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Paula Novotna wanted to take her wing out onto the water – but this was probably not how she’d imagined riding the wave.
Foiling vs sailing – who comes out on top?
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A sailboat and a foiler were locked in a rather rare duel on the water. As a wave approached, both used the wave’s thrust to their advantage. They were locked in a thrilling race. In the end, they reached a top speed of 19 knots – a figure that demonstrates just how fast both traditional sailors and modern foilers can go.
Please stay on the ground at home – Xavi Corr takes off
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Towards the sun: Xavi Corr posted this clip of some fun in the dunes. When the wind is strong, it seems as though gravity has been suspended. The winger takes off as he jumps and literally hovers in the air, drifting ever closer to the sun. But don’t worry: they all come back down, and Xavi landed safely too! We’d only recommend trying this yourself with caution!
Backloop into Backflip by Bastien Escofet
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Bastien Escofet posted this clip showing his latest feat: a backloop into a backflip. “I’ve finally got the trick down,” wrote the Frenchman. The reactions have been euphoric, and the height of his jump alone is remarkable. Will we get to see this move in a contest soon?
“The Shape of Freedom” – Paula Novotná and Chiara Socin in Costa Rica
“The Shape of Freedom” is a short film shot in Costa Rica that follows Paula Novotná and Chiara Socin on their journey. “This film is about promoting women’s foiling and water sports in general – and showing that we belong in the line-up, in the waves and in every aspect of this sport. We want more women out there to experience that feeling,” say the two filmmakers. Stunning visuals and great action that will make you long to travel!
Vinni Martins and his glass foil board
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Nico Prien once built a windsurf board out of chipboard, Vinni Martins He has now turned to a transparent Plexiglas sheet and cobbled together a glass foil board. A foot strap and a couple of plugs for the foil are all that’s needed; the biggest challenge is then getting started without any lift at all. But once airborne, the board is barely visible and makes for some fascinating images. The sight of those sharp corners is likely to set safety fanatics’ hearts racing, but perhaps a slightly sleeker outline is on the cards for version 2.0.
Guénolé Airlines takes off again
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French wingfoil pro Malo Guénolé is, of course, well known for his monstrous aerials – and this clip confirms this in spectacular fashion. Malo knows how to make the most of strong side-offshore winds and powerful waves like no other, catapulting himself metres into the air.
Three metres of white water? No problem for Federico Becca!
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Faced with the three-metre whitewater rushing towards the beach at this spot on Fuerteventura, most wingfoilers would probably have wet their pants and frantically attempted a chicken jibe. Federico Becca handled the situation in his own way, which is to say: build up some momentum and use the wing’s lift to cut across the wave.
Liam Coralle – Master of the Foil Slide
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Amateur foilers aren’t usually keen on bringing the foil down to the water’s surface. However, Maui local Liam Coralle has perfected the controlled foil slide to such an extent that he even pulls it off on the wave faces at Hookipa.
Wing, foil, SUP and tow-in – Vinnicius Martins takes on the Nazaré wave in a four-way contest
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Vinny Martins is a true waterman; the Brazilian spends a lot of time in Nazaré in the hope of catching big waves. As this clip shows, he doesn’t limit himself to just one discipline: on a foil board, on a SUP, as a wingfoiler and via tow-in, Vinnicius rides the legendary break!
One wash and rinse, please! Oscar Leclair has to take it on the chin
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Full marks for commitment! Unfortunately, even that isn’t enough to save Oscar – he pays dearly for this aerial attempt with a proper tumble of the finest sort. It’s remarkable that both the rider and his bike came through unscathed.
“Surfing like a pelican” – Kai Lenny takes off at Jaws
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Kai Lenny’s mission to surf like a pelican continues… at Jaws! With a wing in hand, the waterman pulls off huge aerials on his surfboard (without a foil) at the Hawaiian big-wave spot. But the all-rounder remains keen to improve his ‘normal’ surfing too. It’s rare for Kai to have just one piece of sports equipment with him on a good day at Jaws.
Cash Berzolla gets the full treatment
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Cash Berzolla and Dane Wilson are back on the road – this time on a mission in Ireland. However, this giant wave had other ideas than Cash and gave the Waterman a bone-chilling washout.
