There is hardly anything more beautiful in sport than a mass start. Whether it’s a marathon, when thousands of people set off at the same time, or when hundreds of athletes plunge into the water together on a SUP – there’s always something magical about these moments.
We at Stand Up Magazine have been able to experience and photograph such scenes many times. We remember the impressive long-distance mass start at the ICF World Championships in Sarasota, the legendary days at the Battle of the Paddle or the fascinating starts of the Moloka’i to O’ahu (M2O). And this weekend, more than 200 participants will once again be competing at the same time in the long-distance race on Lake Faak. (Picture: M2O 2015)
At the same time, we are following another fascinating event in France, which once again reaches a whole new dimension in terms of participant numbers: the DEFI Wing in Gruissan. Almost 600 wingfoil enthusiasts competed there – and the pictures that are currently going around the world fascinate us year after year. Hundreds of wings on the water at the same time, tightly packed at the start and later spread out over kilometers on the open sea – images like these show just how much the sport has grown and why mass starts in water sports simply exert a very special fascination.
At DEFI Wind 2026 on the French Mediterranean coast, over 2,000 water sports enthusiasts came together to be part of one of the biggest wind sports events in the world. The DEFI Wing in particular once again provided spectacular images…
The French Mediterranean coast once again became the setting for one of the most spectacular water sports events in the world. At DEFI Wind 2026 in Gruissan, over 2,000 water sports enthusiasts came together this week to take part in Europe’s largest wind sports festival. Particularly impressive: the DEFI Wing, where almost 600 wingfoilers took to the starting line at the same time – a sight to amaze even experienced water sports enthusiasts.
This video illustrates very well how CRAZY the whole thing is.
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Defi Wind has long been a cult event and is famous for its gigantic mass starts. What once began as a legendary windsurfing race has also developed into a Mecca for wingfoilers in recent years. Around 595 participants from all over the world competed in the wing class, transforming the Mediterranean off Gruissan into a seemingly endless field of wings, foils and colorful sails.
A race like no other
Anyone who has never seen a start at the DEFI Wing can hardly comprehend how fascinating this event really is. Unlike classic wingfoil races with manageable starting fields, hundreds of riders fight for positions at the same time. Even the start phase resembles controlled chaos: the riders accelerate close together over choppy water, looking for clear lines and trying to avoid collisions.
It is precisely this incredible number of participants that makes the event so special. While many international races have to make do with a few dozen to perhaps a hundred starters, the DEFI brings a dimension into play that is unique in wingfoiling. Spectators are treated to a spectacular panorama – for the athletes it is a challenge of tactics, choice of equipment and assertiveness.
Wingfoiling reaches a new dimension
The DEFI Wing shows impressively how much the sport has grown in Europe. Just a few years ago, a field of almost 600 wingfoilers would have been almost unimaginable. Today, the event in Gruissan proves that wingfoiling is no longer a niche sport, but one that inspires the masses.
The images of hundreds of athletes foiling at the same time are likely to stick in the minds of many. Because that’s exactly what makes the DEFI so appealing: Not just top performances at the front of the field, but the shared experience of hundreds of enthusiasts on the water – a fascinating spectacle that can probably only be found on this scale in France.
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