Zust Defends Hydrofoil Big Air World Title in Sylt

Andrea Zust of Switzerland is Hydrofoil Big Air World Champion again. At the GKA Kite World Cup in Sylt, she sailed to shore as champion for a second straight time. She did it while working full-time as a medical doctor.

Confidence from start to finish in a cold-water final

The week off Westerland gave little away. Offshore winds troubled the opening two days, and only on day three did the wind swing round to unlock full-power conditions. The North Sea stayed cold and demanding throughout.

Zust reached the final through a composed semi-final. Christelle Divry looked set to join her until the newcomer Aya Kasabova caught fire late, landing a string of tricks that carried her through instead.

In the final Zust "rode with confidence and consistency from start to finish," while Kailani Friedrich pushed close behind. Kasabova and Ola Markowska trailed further back. The order held to the last, and Zust took the win.

A reign that runs from Brazil to Germany

The Sylt result continues a run that began in Jericoacoara, Brazil. There Zust won the first women's Hydrofoil Big Air world title with an 8.0 Contra-loop and a 7.13 Kite-loop Back-roll.

She defended it in Abu Dhabi in November 2025, holding off France's Divry in lighter breezes. She arrived in Germany as the top seed and left it first, ahead of Friedrich, Kasabova and Markowska. This was her third crown in the young discipline.

Her drive has not softened across those titles. "The first time I really wanted it," she told a GKA interviewer, comparing her first crown with her second.

In Sylt she added another. A Swiss doctor keeps sailing home in front.