WingFoilRider

The Defi Wing Gruissan 2026 took place from May 11 to 13 on Les Chalets beach in Gruissan, as part of the larger Defi Wind event. This was the 5th edition of Defi Wing, with 800 places available and an open format featuring a mass start over a long-distance wingfoil course.

The specific feature of the 2026 edition was its place within a much larger Defi Wind festival, designed as a major celebration of watersports over 10 days and 9 nights, with a village, briefings, weather-based starts, and evening music events. The official event site also highlighted the scale of the gathering with 2,250 riders, 62 brands, 40 countries, and 5 continents, confirming Gruissan’s status as a major hub for wind-powered sports.

Wingfoil at the heart of the event

Defi Wing is an international long-distance wingfoil race that brings together hundreds of riders on the same start line. The 2025 edition had already welcomed nearly 600 participants from 29 countries, showing the continued growth of the discipline within the Defi Wind family.

In 2026, the event kept its core identity: intensity on the water, tactical race management, reading the wind and sea conditions, and the atmosphere of a true mass gathering. Official social posts also shared the highlights of the event, including starts, runs, and the overall atmosphere at the Gruissan spot.

The winners

After the 5 runs, the overall winner was Nicolò Spanu, ahead of Axel Mazella and Alessandro José Tomasi. The top 10 confirms how strong this edition was, with leading riders such as Julien Rattotti, Mathis Ghio, and Baptiste Loire all finishing near the front.

In the women’s ranking, Maria Spanu claimed first place, ahead of Vaina Picot and Enoha Laurent. The results also highlighted the strength of the younger generations, with several U16 and 16-18 riders placed very high in the overall standings.

Category winners

Here are the winners of each visible category from the results you provided:

• Overall: Nicolò Spanu
• 19-39 men: Nicolò Spanu
• 19-39 women: Maria Spanu
• 16-18 men: Tom Pansard
• 16-18 women: Vaina Picot
• U16 men: Robin Barbion Maurin
• U16 women: Enoha Laurent
• 40-59 men: Jaroslaw Miarczynski
• 40-59 women: Audrey Marie-Agnes
• 60+ men: Éric Loyau

A multi-discipline edition

The results show a clear dominance of wingfoil at the front of the fleet, but also the presence of several parawing riders. Axel Mazella, runner-up overall, also delivered the best parawing result among the data you shared, underlining the growing interest in this discipline within the event.

This mix of supports adds another layer of sporting interest and reflects how foiling disciplines continue to evolve. Defi Wing once again proved to be a real-world testing ground for the latest wind-powered gliding trends.

Atmosphere and reactions

Online content strongly emphasized the intensity of the event, with powerful starts, demanding racing conditions, and a busy village atmosphere. Official posts and local media also highlighted the spectacle on the water and the collective effort behind the organization, including volunteers and safety teams.

The overall reaction was consistent across social media: Gruissan remains a truly special spot, and Defi Wing keeps bringing together champions, amateurs, and passionate riders in a format that is both demanding, spectacular, and deeply communal.

In short

The Defi Wing Gruissan 2026 confirmed its place as a major international wingfoil event. Held from May 11 to 13 on Les Chalets beach, this 5th edition brought together a very strong field within an increasingly spectacular Defi Wind, with a large-scale organization, an active village, and strong international visibility.

On the water, Nicolò Spanu won after 5 runs, ahead of Axel Mazella and Alessandro José Tomasi, while Maria Spanu topped the women’s ranking. The results also highlighted the performance of younger riders and the depth of the different categories, in a format that continues to combine pure performance, physical commitment, and a strong sense of community.

Beyond the results, the 2026 edition once again showed what makes Defi Wing unique: a high-level race where competition meets watersports culture, wind energy, and the unmistakable atmosphere of Gruissan.

At the start of 2026, Takoon is renewing its entire range:

Renewal of the Glide, Glide Midlength, UltraGlide, and ProSurf

Takoon is updating its flagship models while maintaining a premium full Carbon PVC sandwich construction across the entire range. The lineup covers all disciplines: the Prosurf (from 50L to 70L, at €925) is designed for waves, while the classic Glide (from 60L to 110L, at €949) remains the versatile benchmark. For light wind and freefly, the Glide Midlength offers an impressive range of 11 sizes (from 45L to 145L for €949). Finally, the Ultra Glide pushes the gliding experience to its peak with lengths up to 224 cm (from 60L to 140L, at €999).

Glide | Glide Midlength | Ultra Glide | ProSurf

A new board dedicated to ParaWing: Takoon Slide

A major new addition this year, the Takoon Slide makes its debut in the catalog at a price of €999. Designed for the emerging discipline of ParaWing and smooth gliding, it is available in 7 volumes ranging from 60L to 120L. Its dimensions are tailored for gliding speed with generous lengths (from 168 cm to 213 cm) and very narrow widths (from 50 cm to 56 cm). It also benefits from the full Carbon PVC sandwich construction, boasting a controlled weight ranging from 4.7 kg to 6.5 kg depending on the volume.

Discover the Slide here

The V4, V4 Pro, and Vx Pro v2 wings

Renewal of the range

Discover the wings here

At the beginning of 2026, AFS releases many new products:

Ultra-Modular HA Wings

The ultra-modular HA in 600, 750 and 900, downwind wings with the highest AR from the brand, designed by Laurent Borgna.

AFS statement: "Glide, precision and efficiency"

Discover the wings here

Blackbird V3 Fiberglass Version

A more affordable variant of the Blackbird Midlength in fiberglass. Dimensions remain identical with slightly more weight.

AFS statement: "Offer a more accessible version, without denying the riding DNA that made BLACKBIRD successful"

Discover the boards here

U-Carve Stabilizer

A U-carve stabilizer oriented toward Carving signed by Laurent Borgna.

AFS statement: "Effortless Carve, Pure Feel"

Discover the stabilizers here