Idyllic conditions of new stop at Nuevo Nayarit set to ignite World Championship title race
GKA Freestyle Kite World Cup Mexico
26-30 May, 2026 | Nuevo Nayarit
The world’s best freestyle kiteboarders are set to begin their hunt for title glory when the first stop of the season opens as the GKA makes its debut in the dramatic new location of Nuevo Nayarit, on Mexico’s Pacific coast.
Current Freestyle World Champions, Brazil’s Bruna Kajiya and Germany’s Finn Flügel, 16, are seeded top of the women’s and men’s fleets as they open their bids to retain their titles at the first three slated stops.
The evergreen Kajiya, at 39 the most senior woman in the line-up, took her sixth Freestyle world title on home waters at the end of last season and is as passionate as ever to add another crown to her name.
Kajiya is among 10 women from eight nations set to line up in Nuevo Nayarit, where the flat waters and rolling chop bathe the long sandy beaches, offering an ideal platform for the intense Freestyle action.
Spain’s Claudia León returned from a long injury at the end of last year and has her heart set on a first world title now that she is fully fit. But Poland’s Martyna Konkel, has shown she is a force to be reckoned with too.
Young up-and-coming freestylers, like Italy’s Naïs Balbinot and France’s Phoebe Rocher, will be hoping to upset the established order. Mexicans Ananda Gamio and Aleksa Sanchez also join the roster to give the enthusiastic local fans something to cheer about.
The 21-strong men’s line-up, from 12 countries around the world, is stacked with most of the leading freestylers. Italy’s Matteo Dorotini has been quietly moving up the order for several years and finished second overall last season.
Former Freestyle world champion, Switzerland’s Maxime Chabloz, will no doubt be looking to begin his campaign to reclaim his title on a high note.
Chabloz and the rest of the fleet will swap the warm waters of Nuevo Nayarit for the chilly North Sea at Borkum, Germany, a few days after the end of the Mexico competition, before closing out the season in Taiba, Brazil, in October.
In Nuevo Nayarit the heat will be on in the men’s fleet. A clutch of former world champions, Italy’s Gianmaria Coccoluto and France’s Arthur Guillebert, will be pushing the frontrunners.
The Egyptian powerhouse, Karim Mahmoud, has been making his mark and staking a claim to the podium, while 17-year-old Brazilian superstar Davi Ribeiro is a rider who is ready to step on to the big stage.
Italian youngster, Pierfrancesco Rizzello, 15, has been big on the junior scene for several years and now his time may be coming to break into the big time. Join us here to see how fares in the heat of battle.
words: Ian MacKinnon
images: Svetlana Romantsova
Spot Info: Nuevo Nayarit
Weather
At the end of May in Nuevo Nayarit, the weather is hot and sunny with daytime temperatures around 30–32°C, warm nights, and rising humidity that makes it feel more tropical. Most days are clear and great for the beach, though you might get an occasional short rain shower as the rainy season begins to approach.
Wind
May is the windiest month in the bay. Maximum sustained winds are at their highest in late May to early June, where average top sustained speeds can reach around 15-25 knots. Wind speed reaches its peak for the year during May, predominantly blowing from the west/west-northwest during the afternoons, with calmer east-northeast winds in the mornings and evenings. Expect daytime temperatures around 33°C, clear to partly cloudy
Event information
- Location: Nuevo Nayarit
- Dates: 26-30 May
- All event information here.
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