2024 Qatar Airways GKA Award Winners

January 18, 2025

AWARD RESULTS: “GKA AWARDS”

The 2024 GKA Awards , held in Cape Town , South Africa, were a true celebration of kitesurfing's most incredible achievements over the past 18 months . The city's historic City Hall served as the setting for a moving ceremony that paid tribute to the sport's biggest names.

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Check out the event highlights:

Bruna Kajiya shines with Brazil

Our great Bruna Kajiya was the star of the night, taking home the trophy for Best Female Athlete of the Year after winning her fifth Freestyle World title . Bruna also won the award for Best Female Freestyle Maneuver, with an impressive Slim to Back Mobe Combo that defined her perfect season.

Gka multimedia content – photo: ***Samuel Cárdenas***

The talents that dominated the global stage

Spain's Lorenzo Casati won the Male Athlete of the Year award, celebrating his impressive performances in a variety of disciplines, including Big Air Twin-tip, Hydrofoil, and Kitesurfing. Francesca Maini of the United Kingdom was named Newcomer of the Year, excelling in Big Air and winning the inaugural all-female Red Bull King of the Air.

Impressive maneuvers

Moves that impressed included Josué San Ferreira's Double-loop Board-off Front-flip , the famous Baby Shark , and Mikaili Sol's Doobie Board-off , which secured the Big Air prizes . Sol , a multiple world champion, also marked her triumphant return by winning the first Big Air event of 2025 in Brazil.

GKA Media Content – Photo: **Bianca Asher**

New achievements and dreams come true.

Our great Gabriel Benetton , 2024 World Kitesurfing Champion , was doubly rewarded for an incredible Triple Front-roll Shove-it in Germany and for the Wave of the Year , surfed in Indonesia. Capucine Delannoy , women's world kitesurfing champion , also shone with a historic Triple Front-roll that earned her a perfect 10 in the competition.

Inspiration and future

In addition to sporting achievements, the ceremony honored kitesurfing-inspired art, with Photo of the Year captured by Samuel Cárdenas and Video of the Year , “FEAR,” by Julien Leleu . For Dr. Jörgen Vogt , CEO of GKA, holding the event in Cape Town was a milestone: "We are showing the world that kitesurfing is more than a sport, it is a passion that connects people and inspires new horizons."

The 2024 GKA Awards was an unforgettable evening that not only celebrated the world's best athletes but also reaffirmed the power of kitesurfing to unite cultures and create inspiring stories.