At boot Düsseldorf 2026, milliseconds made the difference between winning and losing the "GWA Indoor Wingfoil World Cup". After four exciting heats, Spain's Ancor Sosa came out on top in the men's competition, while his compatriot Nia Suardiaz won the women's competition once again. The decisions were extremely close: Sosa completed the 62-metre course in an impressive 42 seconds, while his closest rivals Balz Müller and 16-year-old Franz Schlittenbauer were just a hair's breadth behind at 43.48 and 43.90 seconds respectively.
"I am very happy to be back at boot Düsseldorf and really excited. We all had so much fun together. Every second on the pool is so much fun," said a delighted winner Ancor Sosa after his triumph. The Spaniard was not only impressed by his own performance, but also by the atmosphere of the event. Nia Suardiaz repeated her success from last year in the women's event and was also delighted: "It was super cool to be here again and to win again. I think I was also able to improve my time again. It's great to see people coming here and watching."
Wingfoil competition draws the crowds
The wingfoil competitions have become a real crowd-puller at boot Düsseldorf. Balz Müller in particular, who took second place, thrilled the audience with his spectacular tricks. "The great thing about boot is that we get the chance to live our sport indoors in winter. The whole community comes together and you can see how the sport is developing," said Müller, summarising his impressions of the first weekend of the trade fair. He was particularly pleased with the reaction of the youngest spectators: "The best thing for me this year was to see the fascinated eyes of the children. Hopefully one or two of them will now get the idea of trying out surfing. That's what the boot is there for, to inspire and motivate."
One particular surprise of the competition was the strong performance of 16-year-old Franz Schlittenbauer, who came third as a newcomer to the boat. With a time of 43.90 seconds, Schlittenbauer proved that the next generation of wingfoilers is already a force to be reckoned with.
Edan Fiander and Sarah Spalinger win Pumpfoil World Cup
Prior to this, the pump spoilers had already held their final on the XXL pool. After an exciting qualification on Saturday, Edan Fiander and Sarah Spalinger were able to prevail against the strong competition on Sunday and win the SFT Pumpfoil World Cup. SFT Tour Director Tom Hartmann was very pleased with the World Cup. "This is the biggest stage we have all year. There is no other event where you can be so close to the action as a spectator. The atmosphere is completely different to outside. It's like being in an ice hockey stadium," explains Hartmann.
The riders started the final on Sunday with a "best of three". Right from the start, the places for round two were fiercely contested. There were close head-to-head races in the narrow pool, some of which ended in the water for both rivals. "The course is extremely narrow, so you have to be careful not to collide. You can't be too dogged about it. Despite the contest, you always have to make sure that foiling remains a fun sport," says Jurij Scheibler, who was delighted with third place.
"A great way to open the season"
Fun was also the top priority for winner Edan Fiander. "It's a great way to start the season. I'm very happy about my victory," says the 19-year-old. Kai Thompson from Australia finished in second place. In this year's women's event, wingfoil world champion Bowien van der Linden and Olympic kitesurfer Alina Kornelli ventured into pump foiling. At the top of the podium was Sarah Spalinger. "I was very happy to be back this year. The joy of winning again this year is all the greater!"
