GKA Mykonos Part 6: Round 1 Rolls On

The Brazilian Brothers are on the beach in Mykonos for the 2026 GKA Big Air Kite World Cup, and the conditions are absolutely firing. With massive gusts coming through and sand moving everywhere across the beach, the stage is set for an epic competition. Let's dive right into the Round 1 heats and hear directly from the riders coming off the water.

Men's Round 1 Action

Heat 4: Leonardo Casati Advances

Heat 4 featured Max Tullett, Hugo Wigglesworth, and Leonardo Casati. Leo has a real chance to win the world title, making it incredibly important for him to set the stage right now. Riding for Harlem, Leo came off the water stoked after his first time competing in Mykonos. He noted that the wind was a bit light initially but felt good on his 9m kite. Despite the gusty conditions, he managed to land good tricks and punch his ticket straight to Round 3. His ultimate goal is to reach the final and share the podium with his brother. For Round 3, Leo plans to preserve his energy and send some crazy tricks with even more power.

Photo Credit: GKA World Tour

Heat 5: Zac Adams Takes the Win

This was a stacked heat featuring Zac Adams, Jason Van Der Spuy, and Giel Vlugt. Zac was riding the Slingshot NXT and took the win to advance. Coming off the water, Zac said he was feeling great and that the wind was coming along. He thought it was going to be super powerful from the start, but it was a bit on the light side—though he expects it to be rocking later in the day. Giel and Jason were both sending it, but Zac flipped the board at the end to secure the win. Representing Hood River, USA, he's ready to go massive in Round 3.

Heat 6: Lorenzo Casati's Massive Score

Heat 6 brought Parker Sage, Lorenzo Casati, and Luca Ceruti to the water. Lorenzo had a lot on his plate after not performing the way he wanted in France, and he came into this event hungry for the prize money. Lorenzo was riding a prototype Harlem kite, while Parker Sage was on the Reedin MasterModel and Luca Ceruti was riding for Flysurfer Era.

Lorenzo put on an absolute clinic, landing massive tricks and scoring over 20 points, the highest heat score of Round 1 so far. He mentioned the conditions were super good and he was thrilled to land all his tricks. Looking ahead to Round 3, his game plan is to keep the kite low and execute more technical tricks, noting that he still has some moves left in the bag to use when he needs them.

Heat 7: Stino Mul Goes to the Moon

With the wind only picking up, Heat 7 featured Stino Mul, Kimo Verkerk, and Marten Koblischke. Kimo was out there riding the new Slingshot NXT. The riders were jumping 300 meters out, keeping things perfectly safe. Stino Mul took first place and secured his spot in Round 3. He landed a massive 21-meter jump, taking his 9m kite to the moon for some extra hangtime. He was super happy with his kite choice, saying it completely paid off.

Photo Credit: GKA World Tour

Heat 8: Jeremy Burlando's Perfect Heat

The final heat of Men's Round 1 was a massive one with Jeremy Burlando, Finn Flugel, and Baptiste Bourdoulous. Finn came in as a world title contender, but Jeremy wasn't going to let that happen easily. Jeremy praised the Slingshot NXT power, saying it lets you float forever. He attempted seven tricks and landed all seven.

Jeremy went out with no expectations, just having fun like the Ronaldinho of kiteboarding. He was riding a 9m kite in 40 knots of wind. He explained that while the gusts were very strong, the lulls weren't—so having a bigger kite helped him maintain decent height throughout the heat.

Women's Round 1 Action

Heat 2: Nathalie Lambrecht Gets Revenge

The women's side was just as stacked. Heat 2 featured Gisela Pulido Borrell — a 10-time freestyle world champion making her Big Air debut—alongside Francesca Maini and Nathalie Lambrecht. Nathalie, riding for North, won her heat. After getting knocked out in Round 2 at the last GKA event, she said flying straight to the semis felt like great revenge. She hasn't been riding much over the last month and a half due to being sick, so she was just happy to be on the water singing. When asked how she holds down an 8m kite in 35 knots, she credited being 72 kilos and having strong legs. Her plan is to step it up heat by heat.

Heat 3: Alice Ruggiu and Kailani Friedrich

Heat 3 saw Kailani Friedrich, Alice Ruggiu, and Alessa Sophia Mensch hit the water. Alice, riding for RRD, landed a massive trick off a really good kicker. It was her first time competing in Mykonos—she tried the spot yesterday and fell in love, and today with stronger wind, it was even better. Her plan for the next heat is to repeat her trick but take it even higher.

Kailani Friedrich, riding for F-One, was competing in her first GKA event and had a blast. She mentioned she managed to land Friedrich and it was just amazing. She hopes to manage some other tricks in the upcoming rounds.

Heat 4: Mikaili Sol Sets the Bar

The final women's heat featured Anastasia Pitidi, Eszter Nagy, and Mikaili Sol. Mikaili, riding for Duotone, secured the highest overall heat score of Round 1 for the ladies. She felt she had an okay heat, treating it as a warm-up and saving all her good tricks for later. She's super stoked with the wind and plans to keep gradually growing her performance from here.

Photo Credit: GKA World Tour

Looking Ahead to Finals Day

That wraps up the first day of competition in Mykonos. A massive amount of action took place today, and the level of riding is already incredibly high. Tomorrow is finals day, where a world champion will be crowned for both the male and female Big Air athletes. Stay tuned, because it's going to be absolutely epic!

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