Professional Kiteboarder

Finn Flügel

Freestyle World Champion 2025 · GKA Kite World Tour

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GERHof, Germany

6×World Champion

17Years old

22Career podiums

Profile

The Journey

I'm Finn Flügel, 17 years old. I was born into a sports-obsessed family in Hof, Germany, and first stood on a kiteboard at age six.

At age ten, I knew kitesurfing wasn't just a hobby — it was my future. I convinced my parents to let me chase this dream and relocate to Egypt. That move changed everything: the conditions are perfect year-round, and I can push my limits daily.

It's paid off. I'm the 2025 Men's Freestyle World Champion and Youth Big Air World Champion. Nowadays I'm travelling the world, training and competing on the men's world tour while keeping up with my studies. I'm living my dream.

Finn Flügel smiling in a grey Red Bull beanie, his long blond hair falling over a black top

Career

Results

Selected results from the GKA Kite World Tour and the German national championships.

Gold

Silver

Bronze

2026

2Vice World Champion, GKAHydrofoil Big Air
1World Champion, GKA U19Twintip
5Men's World RankingBig Air
3GKA World Cup BorkumFreestyle
1GKA World Cup MexicoFreestyle
2Lords of Tram World CupBig Air

2025

1World Champion, Men'sFreestyle
2Vice World Champion, GKAHydrofoil Big Air
1World Champion, GKA U19Big Air
1Red Bull Winds of SinaiBig Air

2024

1GKA World Cup QatarFreestyle
1World Champion, GKA U16Freestyle
1German Champion, MenFreestyle
3Men's World RankingHydrofoil Big Air
3GKA World Cup BrazilFreestyle
3GKA World Cup BrazilBig Air
3GKA World Cup BrazilHydrofoil Big Air
3GKA World Cup FranceFreestyle
4GKA World Cup SyltHydrofoil Big Air

There's no place for envy in my mind.

Finn Flügel

On the water

Disciplines

Freestyle, Big Air and Hydrofoil Big Air on the GKA Kite World Tour — plus wing foiling away from competition.

Finn Flügel mid-air above the water in a green jersey as spectators watch from the beach beside a Red Bull buoy

Freestyle

I perform tricks and stunts while holding the kite's load in my hands, showcasing creativity and technical skill. For me it's the ultimate discipline for self-expression and style on the water.

Finn Flügel upside down high in the air, holding his board away from his feet, at the 2024 GKA event in Jericoacoara

Big Air

In strong winds I love jumping to extreme heights and performing spectacular aerial maneuvers like board-off tricks, rotations and kiteloops, pushing the limits of height and airtime.

Wing Foil

I use a wing and hydrofoil board to glide above the water, combining elements of windsurfing and kiteboarding for a unique flying-over-water experience. When I go out with my wingfoil board, waves are my favourite thing to ride.

Finn Flügel throws a shaka while riding a hydrofoil above clear water, with the foil visible beneath the surface

Hydrofoil Big Air

When the wind is light I love to take out my hydrofoil board. It's an incredible feeling to float almost silently over the water. From one moment to the next, I can gain extreme speed, or catch a gust and loop my kite. That's amazing!

Kite Safari 2027

Ride with Finn

Finn in mid-air above a safari yacht at dusk, his blue kite high above the sea

Photo: Luca Mayrhofer

A week on the Red Sea, living on board with Dragon Liveaboard. It's for kiters who can do more than basic jumps and want to get better at foiling, Big Air, airstyle or freestyle, from young riders to experienced adults. Kids are welcome with their parents.

Finn coaches on the water together with Islam Ali, who taught him to kite when he was six, and Finn's friend Michael Soumbatov. Sessions are filmed and watched back in the evening, so every day starts with a goal.

Week 1: 24–30 April 2027
Week 2: 25 Sept – 1 Oct 2027
Where: Red Sea, from Hurghada
Level: More than basic jumps
Price: €2,499 per person

See the programme Questions? Ask Bernd

Places on board are limited. Programm auf Deutsch

Supported by

Partners

Photography

Gallery

Finn Flügel at the GKA Big Air World Cup, Lords of Tram, Port Barcarès

Champagne on the Lords of Tram podium, Port Barcarès 2026

Finn Flügel celebrating his second place at Lords of Tram 2026

Finn Flügel between heats at Lords of Tram, Port Barcarès

The Lords of Tram Big Air World Cup podium, Port Barcarès 2026

Finn Flügel with the Big Air finalists at Lords of Tram 2026

Finn Flügel preparing for a Big Air heat at Port Barcarès

Finn Flügel running for a kite change in the final heat at Lords of Tram

Finn Flügel boosting high above the lagoon at Port Barcarès

Finn Flügel riding Big Air in front of the Lords of Tram crowd

Finn Flügel flying high above the crowd at Lords of Tram

Finn Flügel at the prize-giving ceremony, Lords of Tram 2026

Finn Flügel staying warm in the water during heats in freezing cold Barcarès

Finn Flügel is carried shoulder-high on the beach, laughing and holding his kite bar aloft in a green competition jersey

Finn Flügel mid-air, holding his board away from his feet, at the GKA Freestyle World Cup in Qatar, 2023

Finn Flügel wades ashore holding his kite bar and clasps hands with a GKA crew member beneath a German flag

Finn Flügel on the beach at sunset with a trophy and his foil board, wearing a Red Bull cap and Duotone T-shirt

Finn Flügel holds the 1st place trophy from Red Bull Winds of Sinai, with desert mountains and the sea behind him

Finn Flügel, in a purple competition jersey, high-fives a man at the water's edge, with kites filling the sky behind

Finn Flügel smiles and claps on a sandy beach in a Red Bull cap and grey T-shirt, with the sea behind him

Finn Flügel, in a Red Bull beanie and purple jersey, raises his kite bar beside his Red Bull board amid a beach crowd

Finn Flügel airborne on his hydrofoil board, one hand grabbing the board, with the foil clear of the water below

Finn Flügel, wet-haired and smiling, holds a Red Bull helmet in a black fleece top by the waterfront

Finn Flügel with a trophy and his Red Bull board on the beach at the GKA World Cup in Doha, 2024

Finn Flügel raises a trophy above his head on a beach in Brazil, his Red Bull board at his side, in a Duotone T-shirt

Finn Flügel on top of the podium with his trophy at the GKA Youth World Championships in Tarifa

Finn Flügel laughs with a stack of Red Bull caps and a beanie piled on his head, in front of a wooden wall

Finn Flügel, in an F2 T-shirt and blue gloves, pours resin onto a kiteboard in a board-building workshop

Finn Flügel, in a wetsuit and harness, holds up his Red Bull-branded Duotone kite on a sandy beach

Follow along

Best tricks, best sessions

@flyfinni

Instagram

Latest posts

Finn Flügel@flyfinni Follow

In the media

Press

n-tvPlatz drei in Brasilien: Jungstar Finn Flügel mischt die Kitesurfer-Elite auf

Contact

Get in touch

Sponsorship, media and event enquiries all go to Finn's dad, Bernd, who looks after everything off the water.

Bernd Flügel

Finn's dad & manager

Bernd manages Finn's schedule, travel and partnerships, and is the first point of contact for press and sponsors. Email and phone both reach him directly.

bernd.fluegel@f2boards.com +49 1511 9506888