Airtime! Malo Guenole on a long-haul flight over Cape Verde
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Maximum airtime for Malo Guenole! The Frenchman is making the most of the Cape Verde swell and lets the lip catapult him into the air for a massive aerial. You’d almost think the flight would never end; even Malo glances back at the beach in disbelief every now and then!
Watch out for air traffic! Julien Rattotti is in luck
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During the French team’s training camp in Marseille, the French civil defence service gave professional wingfoiler Julien Rattotti a moment that gave him goosebumps. At least his mates had a laugh, though Julien’s heart must well and truly have skipped a beat.
Ice foiling – the new ‘trend’?
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Not even ice surfers can escape the foil trend: Gerhard Letschka fitted runners instead of wings to his foil and glided across frozen lakes. AI? No, apparently he really did build the world’s first ice and snow foil as a DIY project. The point of the project is open to question; one follower commented on Instagram: “As if falls on ice didn’t hurt enough, they’ve gone and raised the whole thing by another 50 cm...”
Here comes a Winger...
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Style mark: 1! This backflip is almost perfect – apart from the tiny detail that, at the moment of rotation, the board and rider have already been travelling along different trajectories for some time. But it’s a real treat to watch – especially how, at the end, the rider gently glides towards the water with his wing, just like a paraglider!
The Cape Verdean washing machine
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At the moment, one big swell after another is rolling through the North Atlantic, and the reef breaks off Cape Verde are really coming to life too. It’s inevitable that there’ll be some wear and tear – this rough ride has cost us a wing.
Ice-cold fun – hitting the ice with the Wing
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At the moment, winter’s still keeping us waiting. But when it does eventually arrive, there’s no need to mope, because this clip proves that you can have loads of fun with the Wing even on the ice. And if you’ve got a taste for it, you can head straight to the Ice & Snow Sailing World Championship Sign up! The World Championships will take place from 16 to 21 February in Västerås, Sweden.
A sandy mishap – Kylie Belloeuvre’s sudden stop
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Using a wing on the beach for an aerial display when the wind is strong is a popular pastime. World Cup pilot Kylie Belloeuvre is no exception, although this particular aerial display went completely wrong.
Tebbe Voget is making waves in Denmark
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What a talent! Tebbe Voget, the son of former professional windsurfer Klaas Voget, has definitely inherited a great deal of his dad’s talent for water sports. On a boys’ trip to Denmark, Tebbe shows off an impressive repertoire of jumps, wave riding, sliding moves and much more!
Superman by Benjamin Castenskiold
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At just 14 years old, Denmark’s Benjamin Castenskiold clinched his first world title on the GWA World Tour in 2025. Here, he shows that he’s not only got all the freestyle moves down pat, but is also pushing the boundaries with new tricks. This “Superman” might not be the most radical move in the wingfoil scene, but it’s definitely one of the coolest!
Cash Berzolla on the hunt for a hurricane
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Despite (or perhaps because of) a storm warning, Dane Wilson and Cash Berzolla set off for the east coast of the USA to chase Hurricane Erin. “We hit the mark at a few spots and messed up properly a few times. But that’s not unusual with hurricanes, because they’re so unpredictable and you never know exactly what to expect”, Cash describes the trip. In any case, Cash and Dane certainly didn’t hold back on the water. The highlight is undoubtedly the incredible Save of the year by Cash. There’s also a vlog well worth watching, which we don’t want to keep from you either.
‘Backmobe off the Lip’ by Malo Guenole
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A great clip from Malo Guenole: the Frenchman pulls off a backmobe off the lip – high, clean and landed perfectly! “I love the feeling of this manoeuvre in the waves, especially because you never know exactly when you’ll land back in the wave,” he writes. In this case, pretty much exactly at the right spot!
