Ozone riders land big one-two at Brazil season finale

December 12, 2025 / Race Wing

FRANCE’S MATHIS GHIO SEALS FOURTH CONSECUTIVE WORLD CUP CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE AT CLOSING TOUR STOP

POLAND’S KAMIL MANOWIECKI CAPS STELLAR YEAR WITH BACK-TO-BACK JERI WINS TO TAKE SECOND OVERALL

Report: Ian Mackinnon
Photos: IWSA Media / Robert Hajduk

Ozone riders Mathis Ghio and Kamil Manowiecki sealed a dramatic one-two at the IWSA wingfoil racing season finale in Jericoacoara, Brazil.

The Frenchman, Ghio, landed his fourth successive Open Series world title in Brazil. It capped an historic year in which Ghio also won the first-ever Formula Wing European and Formula Wing World titles.

Ghio, 23, finished third overall in at the Wingfoil Racing World Cup in Jericoacoara. But his series of earlier World Cup victories and wins at the World and European Championships meant he was guaranteed the World Cup Championship title even before he took to the water in Brazil.

Poland’s Manowiecki, also 23, ended his season on a high with consecutive wins in the iconic Brazilian beach resort of the Jeri. Another win at the World Cup in Daishan, China, gave Manowiecki second overall for the World Cup Championship season.

Manowiecki is aware that the competition is getting tougher. But he believes he is closing the gap on Ghio and other rivals and has his eyes firmly fixed on grabbing his own world titles.

Both athletes had high praise for the Ozone double surface Fusion V2 Ultra-X and credited the wing as being a big part of the equation in their success on the race track.

Greece’s Aimilia Kosti also rides the Fusion V2 Ultra-X, and finished third overall, with her season including a clutch of second place finishes.

MATHIS GHIO (FRA)

“It’s been four years that I’ve been crowned World Champion here. Always ending the season and knowing that I’ll be crowned World Champion during these four years before even doing the last World Cup is something I enjoy so much. Because it’s so much of a release from the pressure, of course, from the racing.

“This season has been remarkable: two major wins at two different world championships. It’s an achievement that I’m very proud to accomplish. It’s been amazing from beginning to end and I’m loving the journey of the 2025 season.“

“If I have to mention only a few moments for the season, it would be the Formula Wing World Championship in Cagliari. I entered the finals in first place, 19 points clear. But the finals did not go my way. I had to wait until the last medal series race to get the title. But I wasn’t able to feel the joy. I was stoked and feeling all that inside.

“[Early in the season] I won four consecutive events. I had momentum. I thought everything was going the same way and I would keep the world title. But then things started going in a different direction. I’ve been glad about how I reacted. I looked at it and grew and came back stronger. We’ve never had a huge event in the middle of the year like the Formula Wing World Championships, where there was only five days to win the world title. That was a lot of pressure.

“The Fusion V2 Ultra-X has been a game changer. We got the Fusion V2 for the Europeans. For Kamil [Manowiecki] and me, we had a big advantage over the rest for the field. The Fusion has been insane because of the consistent power it gives you during the competitions. It’s so comfortable. It allowed us to focus on the racing, because it handles the gusts, strong winds and shifts so well.

“For next year the calendar is extremely dense: nine events all around the world. That’s nearly one-a-month. We’ll have to keep a strong level all year, which will need a lot of mental strength. This is going to be different to previous years and keep the the hunt for the world title even closer.”

KAMIL MANOWIECKI (POL)

“I honestly have no words for this one. I worked so hard for this moment, and to finally win here [in Brazil] in these conditions feels unreal. I was simply faster than anyone else on the course. A real speed demon. Everything clicked. I felt connected with my gear in a way I’ve never felt before. That gives you confidence, but also shows that the work behind the scenes really pays off. This week was the perfect example of that.

“Without a doubt [I feel I’m getting closer to the title]. After China I was leading the world ranking, and I arrived in Cagliari for the World Championships knowing I had a real shot. That event ended up being my only ‘miss’ of the season, my only World Cup where I didn’t finish on the podium. A small detail, but in this sport, details decide everything. I dropped to 5th there, which cost me the world title. But I know I had the level to win it this year.

“The gap between me and the leader is tiny. And after what I showed here in Brazil, the next year I’m not planning to be ‘close’. I’m planning to break away, to dominate, to set a new standard.

“Ozone’s Fusion Ultra-X V2 was a huge part of my performance this week. Jeri is strong, gusty and that’s where this wing shines. It stays incredibly stable at high speed, which lets me push harder without thinking about the gear.”

“Personally as a rider I love strong winds. When it gets heavy and difficult, that’s the essence of the sport!

“What impressed me the most this season is the reliability. I carried spare wings to every event . . . and I never used them. I didn’t explode a single wing the entire year. The Fusion handled well strong wind, sun and lots of pumping. So yes, Ozone was a big part of the equation. With the speed I had this week, it really felt like flying with a weapon in my hands.”