6th GWA Tarifa Wing Pro 2025

 

 

GWA Tarifa Wing Pro 2025

Welcome to the GWA Tarifa Wing Pro 2025 – the fourth stop on the GWA Wingfoil World Tour, second stop for Freestyle, and a highlight of the global Surf-Freestyle calendar.  Tarifa, set on Spain’s radiant Costa de la Luz (Coast of the Light), is the perfect backdrop for this thrilling competition.

Twenty-eight men and seventeen women battled at Tarifa in the 6th edition of the 6th GWA Tarifa Wing Pro 2025. With reliable wind, stunning scenery, and a rich watersports culture, Tarifa truly embodies the spirit of wing foiling at its finest.

Wing Foiling is the latest-born board sport : it consists in managing a wing not attached to the board and carried with two hands while standing on a hydrofoil mounted on a short stand up paddle board. This a cross-over discipline between Windfoiling, Kite Foiling and SUP Foiling.

Events on the 2025 GWA Wing Pro world tour are Dusseldorf (Germany) in January, Sal (Cape Verde) in March, Leucate (France) in April, Tarifa (Spain) in June, Youth event in Costa Brava (Spain) in July, Fuerteventura (Canarias Spain) in August, Gran Canaria (Spain) in August, Abu Dhabi (UAE) in October and Jericoacoara, Brazil in December. 2025.

The Tarifa stop was a Wingfoil Surf-Freestyle discipline (modality), a scoring event for the GWA World Tour. This was the fourth stop (and second surf freestyle) on the nine-event 2025 world tour that took place between June 24th and 27th, 2025, at Valdevaqueros Beach in front of Bibo Beach House restaurant. The competition was planned to start at any time after 11:00 hrs and finish by 19:00 hrs. These times were the competition window; actual competition times varied within this due to weather conditions. Spectators were advised to keep an eye out on wingfoiltour.com and the Instagram feeds @wingfoilworldtour and @tarifawingpro for updates. There were 6 rounds in the men's competition before reaching the final; round one and two were preliminary to filter the lower-seeded players. Rounds three and four were the knockout rounds before the quarters, semis, and final. In the women's competition, round one had 7 heats of two and one heat of three players, equaling 17. Round two and three were the knockout rounds before the semi-final and the final.

2025 Tour before Tarifa

The reigning GWA Surf-Freestyle world champions, Chris MacDonald of the USA (Men) and Nia Suardiaz of Spain (Women), will each seek to secure their third successive crown at the Tarifa Wing Pro. Suardiaz from Tarifa and MacDonald, who is based in Hood River, Oregon, USA, won the Tarifa world cup event last year.   Both MacDonald and Suardiaz, arrived in Tarifa as number one seeds.

MacDonald in particular will be hoping for more of the same, as Tarifa's easterly Levante wind is capable of strong gusts. The four-day Tarifa Wing Pro event is the second of four stops on the GWA Wingfoil World Tour in the Surf-Freestyle discipline. 

At the Mondial du Vent event, MacDonald was in a class of his own, saving the best until last when he romped to victory in the final. The new tricks he honed in the off-season were breathtaking, silencing the sceptics who saw him lose the final event of last season in Brazil.

However, in April in France, it was Tomas Acherer (2 seed), the Austrian winner in Brazil, who pushed MacDonald hard and took second place, showing that the American might not always have things all his own way.

His twin brother, Aleksander Acherer, (5 seed), who also lives and trains in Tarifa with Tomas, is waiting in the wings should either of the front runners slip up. Aleksander took third place on the podium in Leucate.

Another new and exciting addition to the tour line-up is Denmark’s Benjamin Castenskiold (24 seed). The fourteen-year-old became eligible to compete in his first senior event in France, where he achieved an impressive fourth place — a reminder that no one can rest on their laurels.

The men’s ranks are filled with talented youngsters who are capable of winning. France’s Malo Guénolé (6 seed), Axel Gérard (3 seed) and Clément Hamon (9 seed) are always pushing hard, and so it Spain’s Xavi Corr (4 seed).

In the women’s competition, it is difficult to imagine anyone surpassing Nia Suardiaz (1 seed) on her home turf. However, another Tarifa local, Mar de Arce (2 seed), is seeded second and has been gradually closing the gap on her friend and rival.

In France, however, Italy’s Sofia Marchetti (3 seed) and Austria’s Viola Lippitsch (5 seed) finished only a fraction of a point behind mar de Arce, signalling that they, too, are close to reaching the top.

