Organisers of Red Bull King of the Air have named the riders for the 2026 finals in Cape Town. The kiteboarding contest will take place at Kite Beach, Bloubergstrand, during a weather window from 21 November to 6 December.
Defending champions Lorenzo Casati and Nathalie Lambrecht top the list. Two newcomers, Hugo Wigglesworth and Alessa Sophia Mensch, earned their places by winning the Taiwan Qualifier.
“The selection process for King of the Air is becoming increasingly challenging. The overall level of riding continues to rise, and a new generation of young, ambitious athletes is emerging,” said the event’s Sportive Director, Sergio Cantagalli.
South Africa will have two riders competing on home water. They are Luca Ceruti and Jason van der Spuy, according to the organisers.
Ceruti became the first South African to reach the King of the Air podium when he finished third in 2024.
Lorenzo Casati won his second title in 2025 with 34.02 points. He beat his younger brother, Leonardo Casati, in a 15-minute final with three riders.
Leonardo scored 31.12 points on his debut. At 16 years, five months and 16 days, he became the youngest finalist in the event’s history. He broke a record set by Jamie Overbeek in 2022.
Cohan van Dijk of the Netherlands took third place with 27.18 points. All three podium riders will return, along with Overbeek.
Wigglesworth is the world number one in Big Air Hydrofoil. He will make his King of the Air debut after coming from behind to win a final in Hsinchu that was hit by a typhoon.
The United States will send Zac Adams and Parker Sage. Other riders in the Open Division come from the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, Brazil, France, Turkey and Portugal.
Five riders have been confirmed in the Women’s Division. The sixth place is still open.
Lambrecht won the women’s title in 2025. She beat Zara Hoogenraad of the Netherlands by 0.55 points, scoring 26.92 to 26.37.
Hoogenraad will return, along with Mensch, Britain’s Francesca Maini and Egypt’s Sarah Sadek. Maini was the first Women’s Division champion in 2024.
The last women’s place will go to the winner of a Challenger Round. Slovenia’s Lana Herman, Brazil’s Mikaili Sol and Bulgaria’s Aya Kasabova will compete for it.
Herman finished third in 2025 with 23.73 points after joining as an injury replacement.
Mensch had her first session after a long injury break the day before the Taiwan contest. She has trained in South Africa for years and sees it as home, according to the organisers.
There was only one qualifier this year, down from three last season. Cantagalli said this gave the Taiwan event much more weight in the selection.
Riders were chosen through four routes. These were last year’s results, the Taiwan winners, a mix of video contest and qualifier rankings, and the Challenger Round.
Cantagalli said video shows a rider’s talent and progress, while live contests show how riders handle pressure. The event is still by invitation, and Red Bull’s selection committee has the final say.
Organisers will pick the competition days when Cape Town’s wind and swell are at their best. The event will stream live on Red Bull TV, and entry to Kite Beach is free.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL Entertainment. Image: IOL Entertainment. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Entertainment desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Rirhandzu Baloyi writes about entertainment for Tzaneen Voice. Rirhandzu covers South African music, film, TV, streaming, awards and celebrity news, from amapiano and local soapies to Showmax and Netflix releases. Stories stick to what happened, who was involved and when fans can watch or listen.