Spanish island hosts FreeFly-Slalom season opener as Surf-Freestyle hits crucial mid-point
GWA Wingfoil World Cup Gran Canaria
20-25 July, 2026 | Playa El Burrero
The battles for the Surf-Freestyle and FreeFly-Slalom world titles are set to move up gear when the GWA Wingfoil World Cup Gran Canaria returns to El Burrero, Spain, for six days of intense competition.
The Spanish island of Gran Canaria will again host both Surf-Freestyle and FreeFly-Slalom, bringing together two of wingfoiling’s premier disciplines at one of Europe’s windiest and most demanding venues.
The Surf-Freestyle tour arrives in Gran Canaria for its third stop of the season after two dramatic opening events that have thrown the title races wide open.
Reigning men’s world champion Benjamin Castenskiold bounced back in style at the Tarifa Wing Pro after a disappointing ninth-place finish at the season opener in Leucate, France. The 15-year-old Dane underlined why he is the rider to beat by taking victory in Tarifa and reigniting his bid for back-to-back world titles.
Commanding victory
His victory sets up another fascinating battle with Mondial du Vent winner, Austria’s Tomas Acherer. Italy’s Rocco Makana and the US’s Luca Vuillermet made their mark in Leucate, while the US’s Chris MacDonald roared back to form with a second earlier in France.
France’s Malo Guénolé and Britain’s Charlie Loch also more than capable of challenging for podium places in El Burrero. The pair are just two of a deep well of young talent.
The women’s Surf-Freestyle title fight is equally compelling. Spain’s Nia Suardiaz made the perfect start to the season with victory in Leucate, but Germany’s Marie Schlittenbauer returned from injury at the second stop in Tarifa and immediately reminded the fleet of her class with a commanding victory.
Schlittenbauer, still just 16, missed the opening event while recovering from surgery. Yet her win in Tarifa has instantly put the reigning world champion back into contention as she heads to Gran Canaria eager to continue her charge. Meanwhile, Suardiaz will be determined to reassert herself after surrendering the top step of the podium in Spain.
World-class wingfoiling
The opening event of the 2026 FreeFly-Slalom season also gets under way in Gran Canaria, with every rider starting from scratch in the race for the world titles.
Reigning world champions France’s Bastien Escofet and Nia Suardiaz begin their title defences as the favourites after successful 2025 campaigns, but both will face fierce opposition from closely matched rivals.
Italy’s Francesco Cappuzzo, a multiple world champion, returns looking to regain the men’s crown, while France’s Romain Ghio, Alan Fedit, Victor Le Roux and Julien Rattotti, together with Italy’s Sebastiano Zorzi, will all be targeting a strong opening result.
In the women’s fleet, France’s Kylie Belloeuvre, Spain’s Mar de Arce and Austria’s Viola Lippitsch headline the challengers seeking to deny Suardiaz another perfect start to the season.
With championship momentum building in Surf-Freestyle and the FreeFly-Slalom season about to burst into life, the reliable trade winds and challenging Atlantic conditions of El Burrero promise another spectacular week of world-class wingfoiling.
words: Ian MacKinnon
images: Lukas K Stiller
Event information
- Location: El Burrero, Gran Canaria
- Dates: 20—25 July, 2026
- All event information here.
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Spot Info: Playa El Burrero, Gran Canaria
Weather
The weather in Gran Canaria, Spain, during July, ranges around 25-30°C with sunrise around 07:15 and sunset at 21:00.
Wind and water
July is a great month for wind in Gran Canaria. The wind regularly blows 20-25+ knots, coming from the north/north-west at El Burrero, which blows cross-onshore. The water is choppy with kickers rolling in with the swell. Water temperature is 23-24°C, so bring a shorty or summer wetsuit.
