Issue date
New Zealand's Hugo Wigglesworth underlined his growing reputation as one of kiteboarding's brightest stars by storming to victory at the opening event of the 2025 GKA Kite World Cup in Sylt, Germany.
With reigning world champion Charles Brodel absent through injury, the door was wide open for a new name to seize the spotlight in the Hydrofoil Big Air discipline. Wigglesworth, 18, wasted no time in stepping up, dominating his semi-final before delivering a near-flawless performance in the final to secure the crown.
In light 13-knot winds that tested every rider, Wigglesworth combined control, height and technical precision to look untouchable throughout. He sealed the win in style with a powerful closing trick worth 7.87 points, edging Germany's Finn Flügel into second place, with Spain's Lorenzo Casati third and Italy's Leonardo Casati fourth.
"Stoked to take the win at the GKA Hydrofoil Bigair competition on Sylt," Wigglesworth posted to social media after his victory. "Looking forward to the next event in Abu Dhabi."
Hugo Wigglesworth took out the opening event of the 2025 GKA Kite World Cup in Sylt. Photos / Lukas K Stiller
The triumph adds to a remarkable 12 months for the Auckland teenager, who last September etched his name into the sport's history books with a world record-breaking jump at Plimmerton Beach. Harnessing a 55-knot gust, Wigglesworth soared 36.7 metres into the air and travelled 274.6 metres before landing - shattering both the height and distance records.
"It's all about timing - catching the right wave and gust," Wigglesworth recalled of that moment. "Usually, you peak after three seconds, but I just kept going and going. That's when I thought I might get close [to the record]."
More than 15 seconds after take-off, he touched down to eclipse South Africa's Josh Emanuel’s height mark of 36.2m and Dutchman Jamie Overbeek's distance record of 225.6m. The feat secured him the lead in the 2024 WOO world championships and confirmed his status as the world's top "booster".
The teenager has already shown versatility across disciplines. Last year he competed at his third sailing youth world championships in Italy, finishing seventh in light-air racing conditions on Lake Garda. But he admits his passion lies in the thrill of big air.
"I really like the big air stuff, and I'm probably better at it," he said at the time. "I'll try to compete in some big air competitions... I can always come back to racing when the timing’s right."