Wingfoiler attacked by a shark
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What a stroke of luck for a kitesurfer in Australia: in Margaret River, Andy McDonald was attacked by a shark whilst kitesurfing at the famous spot. Speaking to the TV channel ABC, Andy (incorrectly referred to as a kitesurfer) reported that he had felt a violent blow from below and had then presumably fallen onto the shark. The shark dragged him underwater by his leashes, and he struck out at it. As soon as Andy was back on the surface, he lay down on his wing and shouted for help. Later, back on shore, he showed off his gnawed-on board; he himself was unharmed.
Sean Herbert’s Dance on the Razor’s Edge
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Sean Herbert is a true speed expert and one of the fastest wingfoilers in the world. But even he sometimes pushes himself to the limit – and occasionally even beyond it: “If you don’t fall, you’re not pushing hard enough”, says Sean, commenting on his crash clip. Well then – let’s get on with it!
Oops! That was a close call on the approach
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At least it’s all in the family: young talent River Moore crashes into his cameraman – who appears to be his father – whilst performing this manoeuvre. “Sorry Dad!” he writes alongside this short clip of a landing that ends up in his father’s wing (which was floating at the time). Whether the wing survived the crash is not known.
I was nearly rammed by a ship!
During Storm Yoshua, Philipp Kümpel was out on his Wing at his home spot, Lake Cospuden, when he had a moment of shock as a sightseeing steamer suddenly appeared on a collision course: “After three days of wind in a row, it was clear that concentration levels were no longer at their best”, recalls Philipp. “If the captain hadn’t sounded the horn, I’d probably have crashed straight into the ship or been run over. That was a bloody mess and clearly my fault.” But luckily, it all turned out all right in the end.
Brothers in the Hood – the Acherer twins in action
The Acherer twins from Austria have long since proven that they are among the best wingfoilers on the planet, as demonstrated by their top placings in the World Cup. The new video Brothers in the Hood, in which the pair put on an impressive air show on the Columbia River (USA), is therefore entirely in keeping with their reputation and definitely worth seeing.
Malo Guénolé – Aerial show and dream waves in Tahiti
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Malo Guénolé was, once again, in the right place at the right time. He caught a few days of fantastic waves in Tahiti and really pulled out all the stops during his Airial show.
Nathan Berger – that landing could do with some work!
Nathan Berger is a two-time junior world champion in wingfoil freestyle. But even for him, mastering new moves is no easy feat, as this clip shows. “Not my best landing”, Nathan remarked afterwards with a wink. He’s right about that, but at least he landed on his feet.
Double Flip by Benjamin Castenskiold
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Super-talented Benjamin Castenskiold is on fire! The young Dane effortlessly pulls off a double rotation here – and even throws in a little hop in the first shot! The scene is buzzing about the clip, with many well-known pros commenting in amazement. And there have already been the first enquiries about six or seven rotations...
Shoveit! When skateboarding meets wingfoiling
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Slipping out of your footstraps whilst wing foiling during a jump is a nightmare for most people. For Fred Hope, though, that sort of thing is the icing on the cake. But even though this shove-it looks butter-smooth and very controlled, the manoeuvre still holds plenty of potential for disaster.
ARD report – Foiling for people with disabilities
The idea of a wheelchair user getting out on a foil might seem far-fetched at first. But the “Sail United” water sports school in Großenbrode quickly convinces you otherwise and has devised a training programme that enables people with physical disabilities to take to the air in no time. You can watch the programme here in the ARD media library.
Eight things that are annoying about Wingen
To describe Philipp Kümpel as a die-hard wing enthusiast would be a massive understatement. The Leipzig local regularly supplies the scene with videos, interviews and stories about wing foiling and windsurfing – and seems to spend every spare minute on the water. In this video, Philipp lets one rip: he lists all the things that are just plain annoying about wing foiling! Tip: Watch right to the end!
Flying with whales!
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This session in Ibiraquera, Brazil, is likely to remain in the memories of all the foil riders for some time to come. After all, it’s not every day that huge whales pop in for a brief visit here either.
Aleks Acherer in faceplant mode
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That really took him for a ride! Aleks Acherer opts for an emergency exit during this manoeuvre at the World Cup Costa Brava, but luckily lands right next to the wing. It’s only in slow motion that you can see the foil’s stabiliser has damaged the wing’s front tube, and the wing is visibly losing air on impact.
