GWA: Wingfoil World Tour plans ten events for 2026 - focus on surf freestyle

The 2026 wingfoil season is set for an exciting year with a special focus on the surf freestyle discipline, which will be represented by eight World Cup events around the globe. The calendar published by the Global Wingsports Association (GWA) currently includes a total of ten events on four continents and promises a spectacular year for the up-and-coming sport. The FreeFly slalom discipline will also have at least a solid tour calendar with three events, while the wave discipline will be represented with just one event in Brazil. However, experience shows that there could still be changes to the calendar over the course of the year.

As in the previous year, the season will begin with a special indoor event at boot Düsseldorf. The invitational event in mid-January aims to build on the success of last year's show, which brought the sport of wingfoil to a new, broader audience. The indoor competition will be held in an individual time trial slalom format and marks the official start of the 2026 season.

• Boot Düsseldorf brings world-class contests back to XXL-Pool

FreeFly slalom with three World Cup stages

Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, which made its debut on the tour last year and hosted the final of the FreeFly Slalom season, will open the coming season in April with the first of three FreeFly Slalom stops. The reigning world champions, France's Bastien Escofet and Spain's Nia Suardiaz, will attempt to defend their titles. Brac in Croatia is a new destination that will host the second stop in June, where surf freestyle is also on the programme. Finally, the world champions will be crowned on the Canary Island of Fuerteventura at the beginning of August. These three events promise exciting competitions in a discipline known for its speed and tactical challenges.

• FreeFly world champions Nia Suardiaz and Bastien Escofet look back on the season

Surf freestyle as the main focus of the season

The legendary Mondial du Vent event in Leucate will kick off the surf freestyle season in April. The event in Brac and another stop in Tarifa will then follow in quick succession in June. The "Canary Islands Tour" in July starts in Lanzarote before heading to the established tour favourites Gran Canaria and finally Fuerteventura. This intensive phase with three events in quick succession will present the athletes with special challenges and could be decisive for the course of the season

After a break of several months, the surf freestyle year in Brazil will be rounded off during its reliably windy season. Taíba will host the penultimate stop in November before the world champions are crowned in Jericoacoara in December. These two Brazilian events will not only offer excellent wind conditions, but also a unique atmosphere and will be a worthy conclusion to the 2026 season.

Special mention should also be made of the wave discipline, which will once again be held in a single World Championship event. This surfing discipline, whose rules were adapted last season, will return to the iconic spot of Ibiraquera, Brazil.

• GWA Wingfoil: "Only one event is not right" - World champions Suardiaz and Berzolla on the wave season

All information under wingfoilworldtour.com