GWA Cancels Dakhla World Championship Just Three Days Before Start

The GWA Wingfoil World Championship in Dakhla, Morocco, has been cancelled just three days before competition was scheduled to begin. The Wave World Championship was due to run from October 6–11 at Oum Lamboiur and was supposed to decide the 2026 world titles in a single event.

The GWA confirmed the cancellation, citing only “circumstances beyond our control.” No further explanation has been provided. The official event page now shows the event as cancelled. GWA Wingfoil World Tour

What happened in Dakhla?

We at the Stand Up Magazin looked through Moroccan and regional news sources for clues. So far, we have found no reports of a major security incident, natural disaster or other local emergency that would provide an obvious explanation for the cancellation.

Weather also does not currently offer a clear explanation. In fact, the GWA itself had recently described Dakhla as having a dry early-October climate and highlighted the area’s normally reliable wind and wave conditions. GWA Wingfoil World Tour

What makes the situation particularly puzzling is that the event apparently remained on track until extremely recently.

On October 1, only two days before the cancellation became public, Moroccan sports publication SportPro reported that Dakhla was preparing to welcome more than 70 international competitors for the event. The article cited information from the organizers and described the competition as the 16th edition of Dakhla’s international watersports event. Sportpro

Another Dakhla event raises questions

There is another interesting piece to the puzzle. A GKA Kite-Surf World Cup was also scheduled in Dakhla for October 4–11. The official GKA event page currently lists that competition as “Confirmed: No.” GKA Kite World Tour

Earlier in September, French publication Kite Culture had already documented substantial changes to the 2026 GKA/GWA calendars, reporting that five kite and five wing events originally announced for the season had disappeared from the schedules. At that time, however, the Dakhla GWA Wave World Championship was still expected to take place. Kiteculture

The fact that two GKA/GWA events planned for essentially the same location and period in Dakhla have now failed to materialize raises legitimate questions about whether the reason could lie with local organization, financing, permits or contractual arrangements. There is currently no public evidence confirming any of those explanations, however.

For the athletes, the timing is particularly difficult. Some competitors were already travelling when the cancellation was announced, and because Dakhla was intended to be the only GWA Wave event of the 2026 season, the cancellation also leaves an obvious question over how—or whether—the 2026 Wave world titles will be awarded. SURF-Europas grösstes Windsurf-Magazin

For now, the biggest question remains unanswered:

What happened in Dakhla that forced a World Championship to be cancelled only three days before it was supposed to begin?

Dakhla Set for Title Showdown

The GWA Wingfoil World Tour heads to Dakhla, Morocco, from October 6–11, 2026, where the men’s and women’s Wingfoil Wave World Champions will be crowned at the famous Oum Lamboiur break.

Unlike a traditional multi-stop tour, the 2026 GWA Wingfoil Wave World Championship will be decided at a single event. That means there is little room for mistakes: every heat counts as the world’s best Wingfoil Wave riders battle for the titles in one of the sport’s most iconic wave locations.

Cash Berzolla Defends His Wave World Title

In the men’s field, Cash Berzolla arrives in Morocco as defending world champion after taking the title in Cape Verde last season. The Maui-based American is regarded as one of the strongest pure wave riders in Wingfoiling and already has experience competing in Dakhla.

His competition will be strong. Malo Guénolé of France and Canada’s Finn Spencer are among the riders expected to challenge at the front, while former world champion Wesley Brito of Cape Verde returns looking to reclaim the title he won in 2024.

South Africa’s Nathan van Vuuren, France’s Axel Gerard and Americans Liam Coralle and Marley Franco add further depth to a men’s field that reflects the rapid progression of Wingfoil Wave riding.

Nia Suardiaz Chases Another World Championship

The women’s competition will be headed by defending champion Nia Suardiaz. The Spaniard has become one of the dominant athletes of modern Wingfoiling, collecting world titles across several disciplines.

She will face several experienced Wave competitors, including former world champion Elena Moreno, Dutch rider Bowien van der Linden and France’s Eulalie Thébault.

One of the most interesting additions to the field will be Germany’s Marie Schlittenbauer. The 2025 Surf-Freestyle world champion will make her GWA Wave debut in Dakhla, bringing another world champion into the fight.

France will also be represented by Milla Danguy, Charlotte Carpentier and Orane Ceris, while Spain’s Mar de Arce and Julia Castro underline the growing depth of the women’s field.

Dakhla: A Natural Arena for Wingfoil Wave

Dakhla has become one of the signature locations for international Wingfoil competition. Sitting on the edge of the Sahara Desert, Oum Lamboiur produces long right-hand waves as north-westerly swells wrap around the point.

The wave can offer long walls as well as more powerful hollow sections, providing riders with plenty of opportunity for turns, aerials and creative use of the foil.

Wind is another major part of the Dakhla equation. The region is famous for consistent northerly breezes, with winds frequently reaching 20 to 30 knots.

Everything on the Line in Morocco

With the entire 2026 GWA Wingfoil Wave World Championship coming down to one competition, the Dakhla event should provide plenty of drama. There is no long season to recover from a bad result or an early elimination.

For Cash Berzolla and Nia Suardiaz, the goal is to successfully defend their world titles. For the challengers, Dakhla represents one opportunity to take the crown.

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