Kite-Surf Season kicks off in Cape Verde

The 2026 GKA Kite-Surf World Cup season fires into life today at Cape Verde’s legendary Ponta Preta, and Ocean Rodeo team rider Hendrick Witschi is right in the mix in Heat 1. 

The GKA Kite-Surf season once again opens at Sal Island’s iconic right-hand point break, Ponta Preta, setting the stage for a tight world title battle over five scheduled stops.  A stacked fleet of 24 men and 18 women from 13 countries will be throwing down in heavy Atlantic swell just metres from the rocks, with fans lining the shoreline to watch rail-to-rail surfing and full-commitment barrels. 

Cape Verde has become the spiritual home of wave kitesurfing on tour, delivering long, powerful right-handers that brutally expose any weakness in timing, positioning, or board control. It is the perfect arena to separate surfers from strapless freestylers and to test who can truly read the ocean under pressure. 

For riders, Ponta Preta is a dream and a test blended into one: steep, fast-running walls demand early entry, precise rail engagement, and the confidence to commit to late hits under the lip with the kite parked low.  Add 20–30 knots of side-offshore wind, powerful swell, and shallow rock shelves, and you get the kind of high-consequence playground where line choice and composure matter as much as pure trick difficulty. 

On the women’s side, reigning world champion Capucine Delannoy returns to Cape Verde after starting last year’s title run with her first Ponta Preta win here.  She has been training on Sal since the start of the year, eyeing a potential fourth Kite-Surf world title and looking to repeat her 2025 form, where she claimed three event victories and called Cape Verde the highlight of her season. 

With multiple world champion Moona Whyte not on the women’s roster this year, the door is open for rising talents like Kesiane Rodrigues and Serena Luz, both hungry after strong finishes last season including a win in Taíba and a third overall respectively.  Expect the women’s draw to be one of the most progressive yet, with new faces pushing power turns and critical lip hits deeper in the pocket. 

In the men’s fleet, defending world champion Pedro Matos is set to miss the opening event, which immediately shakes up the rankings and elevates Airton Cozzolino to top seed status.  Chasing him are Brazilian powerhouses Gabriel Benetton and Sebastian Ribeiro, Australian charger James Carew, and the ultra-versatile Casati brothers, Lorenzo and Leonardo, who are intent on proving themselves as the most well-rounded wave and Big Air riders of their generation. 

They say this is where legends are tested. Speaking of legends... Ocean Rodeo’s Hendrick Witschi steps into this environment ready to lay down his brand of smooth, powerful rail surfing and progressive strapless riding at one of the most technical waves on tour.  With a field this deep, every heat will be decided by tiny margins: wave selection, how hard you push that first bottom turn, whether you risk a late lip hit for extra scores, and how confidently you link manoeuvres through the heaviest sections. 

Cape Verde is a great chance for Hendrick to showcase his ability to blend classic surf lines with modern kite-driven flair on world-class waves. From tight hooks in the pocket to full committed closeout sections, this is where a rider’s connection with their gear and their connection with the ocean really shows. We can’t wait to see what he does this year. 

The GKA will be running live scoring and event coverage from the Cape Verde stop, with updates, highlight clips, and end-of-day reports throughout the holding window. Keep an eye on the official event page and social channels for heat draws, call times, and daily recaps as the swell pulses through Ponta Preta. 

We’ll be sharing Hendrick’s updates from Cape Verde across Ocean Rodeo social channels as the 2026 season gets underway. Stay tuned, because if Cape Verde delivers its trademark long, firing right-handers, this opening event could set the tone for one of the most exciting Kite-Surf title races in years.