Tarifa Wing Pro 2024 report

 

Day One Highlights - Tuesday 24th June 2025

The day started with with a moderate westerly wind, which allowed the completion of the first three rounds in both Mens and Womens categories. Riders registration was up to 10.00 hrs, a riders briefing meeting took place at 11.00 hrs and the Mens competition started as planned at 12.00 hrs. 

Men's category: Favourites advance to fourth round and locals stand out

In the men's competition, heats 1 to 3 produced favourable results for several local Spanish riders: Sam Rossmeier, Pedro Jiménez Merida and Elías Antolín Aguilar all advanced in their respective heats with consistent scores.

Germany's Franz Rappolder also stood out with a score of 18.37, as did Denmark's Benjamin Castenskiold with one of the day's best scores (20.72). Americans Patrick Kissinger and Xavier Corr also made it through the round with flying colours.

Elías Antolín Aguilar's performance is particularly notable as he is part of the recently established Young Blood Club Tarifa, an initiative launched this year with the support of Club Levante Fuerte Tarifa. The programme aims to support and train young local talent, providing them with coaching, mentoring and technical support. Jeep is supporting this project.

Other standout performances came from Germany's Franz Rappolder, who scored 18.37, and Denmark's Benjamin Castenskiold, who achieved one of the day's best scores (20.72). Patrick Kissinger of the USA and Xavier Corr of Spain also advanced to the fourth round with good performances. So did River Moore from Tarifa with 19.73, 19.13 and  17.46 in the first three rounds, enough to advance to the fourth.

Women category: Nia Suardiaz bounces back after a slow start

On the first day of women's competition, several riders showed a solid level. Spain's Nia Suardiaz, after failing her first heat in the 17 player round one, and luckily bouncing  back in the qualifying 9 player round two with two good scores (17.66 and 16.70).

Also advancing to the third round were Marie Schlittenbauer (Germany), who achieved one of the best female scores (20.03), Mar de Arce (Spain), Leonie Rosenvinge Trondl (Austria) and Milla Danguy (France).

In the quarterfinals, Nia Suardiaz and Mar de Arce both delivered powerful performances, showcasing their skills at their home spot in Tarifa. However, it was once again Marie Schlittenbauer who stole the spotlight, earning the highest overall score of the round with 20.03 points.

Day Two Highlights - Wednesday 25th June 2025

On day two the skipper's meeting took place at 10.00 hrs and opted for a 13.00 hrs start for the Men's round four.

This was  'Second Chance Day', marking the start of the phase prior to the semifinals, with moments of great tension and decisive manoeuvres. First, the riders who had not yet secured their place in the playoffs competed for a spot: German Franz Rappolder performed consistently well, while Spaniard Sam Rossmeier secured his qualification by the narrowest of margins. Italian Rocco Makana and Frenchman Bastien Escofet showcased their best performances to secure the next two spots. Denmark's Benjamin Castenskiold shone again with a score of almost 28 points, while Nathan Berger displayed great composure to secure Spain's qualification with 24.34 points. Finally, American Christopher Macdonald and Frenchman Clément Hamon completed the list of those rescued with stylish and powerful displays.

After the first men's round, the competition director decided to stand the women down and not compete their semi-final today and in view of the strong winds call the men into their round five. This neatly left the Semi Finals and Finals for another of the two days remaining for the event. 

The competition ramped up with an intense set of quarterfinals. The first heat was final-worthy in its own right, featuring Bastien Escofet, Axel Gerard, Malo Guénolé, and Benjamin Castenskiold—all going all-in with huge tricks. With scores extremely tight and part of the heat needing to be re-run due to a technical issue, it was ultimately Gerard and Castenskiold who advanced to the semi-finals.

In the second quarterfinal, Tomas Acherer impressed with a stunning FS10 that scored 9.2 points, securing his spot in the semis alongside current World Champion Christopher MacDonald.

Aleksander Acherer was unstoppable in the third quarterfinal, racking up an overall score of 26.67 points. He was joined by Charlie Loch, who landed a spectacular Backloop Spin Frontside 7 that scored 9.27 points.

The final quarterfinal heat saw Rocco Makana and Luca Vuillermet clinch the last two spots in the semis, as Nathan Berger and Lukas Lam were eliminated.

Semi-finalists are listed in the table below, with country, seed position (before the Tarifa event), age and debut location and year. (Men PDF) and (Women PDF)

 

Day Three - Thursday 26th June 2025

Skippers meeting was at 09.00 and environmental awareness activities in the Parque Natural del Estrecho began at 09.30. The riders were building enclosures for dune protection and cleaning up the Piñas stream, near to where the event is being held. There were be no competition heats Thursday.

