boot Düsseldorf 2026: Ancor Sosa and Nia Suardiaz win the GWA Indoor Wingfoil World Cup – Foil stars inspire in Hall 17
boot Düsseldorf once again proved why it is the world’s largest water sports trade fair and the most important stage for foil and wing sports. At the “GWA Indoor Wingfoil World Cup – boot Düsseldorf 2026” and the “SFT Pumpfoil World Cup”, the best athletes in the world fought breathtaking duels – decided in milliseconds, accompanied by frenetic cheers in Surf Sport Hall 17.
Milliseconds make the difference between victory and defeat
After four exciting heats, the Spaniard Ancor Sosa secured victory in the men’s event. He showed nerves of steel and precision on the indoor pool, which is only 62 meters long: with a time of 42 seconds, he relegated foil pioneer Balz Müller and 16-year-old boat newcomer Franz Schlittenbauer to second place. Both were separated from the winner by just tenths of a second (43.48 and 43.90 seconds) – proof of the extremely high standard of the competition.
“I am very happy to be back at boot Düsseldorf. Every second on the pool is incredibly fun,” said Ancor Sosa after his victory.
Nia Suardiaz defends her women’s title
The women’s final was just as exciting. Nia Suardiaz defended her title from the previous year and once again stood at the top of the podium.
“It was super cool to be here again and to win. I think I was even able to improve my time again. It’s great to see how many people are watching,” said the Spaniard.
Balz Müller: “The boot is there to inspire and motivate”
Balz Müller, one of the pioneers of the foil scene and a crowd favorite, put it in a nutshell:
“The great thing about boot is that we get the chance to live our sport indoors in winter. The whole community comes together and you can see how the sport is developing. boot is there to inspire and motivate.”
He was particularly moved by the look in the enthusiastic eyes of the children, who were able to experience wingfoiling and pump foiling live for the first time – this is exactly where the next generation of the sport begins.
SFT Pumpfoil World Cup: Passionate duels in the tightest of spaces
Parallel to the Wingfoil World Cup, the SFT Pumpfoil World Cup provided plenty of excitement. In the best-of-three final, the riders went head-to-head in thrilling races, with spectacular maneuvers and close decisions on the tight course.
Edan Fiander (19) won the men’s event ahead of Kai Thompson (22, Australia). In the women’s event, Sarah Spalinger (Switzerland) prevailed against a strong international field, including Bowien van der Linden (Netherlands) and Olympic kitesurfer Alina Kornelli (Austria).
“This is a fantastic way to start the season. I’m very happy about my victory,” said Edan Fiander after the final.
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International stars from all over the world in Düsseldorf
boot Düsseldorf attracted foil stars from all over the world: Athletes traveled to the Rhine from Austria and France to Tahiti. The Swiss foiling team led by Balz Müller was particularly well represented, with nine pump foil riders taking part. Bowien van der Linden flew in directly from Cape Town – an impressive sign of the international significance of the event.
The biggest stage of the year for foil and wing sports
The organizers were also delighted:
Caroline Mühl, Senior Project Manager at boot Düsseldorf:
“It’s impressive how light it looks when the athletes glide across the water.”
Tom Hartmann, SFT Tour Director:
“This is the biggest stage we have all year. Nowhere else as a spectator are you as close to the action as here. The atmosphere is like an ice hockey stadium.”
Marius Berlemann, COO of Messe Düsseldorf:
“boot Düsseldorf is a trade fair to take part in and try out. The dynamism and enthusiasm of the public show us that we are on the right track.”
Conclusion
With the GWA Indoor Wingfoil World Cup and the SFT Pumpfoil World Cup, boot Düsseldorf 2026 impressively demonstrated how dynamic, emotional and forward-looking foil and wing sports have become. Milliseconds, world-class athletes and an electrifying atmosphere made the first weekend of the trade fair a highlight – and confirmed once again: boot Düsseldorf is the biggest stage of the year for the international foil community.
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