WOO’s fifth annual kite and wing throwdown brought riders together worldwide from September 13 to October 12, turning everyday sessions into a month-long battle for glory! With over one hundred thousand dollars in prizes and leaderboards changing with every storm, WOO Worlds once again proved the power of a small blue sensor to unite a global community of riders.

Thirty days, one global session. WOO’s fifth annual kite and wing throwdown ran from September 13 to October 12, drawing riders into the rhythm of chasing forecasts, sending it, and battling for leaderboard glory. With over one hundred thousand dollars in prizes, the real prize was bragging rights as rankings flipped with each storm. A decade after WOO’s small blue sensor first answered the question every kiter asked, how high did I go? it has evolved into a tool that turns everyday sessions into a worldwide competition. In a recent KitePod chat, IKSURFMAG’s Rou Chater caught up with WOO’s Arlin Ladue to talk about the brand’s journey, the rise of WOO Worlds, and the future of riding together as a global community.

From Hackathon Table to Kiteboard

Arlin Ladue first met the early WOO team at a tech event in Boston. Among the pale-faced start-ups glued to pitch decks, one group looked like they had been outdoors. On their table sat a board that Ladue initially mistook for a wakeboard; it was a kiteboard. Their mission was simple: at their local Pleasure Bay spot, every southerly evening turned into a boost-off, yet no one could tell who jumped the highest. They built a sensor that could capture airtime with accuracy, paired it with GPS from phones and watches and brought a Strava-style sense of progression to a sport that had never had it. Coming from a ski and snowboard background, Arlin immediately saw the potential in using gaming mechanics to get people off screens and playing outside.

Why WOO Worlds Exists

By 2021, after years of trying to integrate the device into live events that focused on tricks over height, WOO flipped the script. Instead of piggybacking on single-venue competitions, they created a month-long ride anywhere format that rewarded both participation and performance. The idea was simple: give everyone a clock, launch challenges, add real stakes and let the wind dictate the theatre. Cash, kites and serious prizes put skin in the game. Teams formed from shops and clubs, local heroes emerged, and an individual sport began to feel like a season with teammates and storylines.

The format expanded fast. The highest single jump stayed as the headline, but the cumulative jump height added endurance and grit. Distance: One Hour, mixed pace with efficiency, often on foils, and team challenges are asked for the best five jumps or collective totals, bringing tactics into play. Timing was crucial, too. Holding the event in September and October gave it a natural rhythm: northern autumn storms, southern spring breezes, then a reset before the following season.

Fair Play and Human Referees

With real prizes on the line, results had to be beyond question. WOO blends data science with human refereeing. The sensor records the board’s story, GPS from the phone or watch provides speed and distance, local weather data adds context, and a rider’s history sets a baseline. When something looks off, the team picks up the phone to hear first-hand what happened. Over the years, they have coded out loopholes, two sensors on one board, suspicious tracks that look more like car rides than kite sessions, always aiming to keep the highest jump with the highest jumper and the fastest hour with a rider on water, not wheels.

Draw Anything: Art on Water

One of the most creative formats is Draw Anything, which began as a simple heart-shaped GPS challenge and has since evolved into large-scale ocean art. Most riders use foils for precise upwind angles, often pre-programming their route on a smartwatch and even using islands and coastlines as part of the design. This year, Danish rider Johan, now with the Jacobsen crew, delivered a moving tribute to Graham Howes: a hand-drawn silhouette across the sea, filmed by drone. Playful yet profound, it shows what is possible when imagination meets wind and water, and of course, a beautiful way to remember Graham. 

Chasing the Record

The WOO jump world record still stands at 36.7 metres, set in New Zealand in 2024 by Hugo Wigglesworth. Arlin calls the record a cocktail of talent, weather, the right spot, timing and nerve. Hugo returned home this year older, stronger and armed with both the kite that set the record and a new foil kite, already posting mid-thirties jumps. But predicting a record is a fool’s game; this season’s biggest jump so far came from a completely different rider, kite and spot, proving that in a global month, surprises always surface.

