German teenager. Casati’s total score of 25.16 gave him second place, while another German, Marten Koblischke, got the third spot on the podium.
In the final of Women’s U19 division, Aya Kasabova, was equally dominant. Kasabova has already experience at the highest level after she won a spot at the senior GKA Big Air Kite World Cup at Lords of Tram, in France.
Kasabova got a convincing win in St Peter-Ording, with Australia’s Amber Skinner and Germany’s Lina Richter in the tight battle that saw them finish second and third respectively.
The Boy’s U16 contest was a close affair. But Maxwell Dahl just had the edge after he also landed all of his six trick attempts. His highest scoring trick was 7.83 for a Frontroll Tic-tic Flip that he backed up with two Innovation moves that carried his score to 21.77.
Australia’s Ben Gerhardt was almost as consistent and came a close second, while the young Italian Pierfrancesco Rizzello was hard on his heels, less than a point behind to take third overall.
The Boy’s U14 final rounds were completed on the last, climactic day of competition. France’s Basile Serre stole the show to take the title, his biggest score a 5.83 for a Frontroll Board-off.
The Netherlands’ Kai Lieffering fought it out with Tommaso Caglini, of Italy, and Figo van Ekeren (NED). In the end it was super-close between the three, with Lieffering getting his nose ahead in second, Caglini in third, and Van Ekeren in fourth.
words: Ian MacKinnon
images: Daniel Pankoke / Artyom Tokarev
2025 GKA Youth Big Air World Championships results
U14 Boys
1 Basile Serre (FRA)
2 Kai Lieffering (NED)
3 Tommaso Caglini (ITA)
U16 Boys
1 Maxwell Dahl (DEN)
2 Ben Gerhardt (AUS)
3 Pierfrancesco Rizzello (ITA)
U19 Men
1 Finn Flügel (GER)
2 Leonardo Casati (ITA)
3 Marten Koblischke (GER)
U19 Women
1 Aya Kasabova (BUL)
2 Amber Skinner (AUS)
3 Lina Richter (GER)