Video Highlights of the ENSIS EngadinWing by Dakine 2022. Freestyle and Race action from the Engadin, Switzerland, Silvaplana. Wing foil world tour.

Video Highlights ENSIS EngadinWing by Dakine 2022

22. June 2022 22. June 2022

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Day one (Tuesday 14th) was jam-packed with action as we were able to complete the women’s Surf-Freestyle event. Check out our Day One Highlight Video for an overview of all the action.

Tuesday morning began with 51 men and 11 women attending Riders Registration whilst we patiently waited for the thermal to kick in. No cloud to be seen, the sun was shining and with a light breeze from early on, we knew that an afternoon of competition was on the cards.

The famous thermal wind kicked in earlier than expected so it was full steam ahead to get the Women’s Surf-Freestyle rounds underway and on the water with 10-11 hours worth of Surf-Freestyle to get through at this event across the men’s and women’s competitions.

Last year we saw the GWA Wingfoil Race European Championships take place here in Silvaplana, but this is the first time the Surf-Slalom and Surf-Freestyle World Cup
disciplines have been staged on these waters, which is an exciting prospect for riders and spectators!

WOMEN’S SURF-FREESTYLE –
ENSIS ENGADINWING BY DAKINE GWA WINGFOIL WORLD CUP SWITZERLAND

Czech rider Paula Novotna put on a sublime performance from start to finish during day one of the GWA Wingfoil World Cup. Landing big tricks earned high scores from the judges in each of her heats and this is a well-deserved first title win for Paula who came off the water with a huge grin on her face!

“I feel incredibly happy that I managed to win my first Wing Foil World Tour event. I haven’t trained too much before the event as I’ve been focusing on my kiteboarding, but I managed to stay calm and focused during my heats and believe that’s what helped me win. I know I’ve got the tricks, the level is really high and I want to congratulate all the other riders. I’m looking forward to the next one!”

Off the back of her win in Leucate, France at round one, Spaniard Nia Suardiaz came up just short in the final with a heat score of 19, narrowly losing out to Paula’s 21.8. Despite missing out on first place however, Nia can still keep her head held high as it was a great overall performance from the young 15-year-old, who keeps on proving why she’s consistently a force to be reckoned with at every event!

France’s Flora Artzner battled Netherland’s Maaike Huvermann for third place and was able to show her competitive consistency with another third place finish in Surf-Freestyle – a mirrored result from Leucate.

The level of riding from the female athletes today was off the chart. It’s clear that the training happening behind the scenes and the desire to push the limits is why we’re seeing such close heats, especially as we get into the bitter ends of the rounds!

Day 02 Video Highlights ENSIS EngadinWing by Dakine 2022

Final day Report ENSIS EngadinWing 2022

A picture-perfect morning was how the final day started: With no cloud to be seen, bright blue skies, and a forecast that showed promising wind, the stage for some thrilling final heats was set.

In the men’s surf-freestyle discipline, the just 16-years-old Chris Macdonald (USA) was going massive in all heats so far. His final against Stefan Spiessberger from Austria was one not to be missed.

Both riders put on an incredible performance with Macdonald scoring 32.93 to Spiessberger’s 25.17. Titouan Galea (New Caledonia) won his 3^rd place final to secure the third place. Over to the women’s surf-freestyle, the final was between Paula Novotna (CZE) and Spain’s Nia Suardiaz.

With 21.8 to 19 points in this last heat of the competition, the Czech rider was victorious in the end. Flora Artzner from France dominated her 3^rd place final and completed the podium.

In the women’s surf-slalom competition, it was another event to remember for Flora Artzner (FRA) as she claimed her second title of the year. Combined with her other finishes, Flora came out on top after 11 thrilling elimination rounds.

Paula Novotna (CZE) and Nia Suardiaz (ESP) had very close races in near all heats: In the end it was Nia, who showed more consistency throughout which edged her that second-place finish.

Back to the men’s surf-slalom, the outstanding rider was Francesco Cappuzzo (ITA): With top finishes in nearly all heats he participated in, the Italian waterman was all about speed.

Titouan Galea (NCL) and Camille Bouyer (FRA) put on solid day six performances and secured themselves second and third place respectively.