Mikaili Sol wins the GKA Gran Canaria!

Saturday 15th June

Report: Matt Pearce / All photos: Svetlana Romantsova / Video: Mint Grigas

Yesterday, Mikaili Sol won the GKA Freestyle World Cup Gran Canaria in a sunset final against Bruna Kajiya, Rita Arnaus and Pippa van Iersel.

Watch the highlights video to see how it went down and read the heat by heat updates below!

WOMEN’S SEMI-FINALS 1

B. Kajiya / M. Sol / T/. Taabbel

Event picks up where the riders left off yesterday and each competitor has two tricks on the board.

Mika sticks a KGB for 7.97 – the highest women’s score so far. Bruna not far behind with a B2B (6.67) and Therese consistently landing in the high fives.

Mika sticks another high score with a 7.93 for a heart attack. Two highest scores of the event – and in the same heat! Her coach is on the beach talking her through the heat.

Mika absolutely insane in this heat. She just landed an 8.07 for a back mobe which means she’s now landed the three highest tricks of the event almost consecutively.

Mika wins with an insane performance and combined score of 31.04. The three highest scoring tricks and the biggest combo score of the event in one heat. No biggie..

WOMEN’S SEMI FINALS HEAT 2

P. Van Iersel / R. Arnaus / M. Lambrecht / H. Whiteley

Riders out on 12-13 metre kites and all landing opening tricks in the high fours (three raleys to blind and a blind judge). Hannah looking underpowered on a 12 but making it work.

Rita Arnaus doing well in this heat on a 12 metre RPM and she sticks a back to blind for 5.87. Leading well after two tricks but then Pippa van Iersel comes back from fourth with an s-bend to blind into second and she’s now closing on Rita.

Taller riders having to run back upwind in between tricks due to light conditions but Rita Arnaus is absolutely crushing it and she lands a slim chance scoring 7.67 but Van Iersel pulls ahead with some consistent scores including a 313.

Whitely then gets a solid gust of wind late in the heat and lands a double back to wrapped (second highest trick of the heat) but Van Iersel now has the momentum and keeps consistently sticking landings.

The dual between Arnaus and Van Iersel continues and with two tricks still to run, Rita pulls ahead again with an s-bend to blind. Van Iersel needs 7.95 to win this now. Unfortunately, her last trick was a BS 313 which only scored her 5.83. Rita wins the heat!

MEN’S SEMI FINALS HEAT 1

L. Cruz / S. Teixeira / V. Rodriguez / M. Chabloz

Conditions: Riders on 12-13 metres

Cruz strikes first with a 317 (7.07). Teixeira and Rodriguez then both land front blind mobes but Rodriguez’ is cleaner and bigger and he moves into second.

WIND DROPS – HEAT ABANDONED – ON TO THE WOMEN’S FINAL

WOMEN’S FINAL

B. Kajiya / P. Van Iersel / R. Arnaus / M. Sol

Bruna is looking strong from the off with an s-bend to blind for 5.87 points and she then stomps a front to blind and a B2B, two high scores.

Mika Sol’s riding super consistently though with a slim chance followed by back to blind and then a super clean heart attack for 7.7 to pull into the lead ahead of Bruna. This is now becoming a proper battle between the old guard and the new school!

Bruna’s not having it though, and she then lands a double back to wrapped to pull into the lead with a substantial combined score of 28.24. She’s still got three trick attempts in hand, and is comfortably leading this heat.

Rita Arnaus is close behind Mika in second with consistent scores averaging around 6 points and Pippa Van Iersel is only a couple of points behind.

Mika Sol then retakes the lead with a blind mobe and she now has a combined score of 29.47.

Each rider now has one trick to go, but Bruna’s gone for an s-bend to blind and that won’t score her highly enough to beat Mika.

MIKA WINS WITH ONE TRICK ATTEMPT STILL IN HAND!

WOMEN’S FINAL RESULTS

1: Mikaili Sol (BRA)

2: Bruna Kajiya (BRA)

3: Pippa van Iersel (NL)

4: Rita Arnaus (ESP)