There has long been an active wingsurfing scene in Saxony too. On flooded open-cast mining areas, the Leipzig New Lake DistrictIn recent decades, true water sports paradises have been created here - spots such as Lake Cospuden and Lake Geierswald have long been known beyond the region.
This makes the decision by the state authorities to ban wingsurfing in Saxony all the more bitter. Justification: According to Section 7, Paragraph 3 of the Saxon Shipping Ordinance, wingsurfing is equated with the use of kites and is therefore categorised as a "dangerous sport". This currently means that wingsurfing is only possible at a few designated locations, but many top spots such as Lake Cospuden are affected by the ban.
The ban has already been felt by some wingsurfers, people have been taken off the water by the police and fines have been issued.
The basic problem with the wingsurfing ban that has now been imposed is that the sport of wingsurfing has not yet been categorised. Visually, the wings used initially remind outsiders more of kites and less of windsurfing sails - a connection that organisations such as the Association of German Watersport Schools (VDWS) and the Sailing Association of Saxony do not consider appropriate. After all, there are no long lines with wings, the hand-held wing is directly connected to the athlete and can be neutralised at any time in dangerous situations. The aim must therefore be to work towards equating wingsurfing with windsurfing ( HERE there's an interview with Thomas Weinhardt from VDWS).
The future of the wingsurfing ban in Saxony could be decided as early as next Monday (23 May 2022), when a conference will be held to hear the arguments of various parties.
Wingfoilers in other federal states are also likely to register the result very closely, as the underlying shipping regulations in Saxony are comparable to those in other federal states. So that theIndividual case Saxony If we don't end up with a wildfire and a wingsurfing ban on many of Germany's inland waters, a "pro wingsurfing" signal from Saxony would be absolutely vital.
We will keep you up to date on developments. Stay tuned!
Manuel Vogel
Editor surf
