Kite-Surf Highlights – Sylt 2026 – GKA World Tour
Sylt crowns World Champions in two disciplines as season closes
Women Final Results:
1st – Capucine Delannoy (FRA)
2nd – Camille Losserand (CHE)
3rd – Kaya Lehmann (GER)
4th – Charlotte Carpentier (FRA)
Men Final results:
1st – James Carew (AUS)
2nd – Gabriel Benetton (BRA)
3rd – Matchu Lopes (ESP)
4th – Airton Cozzolino (ITA)
Unfortunately, Airton Cozzolino had injured himself in the previous heat and, despite advancing to the semi-final, was unable to compete. That automatically placed Lopes in 3rd, and set up the final: Gabriel Benetton vs. James Carew.
Airton after his whipe out : ”
The past few months have been tough for me mentally.
I’ve been going through a mix of emotions, with negative thoughts constantly running through my head. My sleep was poor for months, and I wasn’t training properly — physically or on the water.
At first, I thought I just needed a break. But slowly, I started getting to know myself better and realizing something: I’ve been giving almost all my life time and energy to this sport. And even though I absolutely love kitesurfing, I think it was starting to burn me out a little.
For a long time, all I could think about was the next competition, training trip, the next session, and how I needed to train more. I was putting so much pressure on myself that I forgot there’s more to life than training.
So I decided to take a step back. Spend more time with my family. Live a little. Give my mind some space.
And honestly, it helped me a lot.
I’m slowly learning that giving myself time away from the sport doesn’t mean I’m giving up on it. I can still give my all to kitesurfing without having to think about it 24/7.
I’m still working on myself, learning to live with less pressure and not force everything. It’s not easy, but I know I’ll figure it out.
I’ll be back stronger with a fresh and clear mind, enjoying the process again and giving my all to kitesurfing — but without forgetting to live life along the way. 
Just wanted to open up with you guys, and say thank you again to everyone who is still supporting me through it all. It means more than you know . “
