2026 GWA Season gets underway in Germany
by Ian MacKinnon 16 Jan 08:39 PST
16-18 January 2026
2025 GWA Fuerteventura - Axel Gerard © Lukas K Stiller
The 2026 GWA wingfoil season is set for a groundbreaking year with the emphasis very much on the exciting and fast-evolving Surf-Freestyle discipline, which is scheduled to enjoy eight World Cup events around the world.
But FreeFly-Slalom also gets a solid roster of three events when world champions, France's Bastien Escofet and Spain's Nia Suardiaz, will be keen to defend the titles that will be keenly fought over.
The fan favourite, the Wave discipline, will again get a one-stop world title event. The surfing discipline, whose rules were tweaked to allow the power of the wing on the same wave face last season, will return to the iconic spot of Ibiraquera, Brazil.
Once again the GWA wingfoil year will kick off with a special Indoor event at Boot Düsseldorf, the world's largest boat and watersports' expo.
Building on success
The unique "invitational" in mid-January will build on the success of last year's show, which brought wingfoiling to a new, wider audience. The Indoor contest will feature feature the world's best wingfoil athletes.
The novel competition will be staged in an individual time-trial slalom format, with the wingfoilers powered by huge fans lining the 60 x 20 metres XXL pool.
Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, debuted on the tour last year when it hosted the finale of the FreeFly-Slalom season. It will open this coming season in April with the first of three FreeFly-Slalom stops.
Brac, Croatia, is a new destination that is set to host the second stop in June, with world champions due to be crowned on the Canary Island of Fuerteventura at the beginning of August.
Back-to-back stops
The historic Mondial du Vent event in Leucate, France, will set the ball rolling on the Surf-Freestyle season in April. Brac then opens successive stops in June, with a move to Tarifa, Spain, a few days later.
Three back-to-back stops in the Canaries in July, begin in Lanzarote, before heading to established tour favourites in Gran Canaria and finally Fuerteventura.
After a break of several months, the Surf-Freestyle year is due to be rounded in Brazil during its reliably-windy season. Taíba will host the penultimate stop in November, with the world champions due to be crowned in Jericoacoara in December.
Keep up to date with all the action here and see how the season unfolds.