GWA Youth World Championships
Costa Brava 2025, Spain

My Road to the Title

by Viola Lippitsch

After an intense GWA event in Tarifa, there was no time to rest – I hit the road straight away. Twelve hours of driving later, I finally arrived in Costa Brava, ready for the next big adventure: the WingFoil Youth World Championship for the under-19s.

One look at the sea made it clear: the wind was going to put us to the test. It was a constant battle to catch even the slightest breeze. All week long, I used nothing smaller than my 4.5 m² wing and my largest foil – there just wasn’t enough wind for anything else.

The event kicked off with the freestyle discipline. But before anything could even start, it was a waiting game. The wind refused to show up, which only added to the tension. Luckily, we had plenty of ways to pass the time at the campsite – we were always moving, whether on the water or on land.

When it finally began, the first freestyle round went really well for me. I advanced directly to round three and felt strong. I managed to win that heat too. But as the comp went on, the wind kept dropping. In the semifinals, I spent more time swimming than riding and couldn’t show what I was really capable of – which meant I ended up in the small final. Conditions there were just as bad. Despite giving it everything I had, I only managed to finish fourth. That was frustrating – but that’s our sport: you’re not just competing against other athletes, you’re also battling the elements.

Next up was the racing – not exactly my specialty. But surprisingly, it went really well. On the first race day, I won all three races. That gave me a huge confidence boost! The following day, we managed to squeeze in one more race, where I came in second – in barely-there wind. Luckily, that was my discard result, so it didn’t count.

Then the thunderstorm hit – bringing the event to an early close. No more heats. Which meant: I was first in FreeFly Slalom, and that made me the U19 World Champion. What an incredible feeling!

One of the most exciting changes this year was the new freestyle format: instead of the usual flag system, each rider had seven minutes to land eight tricks – with the best two counting. To save time, two heats were often run at once. It was a big change, but definitely added to the challenge and excitement.

The final day was all about the awards ceremony. Holding that U19 World Champion title in FreeFly Slalom made every minute of waiting, swimming, and frustration worth it. It truly paid off.

Thanks to everyone who was part of it – for the great atmosphere, the support, the sportsmanship. Costa Brava was an experience I’ll never forget.

Photos: © Samu Cardenas / GWA Content Pool

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