The rider of the Club Náutico Sevilla begins the season with the third place in the inaugural test of the island of Sal (Cape Verde)

The GKA World Tour 2026 has started with good news for the representative of the Club Náutico Sevilla Matchu Lopes (Duotone, ION, Quobba Fins and GoPro). Taking advantage of his status as host of the first test of the season, held in the waters of his native Cape Verde, who was the world champion in 2016 in the strapless mode (without the table), as well as the subchampion in 2017, 2022 and 2023 and third in 2018, he has managed to rise to the podium.

The test held in the town of Ponta Petra, on Sal Island, has been marked by a lack of wind in the closure, which forced the finals to be suspended. Until then, Matchu Lopes unabated the first rounds and secured a position in the area of honor after he overtook the world champion of Caboverdian origin Airton Cozzolino in the elimination of rooms.

Waiting to confirm his presence in the second test of the kitesurf World Cup, scheduled for August 25-30 in Sylt (Germany), Matchu Lopes will focus on his school in Boavista (Cape Verde)

At the gates of the final, the athlete of the Nautico Sevilla, fifth in the kitesurf World Cup last season, said goodbye to fight for victory after falling in semis to the Brazilian Sebastian Ribeiro. This result, together with the fall of the wind in the closure, gave him the third place in a shared way with the Brazilian Gabriel Benetton, who fell into the other semi-final duel to the Australian James Carew.

Rankings 2026 - GKA Kite World Tour