GWA = German Windsurfing Assocciation please do not confuse with Global Wingsports Assocciation
A first chapter in the book of the competence of the Wingfoilingsport in Germany opens. Who remembers our report with and about Jörgen Vogt, the co-founder of the GWA (Global Wingsport Association), still knows how we talked about the sailing association.
Here the structures seem a bit clearer than with SUP: Everything that is operated by wind belongs to the sailing federation, nationally as well as internationally. This also confirmed me Jörgen who was then in November also in contact with the intl. Sailing Federation. Whereby the state was at that time that the intl. Sailing Federation showed no great interest in Wingfoiling.
The situation is different in Germany, where the national sailing federation has delegated the responsibility of Wingfoiling to the Windsurfing Federation. Whether it makes sense or nonsense to affiliate a new sport to a related federation instead of founding an own federation that can be affiliated to the sailing federation is of course a relevant question. We are sure there are enough wingfoiling enthusiasts in Germany who would rather have founded something of their own. In addition, not all windsurfers have automatically and immediately switched to wingfoiling. At the end of the day, windsurfing, kiteboarding and wingfoiling could all be combined in one association, but the kiters have the GKA independent of the GWA (Germany). So…
Let’s leave the conjecture here for a moment, though.
This is the message from GWA (Germany):
The German Sailing Association (DSV) has regulated the responsibility for wingfoiling in Germany. The German Windsurfing Association (GWA), as the official class association, is the national representative for this new, dynamic water sport.
“We thank the German Sailing Association for this decision. The GWA sees the great interest in wingfoiling and also many of our members are already wingfoiling. With our work we would like to offer this new format a solid platform in Germany. In doing so, wingfoiling can benefit from our years of experience and well-established structures” says Gerd Prien as chairman of the German Windsurfing Association.
The German Windsurfing Association is now compiling a regatta calendar for the upcoming season in close cooperation with the German Windsurfing Association (DWSV). First regatta dates are already fixed. In addition, interested DSV clubs are invited to register as organizers with the GWA. The GWA will also keep the official German Wingfoil annual rankings.
In the 2022 season, the German Windsurfing Association will then hold an official German championship in wingfoiling for the first time in cooperation with the DSV.
Interested parties will soon be able to find out more about wingfoiling on the website of the German Windsurfing Association.