Wing Joins the Game

Many early wingers were kiters first, so WOO’s app features, spots, gear logs, session feeds, and leaderboards translate naturally. The jump game is there for wings too, but GPS-driven metrics like speed, total distance, and Distance One Hour fit the discipline exceptionally well. In the Nations Cup leaderboard, kite and wing scores now combine so that a windy day counts, whichever craft you ride.

How to Get Involved

For newcomers, it all starts with the free WOO app. Create an account, browse the spot map, follow riders and watch the live session feed. Record your own rides with a phone in a dry bag or a compatible smartwatch, then add the WOO sensor to measure airtime and join the jump game. Think of it as a journal of your wind life, your progress, your crew and your milestones all in one place.

The Two-Day Team Marathon

New for 2025 was the two-day Team Total Distance challenge. It is simple to explain but tough to execute: forty-eight hours, top five scores per team, go as far as you can. Wingers and kiters went shoulder to shoulder, some using race foils or speed boards to maintain pace, while others lit up their kites and helmets to ride at night, with shoreline tents serving as their base camps. Seasickness proved real for some, but daylight warriors still logged impressive mileage. This format rewarded planning, teamwork and endurance rather than a single gust of glory.

Nations Cup: Pride on the Line

Mid-month, the Nations Cup leaderboard read like a roll call of the windiest coastlines: Netherlands, Germany, New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom, Australia, Estonia as a dark horse, United States, France and Denmark. Each country’s tally came from ten performances, top three overall kite jumpers, top female, junior and senior jumpers, plus men’s and women’s wing jump and Distance One Hour scores. Beating a national teammate in any category pushed your flag higher, with prizes from Flysurfer, North and Waydoo adding to the rivalry.

Why It Matters

WOO’s real innovation is not the sensor; it is the invitation to take part. Whether you are logging your first foil kilometres, drawing a GPS heart for your kids or storm hunting for a world record, WOO turns windy days into stories you can share. For the WOO team, it is also a sprint: filters tuned, calls made, leaderboards updated and late-night laptop dashes whenever something extraordinary happens. That is the cost of building a world you actually want to play in.

The 2025 Season in Action

WOO Worlds 2025 kept the format simple but full of energy. Draw Anything wrapped on 5 October with wildly creative tracks, Team Total Height lit up 27 to 28 September with a global send fest, and Team Total Distance closed the show on 11 to 12 October, rewarding endurance and planning. Max Height ran all month, building a rolling highlight reel of personal bests.

Dutch rider Levi Smit was one of the headline stories. Watching a storm forecast for his home spot of Texel, he left work early, rigged his 8.1 metre North Orbit Pro 2025 and launched straight into 43 to 50 knot winds. Mid-session, he felt one jump that was insane jump; it turned out to be 36.4 metres, a personal best that now leads WOO Worlds 2025 and ranks as the second-highest jump in the world.

In the team arena, the Guardians of the Galaxsea conquered WOO’s first-ever 48-hour Team Total Height challenge. Meeting in Kegnaes, Denmark, they hit the water at 00:01 on Saturday, lit up with LED gear and glowing kites, jumped through the night, napped briefly, then went all day Saturday and sealed victory with a final Sunday push.

The fight for second was intense. Team Eleveight Kites surged ahead on Saturday, but the WOO Tang Clan, with riders in Brazil, Mauritius, Western Australia, and Fehmarn, clawed back on Sunday. A huge last-hour push from Aya Kiteboarder in Brazil clinched second for WOO Tang, edging out Eleveight by the narrowest margin.

Podium Rewards:

Guardians of the Galaxsea – €2,000 shop credit from ION International

WOO Tang Clan – €1,000 shop credit plus ION Suspect Duffel Bags

Team Eleveight – ION Suspect Duffel Bags and a WOO HQ prize pack

Two more challenges wrapped up the month: Team Max Height, top five riders’ single highest jump of the month, and Team Total Distance, 48-hour accumulated distance held on 11 to 12 October.

