Capucine wins the first event of the season!
The win she wanted the most, but took the longest to achieve.
Capucine Delannoy kicks off the season in style, taking the win of the first GKA event of the year in Cape Verde. After an action packed day, the conditions peaked during the final, where Capucine won against one of her biggest inspirations, Moona Whyte.
“So happy to take the win of the first competition of the year!
Ponta Preta was the competition I’ve wanted to win the most since I started competing, and it’s the one that took me the longest to achieve. Winning this legendary stop feels incredible!”
- Capucine Delannoy
Photo: GKA/Lukas K Stiller
And it was not an easy road to victory for the North rider. While the competition began with light wind and small waves, Capucine lost her first heat against Caroline Englund. But she came back firing, taking down her teammate Francesca Maini with a standout performance, scoring an impressive 17.64 out of 20 points.
Even though Francesca exited the competition early, she once again proved to be a true multi-talent. After winning the Red Bull King of the Air Women’s Division in December 2024, she showed her skill across multiple disciplines, competing in both the GKA Strapless and GWA Wingfoil events in Cape Verde.
From that moment on, Capucine just kept pushing. She dominated her quarter-final against Simona Schatzmann scoring five strong waves in a single heat, and confidently moved on to the semi-finals.
“It feels amazing! This is the event I wanted the win most! ..... It was an amazing final so I’m super happy!”
- Capucine Delannoy
Photo: GKA/Lukas K Stiller
The closer the event got to the final, the more intense the conditions became: the wind got stronger, the waves got bigger... we could feel that banger heats were coming.
In the semi-finals against the Brazilian rider Serena Luz, it is in a challenging environment that she took her moment to shine, starting with three strong waves, putting pressure on her opponent and securing her spot in the final.
In the highly anticipated final, Capucine faced off against one of her biggest inspirations: Moona Whyte. Whyte had been in top form throughout the event, consistently posting the highest scores, with an average of 17.8 points per heat. Capucine knew she had to give it everything to take the win, and she did.
Riding massive waves, overpowered on her 5m² Carve, Capucine threw everything into each wave and managed to claim victory in the competition she had dreamed of winning for so long.
What a performance for Capucine, and it’s only the beginning of the season! We can’t wait to see what’s next for the North rider.
Photo: GKA/Lukas K Stiller
