Wigglesworth Defends Big Air Hydrofoil Title at 19

Hugo Wigglesworth defended his Hydrofoil Big Air World Title at the GKA Kite World Cup finals in Sylt, Germany, going back-to-back as world champion at just 19 years old.

A 36-point semi-final opens the door

Reaching the final was no formality. Wigglesworth produced one of his best performances of the event in his semi-final, putting together a 36.44 point total to advance.

The North Sea made everyone wait, with offshore winds delaying the opening two days before a shift on day three brought conditions fit for competition.

Two nines settle a shifting final

Spain's Lorenzo Casati started the four-rider final strongly on Sylt's rolling waters. But nobody held control for long as the standings shifted with every new score.

Wigglesworth eventually found the jumps he needed. Two scores in the nines put him ahead, and this time nobody could knock him off the top, with Germany's Finn Flügel taking second and Casati third.

Two seasons, two world championships

The Aucklander entered international Hydrofoil Big Air only last year, won at Sylt, then headed to Abu Dhabi and became world champion in his first season on tour. Twelve months later, he has done it again.

The Kohimarama Yacht Club sailor also became the first rider recorded on the WOO system to break the 40-metre height barrier. Two seasons on tour, two world titles, and a quiet closing of the ledger for a teenager who first learnt to kitesurf from his parents on New Zealand's waters.