‘One of the most outstanding years’ for Singapore kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder
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Singaporean kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder (centre) has won back-to-back KiteFoil World Series overall titles.
PHOTO: IKA MEDIA/ROBERT HAJDUK
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SINGAPORE – After clinching eight titles and an Olympic bronze over eight months on the competition circuit, Maximilian Maeder made a brilliant 2024 season even more “outstanding” on Oct 5, when he claimed the overall title at the KiteFoil World Series.
The 18-year-old Singaporean, who won the first leg in Austria a month ago, was also overall champion of the series in 2023.
While he needed just one race to claim gold at the Poetto beach in Cagliari, the final day of the opening series on Oct 4 saw wins by five different kiters – Maeder, Gian Stragiotti, Axel Mazella, Cameron Maramenides and Riccardo Pianosi – across six races.
Maeder said: “Having all the fresh perspective and potential gives you a push of motivation as well, especially on the last day of qualifying, racing definitely accentuated that in terms of us having five different winners across six races for the whole day.
“It definitely goes to show how much fresh, new potential is here and how exciting it will be.”
The teenager noted that the sport has become more competitive since he got into it eight years ago and was at its peak at the 2024 Paris Olympics,
He said: “That’s what I’m here for, loving to compete and improve. It’s about being able to improve and having overcome a challenge.
“That’s the real enjoyment – perhaps the challenge itself may be a little difficult to deal with sometimes but being able to come up and overcome it is the real fun.”
In Italy this week, Maeder booked his spot in the grand final after closing out the opening series as the leader with 16 points, two ahead of Frenchman Mazella.
The duo was later joined by Switzerland’s Stragiotti and Briton Connor Bainbridge, who took the remaining two slots in the grand final after finishing in the top two in the semi-final.
As the top qualifier, Maeder entered the first-to-three-wins grand final with two match points, needing just one more to seal the title, and he wasted no time with a victory in the first race.
This is his third consecutive title since he claimed the bronze medal
Despite coming in fourth in the sole race of the grand final, Mazella, who had one match point from the opening series, clinched silver, while Stragiotti bagged bronze ahead of Bainbridge with a second-place finish.
The women’s overall title went to France’s Jessie Kampman, who also won both legs of the world event.
While competition has gotten stiffer, the Singaporean and some of his fellow kiters showed that there is still room for sportsmanship.
On the first day of the regatta in Italy, Mazella and Maeder, who were battling it out for the top position, were commended for slowing down in the last 200m of the second race to give the rest of the fleet a chance of getting a finish score.
Singaporean kitefoiler won the Italy leg of the 2024 KiteFoil World Series, needing just one race to claim the title in the first-to-three-wins grand final.
PHOTO: IKA MEDIA/ROBERT HAJDUK
During a race, the fleet has to complete it within a time limit once the first person crosses the line – if not they will receive a “did not finish” on their scoresheet.
Maeder said his Italian friend and rival Pianosi gave him the idea when they were competing at the Italian Championships the week before, and he brought it up to Mazella in the middle of the race in Cagliari as they were going towards the finish line.
He said: “I believe it’s nice to see that people have a spirit of sportsmanship and there’s healthy competition. You already see it in the competition as well so it wasn’t too unexpected that people are so accommodating and kind.
“To me, it was just something I did on impulse and not really a surprise the way others reacted.”
Maeder’s gruelling season that began in February will finally be wrapping up at the Oct 7-13 Formula Kite Youth European Championships in Sardinia.
Reflecting on this season, he said: “This year has felt like a lot, the experiences, the things I’ve learnt and what I’ve gone through, how I’ve changed, the opportunities I’ve had and the things I’ve been able to share.
“There are lots of positives and it’s set me up for lots of exciting things to come. It’s simply been one of the most outstanding years of my life.”
Kitesurfing Association of Singapore president Ong Rong Quan commended Maeder for a monumental year, adding: “Since the Olympics, Max has maintained his winning momentum, taking first place in every event.
“This success comes despite the added challenge of adapting to new equipment for the upcoming Olympic cycle, which has tightened the competition in recent races.”
