The world’s best Big Air kiteboarders are heading back to Cape Town, and the battle for aerial supremacy is already taking shape.
The rider lineup for Red Bull King of the Air 2026 has officially been confirmed, setting up another high-intensity showdown at Kite Beach, Bloubergstrand, between 21 November and 6 December 2026.
Defending champions Lorenzo Casati and Nathalie Lambrecht headline the returning field, while Taiwan Qualifier winners Hugo Wigglesworth and Alessa Sophia Mensch bring fresh momentum into one of the most demanding competitions on the international kiteboarding calendar.
For South Africa, the announcement carries additional significance. Local riders Luca Ceruti and Jason van der Spuy will have the opportunity to compete on home water, in front of a Cape Town crowd that understands exactly what makes this coastline special.
The champions return to defend their crowns
Lorenzo Casati returns as the man everyone will be chasing.
The Italian secured his second King of the Air title in 2025, scoring 34.02 points in a dramatic 15-minute final featuring three riders. His victory came against his younger brother Leonardo Casati, who scored 31.12 points on his event debut.
Leonardo’s performance was historic. At just 16 years, five months and 16 days, he became the youngest finalist in King of the Air history, breaking a record previously held by Jamie Overbeek.
The Netherlands’ Cohan van Dijk completed the podium with 27.18 points.
All three return in 2026, alongside Overbeek, creating an experienced and dangerous group of competitors who already understand what it takes to perform when the pressure reaches its peak.
But defending a title is a different challenge from winning one. Every rider will be studying the champions’ previous performances, looking for opportunities to outperform them through height, difficulty, execution and overall riding style.
South African riders ready for home advantage
South Africa will have two representatives in the Open Division: Luca Ceruti and Jason van der Spuy.
Ceruti arrives with an important achievement already attached to his name. His third-place finish in 2024 made him the first South African to reach the King of the Air podium.
Competing at Kite Beach offers both riders an opportunity to turn local knowledge into a competitive advantage.
Cape Town‘s wind conditions can be unpredictable, and success at King of the Air requires more than simply launching the biggest jump. Riders must read the conditions, manage their kite positioning, control their landings and execute technical manoeuvres while dealing with constantly changing wind and swell.
For Ceruti and van der Spuy, the challenge is to translate home-water experience into a performance capable of challenging the world’s best.
The international Open Division also features competitors from New Zealand, the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, Brazil, Germany, France, Turkey, Portugal and the United States.
A new generation is pushing Big Air forward
One of the most interesting additions is New Zealand’s Hugo Wigglesworth.
The world number one in Big Air Hydrofoil secured his place through a dramatic Taiwan Qualifier victory in Hsinchu, where he recovered from behind to win a final contested in typhoon conditions.
Germany’s Finn Flügel and Marten Koblischke also featured in that final.
Wigglesworth now faces a different challenge: making his King of the Air debut against a field packed with established Big Air specialists.
Red Bull King of the Air Sportive Director Sergio Cantagalli believes the growing standard of competition is making selection increasingly difficult.
“The overall level of riding continues to rise,”.
Cantagalli explained, highlighting the emergence of a younger generation of ambitious athletes determined to push performance boundaries
The selection process itself has also evolved.
With only one qualifier this year, compared with three in the previous season, the Taiwan event carried greater importance. The final fleet was assembled through previous competition results, qualifier performances, video submissions and a Challenger Round.
According to Cantagalli, video submissions are becoming increasingly sophisticated, demonstrating improvements in both technical riding and production quality.
However, live competition remains essential because it reveals how athletes perform under genuine pressure.
The combination of video evaluation and live results reflects a sport that is becoming increasingly competitive, technical and demanding.
Nathalie Lambrecht leads the women’s division
The Women’s Division has its own compelling title battle developing.
Sweden’s Nathalie Lambrecht returns to defend the championship she secured in 2025 after an exceptionally close final against the Netherlands’ Zara Hoogenraad.
Lambrecht finished with 26.92 points, just 0.55 points ahead of Hoogenraad’s 26.37.
Both riders return, alongside Germany’s Alessa Sophia Mensch, Britain’s Francesca Maini and Egypt’s Sarah Sadek.
Mensch brings one of the competition’s most remarkable comeback stories.
After a lengthy injury layoff, she completed her first riding session just one day before the Taiwan competition. She subsequently defeated Sadek and secured the qualifier victory, an emotional achievement that left her in tears.
Having trained in South Africa for several years, Mensch also considers the country a second home.
One place remains available in the six-rider Women’s Division. Slovenia’s Lana Herman, Brazil’s Mikaili Sol and Bulgaria’s Aya Kasabova will compete in the Challenger Round for the final position.
Herman already has King of the Air experience, having finished third in 2025 after entering the competition as an injury replacement.
Cape Town prepares for another wind-powered showdown
The competition will take place within a weather window running from 21 November to 6 December 2026.
Rather than following a fixed competition day, organisers will select the best available conditions within that period, allowing the athletes to compete when Cape Town‘s wind and swell offer the strongest opportunity for high-level Big Air riding.
This waiting period is a critical part of the competition format. Wind direction, strength and consistency can influence everything from take-off power to jump height and landing control.
For spectators, the event offers an opportunity to experience world-class kiteboarding against one of South Africa’s most recognisable coastal backdrops.
Entry to Kite Beach is free, while the entire competition will also be streamed live on Red Bull TV.
With returning champions, emerging international talent and South African riders competing on home water, the 2026 edition promises another serious test of athletic ability, technical progression and mental resilience.
The fleet is set. Now Cape Town‘s wind gets the final say.
