Nía Suardiaz from Tarifa has secured the Wingfoil Surf-Freestyle world title by finishing second in the Gran Canaria GWA Wingfoil World Cup 2026, held at El Burrero Beach. Despite finishing behind the event winner, Austria's Viola Lippitsch, her consistent results throughout the season mathematically guaranteed her the world crown before the final stop.
Viola Lippitsch won the Gran Canaria event with 22.30 points, while Suardiaz scored 19.67. The young Sofía Ginzinger, only 12 years old, took third place with 16.10 points, followed by the Netherlands' Bowien van der Linden in fourth.
Nía Suardiaz's consistency, including a victory in Leucate and two second-place finishes in Tarifa and Gran Canaria, has been crucial in reclaiming the title she lost last season. The updated overall ranking places her at the top, ahead of Ginzinger and Lippitsch.
The women's final showcased the rapid technical evolution of the sport. Suardiaz performed a backflip, a frontflip, and a backflip-linked Frontside 360 combo. Lippitsch responded with a Palau Frontside 360, a maneuver previously uncompleted in competition, which has been recognized as an 'Innovation' and will be added to the scoring trick list.
In the men's category, American Christopher MacDonald won the Gran Canaria event with 28.24 points, followed by Denmark's Benjamin Castenskiold with 27.67. France's Axel Gerard was third, and Austria's Tomas Acherer finished fourth.
MacDonald and Castenskiold pushed the technical boundaries with their double backflips. While the Dane executed the double backflip with slightly more precision, the American landed the most complete run to win the Gran Canaria Surf-Freestyle World Cup.
The winds at El Burrero provided ideal conditions for the competition, combining power, height, variety, and landing precision. The event was organized by Club Deportivo Canakite Experiences, Club Náutico El Burrero, and the Ayuntamiento de la Villa de Ingenio, with support from various entities.
