{"id":69732,"date":"2025-12-08T16:51:59","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T15:51:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flysurfer.com\/2025\/12\/hugos-woo-world-record-jump-40\/"},"modified":"2025-12-08T16:55:57","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T15:55:57","slug":"hugos-woo-world-record-jump-40","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flysurfer.com\/de\/2025\/12\/hugos-woo-world-record-jump-40\/","title":{"rendered":"Hugo’s WOO World Record Jump 40.0"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=“1″ _builder_version=“4.7.4″ _module_preset=“default“][et_pb_row _builder_version=“4.7.4″ _module_preset=“default“][et_pb_column type=“4_4″ _builder_version=“4.7.4″ _module_preset=“default“][et_pb_text admin_label=“Head“ _builder_version=“4.7.4″ _module_preset=“default“]<\/p>\n

Hugo Wigglesworth makes history:<\/h3>\n

the first person to jump 40 meters on a kite<\/h3>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=“1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=“4.7.4″ _module_preset=“default“][et_pb_column type=“1_2″ _builder_version=“4.7.4″ _module_preset=“default“][et_pb_text admin_label=“1. Text“ _builder_version=“4.7.4″ _module_preset=“default“ text_orientation=“justified“]On December 6th, 2025, at 4:40 p.m. on Cape Town\u2019s iconic Kite Beach, Hugo Wigglesworth<\/a> launched himself into the sky and shattered a barrier that many believed wouldn\u2019t fall for years: he became the first kitesurfer in history to jump 40 meters.<\/p>\n

The moment was captured, measured, and verified by WOO, the world\u2019s leading big air measuring device \u2013 using a small sensor mounted to Hugo\u2019s foilboard to track the jump.<\/p>\n

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The night before:<\/h4>\n

a Braai, a forecast, and a feeling<\/h4>\n

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It all began the previous evening, when the FLYSURFER crew gathered for a South African braai \u2013 a relaxed barbecue that quickly turned into a heated debate.<\/p>\n

The forecast was calling for violent evening gusts pushing toward 40 knots, the kind of wind that only true big air riders dream about.<\/p>\n

Someone asked the question everyone was thinking about: could Hugo break the world record tomorrow? Some nodded confidently, others shrugged at the madness of the idea, and Hugo simply smiled and kept his thoughts to himself.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=“2_5″ _builder_version=“4.7.4″ _module_preset=“default“][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=“69643″ fullwidth=“on“ dbdb_version=“4.4.4″ _builder_version=“4.7.4″ _module_preset=“default“ auto=“on“][\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=“4.7.4″ _module_preset=“default“][et_pb_column type=“4_4″ _builder_version=“4.7.4″ _module_preset=“default“][et_pb_text admin_label=“3. Text“ _builder_version=“4.7.4″ _module_preset=“default“ text_orientation=“justified“]<\/p>\n

A rider with something to prove<\/h4>\n

Before the chaos of the historic jump, Hugo spent the morning in training. He had every reason to push harder than ever: he was one of the biggest upsets among the riders not selected for the 2025 Red Bull King of the Air \u2013 the most prestigious kitesurfing competition in the world. Since the moment the rider list was published without his name on it, Hugo had been on the water every day.<\/p>\n

After a focused hour of training he came off the water, headed back to the FLYSURFER house, made himself avocado on toast \u2013 and settled in front of the TV to watch Formula 1 qualifying. Even as the cars speed around the circuit, his eyes kept drifting to his phone to check the live wind updates. And then suddenly, Hugo stood up, and said: \u2028\u201cLet\u2019s break a WOO World Record today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Within seconds the house erupted into purposeful chaos. Kite bags zipped, foil boards were loaded, wetsuits thrown into cars, cameras and phones were plugged in for a last-minute charge. Hugo, his parents, and the FLYSURFER team piled into their cars and headed straight for the beach. In a twist of irony worthy of a sports documentary, Hugo parked directly at the event site of the very competition he had not been invited to \u2013 one of the most famous kite beaches on Earth.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider show_divider=“off“ disabled_on=“on|off|off“ _builder_version=“4.7.4″ _module_preset=“default“][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=“69607,69610″ fullwidth=“on“ dbdb_version=“4.4.4″ _builder_version=“4.7.4″ _module_preset=“default“ auto=“on“][\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=“4.7.4″ _module_preset=“default“][et_pb_column type=“4_4″ _builder_version=“4.7.4″ _module_preset=“default“][et_pb_text admin_label=“4. Text“ _builder_version=“4.7.4″ _module_preset=“default“ text_orientation=“justified“]<\/p>\n

