Freestyle Showdown Wingfoil World Tour 2022
All eyes were on Malo Guenole that day. He needed to reach the final to steal the championship lead from Gollito Estredo who had already exited the competition, having lost his wing on the inside section, wasting valuable heat time on day two against Clemont Hamon.
The all-important semi-final match-up loomed next, and it was against non other than his F-One team mate, Titouan Galea. Galea had already ripped his way past Hugo Marin in the first heat of the day and, as reigning Champion, he wasn’t about to lay down here.
Highlight Video Wingfoil World Tour Freestyle Final
An epic heat, full of powered turns and fully committed airs flew by in ten minutes. Malo brushed the pressure from his shoulders and continued to hunt out wave after wave, connecting sections and setting his foil loose in the wave, time and again.
Titouan lost his board on the inside in the final moments and Gollito knew it was all over. Malo Guenole had done enough to take the win, 21.90 to 20.33, with a big front flip and two tightly packed wave rides doing the business.
At 17, the French up and comer has now arrived and is the 2022 GWA Wingfoiling Surf-Freestyle World Champion!
Although she had the championship already sealed, Paula Novotna was disappointed not to make the final, having lost out to current champion, Bowien van der Linden in the semis. The women’s final saw the event’s best wave riders compete in the ultimate heat – Flora Artzner (FRA) had been tipped to win by most of her competitors, thanks to her bold and fluid wave attack, but Bowien van der Linden (NED) was first to find her groove.
Although the last two minutes were tense with both riders caught on the inside, Flora Artzner had already done enough to take her first Surf-Freestyle event win.
Words, Images and Videos by GWA Wingfoil World Tour.
