GKA - Kite World Tour: We Made Finnish Hydrofoil Big Air History!
- Joni Sarola
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Hi, I’m Joni Sarola, entrepreneur at Arctic Kites, and a passionate kitesurfer. Recently, our team rider Tino Pehkonen and I made history by becoming the first Finns ever to compete in the GKA Kite World Tour Hydrofoil Big Air event in Abu Dhabi.
Finland vs. The World: Training in Challenging Conditions
We (Joni and Tino) train in the demanding conditions of the Joensuu region, usually in light, gusty winds, and surrounded by ice in the autumn and spring. On a good day, you might see us in Hanko, or really anywhere in Finland. For the past couple of years, we’ve been pushing hard on foils, with Big Air as our main focus.
We used to watch the GKA Kite World Tour Hydrofoil Big Air competitions, and that inspired the thought: "Hey! Maybe we have a chance too!"
That idea quickly took off, and in the spring of 2025, we were training in Tarifa, Spain, intending to participate in the first event of the year in Germany. We ran into bad luck, as the conditions in Tarifa were mostly light during that period. We decided we couldn't send in our entry videos filmed on a 15m kite. We felt the videos had to feature big kiteloops and other extreme moves.
Well, the German event didn't happen for us, but we followed the live stream and realized: "Hey, they have light wind there, and that’s a clear advantage for us Joensuu riders. “We can definitely compete! Let's film the videos in the conditions we get and send them in, we have nothing to lose!"
High-Intensity Prep on a Tight Deadline
After mid-September, we received confirmation that we were both accepted into the competition. Naturally, panic set in immediately about how to train and what our gear status was. It didn't help that on September 13th, I received 10 stitches in my eyelid after a collision with a foil. More on that in a later blog post...
We decided to maximize our training days by finding a destination with similar wind statistics to the Abu Dhabi competition. Our training camp became El Gouna, Egypt, at Osmosis Kiteboarding. We managed to put the gear together, even after Tino broke his foil mast during a stormy day in Joensuu. His new foil arrived on Friday, just before our Saturday departure for Egypt. We waited anxiously, but all's well that ends well.
Budgeting the trip
The training camp and competition trip were not free, so we had to consider the costs. We want to thank all our sponsors, both companies and individuals, who made the training camp and the competition possible (THANK YOU!!).
Abu Dhabi - On the competition site
The competition was postponed several times due to wind conditions, which definitely maxed out the tension for all of us riders. The good side, of course, was that we got extra light-wind training, and the water was more than warm enough, not to mention the air.
The organizers wanted to speed up the competition due to the light wind forecast, to ensure the events could be completed. For this reason, the competition started directly from Round 3, which means immediate elimination for the losers of the heat. Heat #4 in Round 3, where we competed, was held in extremely light conditions, around 6 knots (kts). This caused challenges for all riders, especially the heavier ones in the series.
We completed the heat, where Flysurfer foil kites proved to be an invaluable asset. On the other hand, a larger foil would have been a massive help, but due to airline baggage restrictions, we didn't have any spare wings with us. The conditions were the same for everyone in the heat, so we charged with what we had.
I feel there was room for improvement in my own performance, but on the other hand, I can also be satisfied with my result. My highest individual trick scored 6.10 points, placing me 9th in the event and 12th in the World Ranking.
Tino and I planned to be each other's caddies, giving tips from the beach regarding tricks and scoring during the performance. However, we ended up in the same heat right away, so we know to prepare for that issue next time.
You can watch our heat from here
Top 3 riders & future goals
It was incredible to watch the winners of the competition, their training, and their tricks and to take some notes on what these riders are doing and how they do it.
Men's Hydrofoil Big Air
1.Hugo Wigglesworth (Crowned 2025 World Champion)
2.Finn Flügel
3.Borja Vellon
Women's Hydrofoil Big Air
1. Andrea Zust (Crowned 2025 World Champion
2. Christelle Divry
3. Annie Branton
The Women's Hydrofoil Big Air performances were spectacular to watch, and it was great to see how dedicated all the riders were.
We returned from the trip with our gear and riders intact, and richer in amazing experiences. We are gradually moving into the winter season and perhaps already planning the next training camp. Next year, we will compete again, with more confidence and greater success!
All the gear we used and tested in the GKA Kite World Tour experience (especially the Flysurfer kites and North & Reedin foils) are available in our online store.
You can see our own observations about the Flysurfer Sonic5 kite here!
Want to learn how to ride in light winds or foil like world-class riders? Contact Joni Sarola and let's go through the techniques, equipment and practical tips that will help you succeed!
Phone: +358406744908
Email: myynti@arctickites.com
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