Day Four - Friday 27th June 2025

The women’s competition featured standout performances from new faces on tour. One of the most notable upsets came from German newcomer Marie Schlittenbauer, who managed to defeat reigning World Champion Nia Suardiaz in Round 1. Fortunately for Suardiaz, she had a chance in Round 2, allowing her to battle her way back through the competition.

By the final day, the top eight women had advanced to the semi-finals. The first heat featured Kylie Belloeuvre, Manon Dupe, Leoni Trondl, and Nia Suardiaz. Each athlete had eight trick attempts, with their top three scores counting. Nia demonstrated her confidence in Tarifa’s strong wind conditions, cruising into the final. Manon Dupe of France also impressed the judges and joined her in advancing.

The second semi-final saw Sofia Marchetti, Mar de Arce, Bowien van der Linden, and Marie Schlittenbauer go head-to-head. Marie delivered three consistent, high-scoring tricks to secure a spot in the final—an incredible achievement in her debut World Cup event. Mar de Arce joined her, claiming the last place in the finals.

With the wind pumping and the shoreline packed with fans, the women’s final promised a fierce showdown. Nia Suardiaz had her sights set on reclaiming the top spot, trading trick for trick with Mar de Arce. It was a close battle until the very end, but Mar de Arce managed to edge ahead in the final moments, securing her first-ever win in the Surf-Freestyle discipline on home turf in Tarifa. Nia Suardiaz finished in second place, followed by Marie Schlittenbauer in third and Manon Dupe in fourth.

The men’s competition Semi-final action unfolded in powerful Levante winds exceeding 30 knots, blasting across Valdevaqueros Beach. In the first heat, Charlie Loch, Luca Vuillermet, Benjamin Castenskiold, and Tomas Acherer battled it out. Tomas sealed the deal with an insane combo that earned him 9.47 points, sending him through to the final along with Castenskiold.

The second semi-final was equally intense, featuring Axel Gerard, Chris MacDonald, Aleksander Acherer, and Rocco Makana. Chris made history by landing the first-ever 1440 seen in competition, but the execution didn’t meet the judges’ criteria for a high score. Though it looked like he might secure a finals spot, Aleks and Rocco had other plans. Aleks landed three solid scores to advance, while Rocco, ecstatic with his performance, secured a place in his first-ever final. The World Champion, Chris MacDonald, would not be in the final this time.

The grand finale took place in the afternoon under blasting wind and a packed beach. It was a final dominated by the next generation of wingfoilers. Despite being a fresh face on tour, 14-year-old Benjamin Castenskiold has quickly made a name for himself. Facing off against Rocco Makana and the Austrian twin brothers Tomas and Aleksander Acherer, the final was a high-energy showcase of young talent.

Each rider delivered huge tricks and high scores, keeping the points incredibly close. Castenskiold then threw down a massive Palau Frontflip, scoring a perfect 10. Aleks matched the trick with excellent execution, just narrowly missing the top score. Tomas Acherer started strong but faltered on his final attempts, while Makana also struggled to stick his last tricks.

In the end, it was Castenskiold who claimed his first-ever World Cup victory with a remarkable 28.43 overall score—an incredible achievement at just 14 years old. Aleksander Acherer finished second, followed by his brother Tomas in third, and Rocco Makana in fourth.

Tarifa Wing Pro 2025 Podium

Event Result Ladder

Result Elimination ladders on the GWA Event Website

Admission

As a beach event it was open and free to all.

Media handles and hashtags are @globalwingsports @tarifawingpro #GWAwingfoilworldtour #GWAwingfoil #Tarifawingpro #wingfoil

Tarifa Championship Competition Reports from Andalucia.com

• 5th GWA Tarifa Wing Pro 2025
• 5th GWA Tarifa Wing Pro 2024
• 4th GWA Tarifa Wing Pro 2023
• GKA Big Air World Championships Tarifa 2023
• 3rd GWA Tarifa Wing Pro 2022
• GKA Youth Kite World Cup Tarifa 2022
• GKA Big Air World Championships Tarifa 2022
• 2nd GWA Tarifa Wing Pro 2021
• GKA Freestyle World Cup Tarifa 2021
• 1st GWA Tarifa Wing Pro 2020
• Tarifa Pro 2019
• JEEP Tarifa Pro 2018
• Tarifa Strapless Pro 2017
• VKWC 2015
• PKRA ProKite World Tour 2014
• Tarifa Masters of Kiteboard 2014
• The Red Bull SkyRide Tarifa 2009
• Kite Board Championships 2008
• bwin Kitesurf Pro Competition 2006

Location

The event took place at Playa Valdevaqueros opposite Bebo Beach House, Tarifa. Paid Car Park available.