A new setup and a sense of destiny<\/h4>\n

When the team arrived, Hugo\u2019s mother and father set up his foil gear while Jamie Overbeek (the current second highest jump on the WOO leader board) was already throwing massive jumps on the 7m SONIC\u2075 with a twin tip \u2013 a very clear signal that conditions were escalating fast.<\/p>\n

Then came the small but crucial detail: Hugo had changed his setup. He\u2019d replaced his 23 meter lines with a 17 meter configuration, a decision that was crucial for the course of the story. Hugo launched the kite with calm focus, carved out to sea, and lit up his very first jump on the new setup. The WOO registered 28-plus meters \u2013 an outrageous height for a warm-up, enough to make spectators pause, and wonder what exactly they were witnessing.<\/p>\n

He kept jumping, each time going higher and cleaner, then tacked far outside and taking off on a choppy kicker wave. Compared to his earlier take-offs, this one came in with nearly double the entry speed. Hugo edged hard, sent the kite with full commitment, and the world seemed to freeze for a second. Then the beach erupted in disbelief.<\/p>\n

In that moment, Hugo launched into what would soon be confirmed as the highest jump ever recorded in kitesurfing history.<\/p>\n

Hugo\u2019s mother watched her son disappear into the sky and whispered, almost to herself: \u201cThis is the highest I\u2019ve ever seen Hugo go in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet even as the beach gasped and cheered. Hugo showed no reaction. No raised fist. No shout. No celebration. He simply rode back out, as if the impossible had just been another test run.<\/p>\n

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The whisper that shook the beach<\/h4>\n

Ten minutes later, Hugo finally headed to shore. He landed his kite with the same calm focus he had launched with, walked toward his parents and the FLYSURFER team, leaned in, and whispered: \u201cI just went 40 meters.\u201d<\/p>\n

No theatrics. No shouting. Just six words \u2013 delivered quietly.
\nHugo packed his SONIC\u2075 slung it under his arm, and started walking toward the parking lot like someone who had finished a normal training day, not someone who had redefined the limits of human flight.<\/p>\n

But history has a way of spreading fast. Within minutes, the news erupted across the beach. FLYSURFER riders, local media crews, podcasters, photographers, and even people who had already left came rushing back.<\/p>\n

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One more session as a WOO World Record holder<\/h4>\n

The new world record holder grabbed a 6m ERA and ran to the beach with a big smile: \u201cYou can\u2019t train double loops every day, can you?\u201d<\/p>\n

What followed looked like a rider beginning his day, not finishing it: massive double loops, huge S-loops, explosive rotations. It was as if breaking a world record had simply opened the door to more possibilities, and Hugo wasn\u2019t done exploring them. By the time everyone got back home, the update was official: Jamie, despite sending some huge jumps could not beat Hugo\u2019s new record that day.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider show_divider=“off“ disabled_on=“on|off|off“ _builder_version=“4.7.4″ _module_preset=“default“][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=“69668,69683,69689,69662,69665″ fullwidth=“on“ dbdb_version=“4.4.4″ _builder_version=“4.7.4″ _module_preset=“default“ auto=“on“][\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=“4.7.4″ _module_preset=“default“][et_pb_column type=“4_4″ _builder_version=“4.7.4″ _module_preset=“default“][et_pb_text admin_label=“7. Text“ _builder_version=“4.7.4″ _module_preset=“default“ text_orientation=“justified“]<\/p>\n

Why this record matters for the sport<\/h4>\n

Beyond the sheer height, the story behind Hugo\u2019s 40 meter jump has layers that make it even more remarkable:<\/p>\n