Saturday 29th February
Location: Cape Verde
Words: Kate Chandler | Images: Ydwer van der Heide
The GKA Kite World Tour is in Cape Verde for the first event of the season.
30 men and a record 23 women registered for the event this morning at Ponta Preta, there are numerous new faces on the tour this year and we’re looking forward to introducing them to you in the coming days.
Riders spent the afternoon warming up for tomorrow at Kite Beach, it looks likely that the event will be starting here, due to the conditions not being favourable at Ponta Preta. There was an autograph session at Ponta Preta after the warm up session, riders got to meet and greet some of the crowd, before the official opening ceremony at Odjo d’agua Hotel.
Matchu Lopes is back on the tour this year and is amped to be riding at his home spot for the first event of the season:
“2019 was a tough year for me, I had a lot of problems with my shoulder. At first I thought I needed surgery but finally just a lot of rehab and slow progress, and I’m good. I’m excited and I’m keen to compete. I’ve been travelling around the islands from Cabo Verde looking for waves and have had free mindset and a relaxed mood for myself and I’m feeling so excited, so ready and without pressure for the event. Yeah I’m super super excited to see the results!”
There is a cross on shore wind predicted, and we will be running both wave and freestyle to make the most of the conditions on offer. The main event’s set to start tomorrow at 09:15 GMT.
The event will STREAMED LIVE from round three onwards, so keep an eye on the official event page for that. You’ll also be able to find daily videos and behind-the-scenes imagery there.
You can also follow the action on social media!