The Spirit of the Game

WOO Worlds is equal parts competition and community. Juniors celebrated first-ever personal bests, seniors proved they still had it, brands rallied shop teams, beach crews swapped tactics, and national chats buzzed as local spots lit up. The app gave the whole event a heartbeat: a windy spike at one beach could flip a leaderboard by sunset, a clever tide call could add a metre, and a last light flatwater grind could sneak in precious kilometres before cut-off.

For newcomers, fundamentals mattered: update the firmware, check the mount, warm up before chasing Max Height, hold a steady line for Distance One Hour, minimise tacks and keep transitions tight. Save early, upload fast and let the data lock in your effort.

Structured yet never stiff, WOO Worlds celebrates the highest jump of your life and the chaos of chasing it. It shines on the solo rider who finds wind in a squall, the team captain coordinating five spots at once, and the nation climbing together. Safety always came first: riders checked their gear, stayed within their limits, and looked out for each other, but from there it was all about riding hard, having fun, and letting the numbers tell the tale.

For personal bests, team glory or national pride, WOO Worlds 2025 was the month to send it.

The Winners

Nations Cup 

  • 1st The Netherlands 272.7 
  • 2nd New Zealand 262.1
  • 3rd South Africa: 258.4  

Highest Jump

Mens

  • 1st Levi Smit 36.4m (8.1m North Orbit - Paal 17, Texel on Sept 15th)
  • 2nd Jamie Overbeek 36.1m (7m Duotone Rebel - Norre Vorupor Mole on Oct 5th)
  • 3rd Josh Gillit 35.9m (8m F-ONE Trigger Brainchild - Norre Vorupor Mole on Oct 5th)

Womens

  • 1st Su Kay 25.2m (8m Lacuna Alpha v4 - Dolphin Beach on Sept 24th)
  • 2nd  Kimberly Pauw 20.1m (8m Eleveight RS Pro V2 - Kijkduin on Oct 4th)
  • 3rd Mignon Rijnja 19m (6m North Orbit 2024 - Wijk aan Zee on Sept 15th)

Juniors

  • 1st Maxwell North 30.8m
  • 2nd Ingmar Woerdeman 29.9m
  • 3rd Martin Rahnel 23.3m

Seniors

  • 1st Clark Robertson 28.1m
  • 2nd Peter Balmel 25.8m
  • 3rd Pavel Ermilov 24.5m

Distance 1 Hour

Men

  • 1st Toby Wigglesworth 58.2 KM 
  • 2nd Sam Dickinson 57.8 KM 
  • 3rd Jannis Maus 56.0 KM 

Women

  • 1st Ella Geiger 49.4 KM
  • 2nd Justina Kitchen 47.4 KM
  • 3rd Mariska Wildenberg 41.4 KM

Max Team Height 

  • 1st Kitemana 158.3M 
  • 2nd CTAIR 147.3M
  • 3rd FlyingKiwis 139.1M 

Team Total Height 

  • 1st Guardians of the Galaxsea 48.6 KM 
  • 2nd Wootang Clan 29.5 KM 
  • 3rd Elevieght 29.2 KM 

Team Total Distance 

  • 1st Guardians of the Galaxsea 3357.5 KM 
  • 2nd Woonited 2763.7 KM 
  • 3rd Elevieght 2322.5 KM 

Fun WOO Worlds Stats

Here’s what went down at this year’s WOO Worlds, and the numbers are wild!

Germany topped the charts with 971 riders, making it the most represented country in the competition. Together, the global fleet clocked an insane 48 days of airtime and covered 288,000 km, that’s seven laps around the planet!

In total, riders smashed 1,310 personal records, and Timo Martin went full send, setting an unofficial world record for the longest distance kited in a single day, a mind-blowing 556 km!

 

Videos

The Kite Pod Episode #1: Arlin Ladue | Gamifying Kiteboarding with WOO Sports
Draw Anything - for you G
By IKSURFMAG