Joshua Emanuel: the first non-European to win the Red Bull Megaloop Challenge | Photo: Schurgers/Red Bull

Joshua Emanuel has taken out the 2017 Red Bull Megaloop Challenge, in the Netherlands.

What an epic day in an insane event. The world's best big air kiteboarders survived gale force winds in the 50-knot range and took to the skies of Zandvoort, a coastal community west of Amsterdam.

The organization got the natural kickers needed for the riders to go out and throw their tricks up in the air. And you couldn't've asked for a better showdown, in front of five thousand fans.

An orange weather code warning was issued with southwest winds of 100 km/h causing trees to fall and trains to stop running. However, it provided the weather needed to get the 2017 Red Bull Megaloop Challenge underway.

The final had Steven Akkersdijk, Joshua Emanuel, Lasse Walker, and Kevin de Smidt aiming for the sky. There were waves and whitewater rollers everywhere, but all athletes got their fair amount of chances to impress the judging panel.

They did not disappoint either with insane jumps measuring up to 15 meters high, 100 meters in distance, and an airtime of five seconds, thrilling the crowd packed on the shoreline.

Emanuel was able to nail down a stunning megaloop backroll, but he only knew he had won the competition a couple of minutes after touching base at the beach.

"I don't have words right now. I'm so stoked. I had no idea. It is a lot harder [than in Cape Town] with onshore winds and super gusty," expressed Joshua Emanuel.

It was the first time in the Red Bull Megaloop Challenge history a non-European took the crown in the extreme conditions at Zandvoort.

2017 Red Bull Megaloop Challenge | Final

1. Joshua Emanuel (RSA)
2. Steven Akkersdijk (NED)
3. Lasse Walker (NED)
4. Kevin de Smidt (NED)

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