Meet Maddalena and Nicolo Spanu, the family of Wingfoil Racing Champions

With an impressive track record in wingfoil racing, Maddalena and Nicolo Spanu have solidified their place among the sport’s elite. Maddalena, World Champion in Wingfoil Racing in 2023 and Vice-World Champion in 2024, and Nicolo, Vice-World Champion in 2023, continue to push boundaries both on and off the water. Hailing from Oristano, Sardinia, the sibling duo credits much of their success to their relentless dedication, the support of their local community, and their trusted partners, including Gaastra, Tabou, and SABfoil. As they prepare for the 2025 season, they share their insights into competition, innovation, and their ambitions for the future, following their recognition in this year’s TotalWing Awards.

Photo : Robert Hajduk – Wingfoil Racing

Hi Maddalena and Nicolo! Well done to you on winning our TotalWing Awards again! Tell us, how do you manage to get so many people to vote for you every year? What are your tactics and your main supporters?

We are able to gather many votes thanks to our large community here in Oristano, Sardinia, and across Italy, who follow us with great interest. In particular, in Oristano, we are well-known and supported by a large part of the local population. Additionally, we have been recognized for a long time in the Italian surfing scene, where we have built a significant following. For example, Nico has been competing since he was 12 years old, achieving excellent results, and even Maddy, who started competing at a very young age, has reached important milestones.

Photo : Robert Hajduk – Wingfoil Racing

Tell us a little about your path in the world of boardsports and all the way up to wingfoil…

Maddalena: It all started when I was very little, thanks to my father. He has always been passionate about boardsports, and he introduced me to surfing and windsurfing first. I immediately fell in love with the feeling of gliding on the water. Over the years, I tried other disciplines like kitesurfing, but it was wingfoiling that really captured my heart. When wingfoiling emerged as a new sport, I was fascinated by the combination of freedom, speed, and technique it offered. I loved the challenge of mastering both the wing and the foil it was something completely different. From my first attempts, I knew it was a sport where I could express myself and push my limits. Step by step, I started competing, nationally, eventually internationally and now in the world cup.

Photo : Robert Hajduk – Wingfoil Racing

Nico: My journey in water sports began when I was just 4 years old, thanks to my father, who taught me how to surf and windsurf. I started competing around the age of 10 or 11, participating in my first races. The big results, however, came when I was 14, with my victory at the Windsurf Slalom World Championship. From that point on, I continued to win international, European, and world titles in both wave and slalom windsurfing. After the Covid period, my adventure with wing foiling began, thanks to Sabfoil’s encouragement to try this new discipline. Looking back, I can say it was one of the best choices I’ve ever made, even though I still miss the competitive aspect of wave riding in windsurfing.

Photo : Robert Hajduk – Wingfoil Racing

Maddalena, you won the title of Vice-World Champion in Wingfoil Racing in 2024, after being World Champion in 2023. How did it feel? What challenges did you face this year?

Maddalena: I am truly happy to have achieved the title of Vice-World Champion in Wingfoil Racing this year. I know I gave my all throughout the year to achieve the best possible results. Of course, there’s a bit of bitterness for not making it to the top step of the podium, as I did in 2023, but I can proudly say that I always worked hard and gave 100% in every race.
This year wasn’t without its challenges, I had to adapt to many changes in my equipment, which wasn’t always easy. Testing and adjusting new materials while staying competitive required a lot of focus and determination, but in the end, I believe it made me stronger. Every difficulty has been a learning experience, and I’m looking forward to taking those lessons into next season.

Photo : Robert Hajduk – Wingfoil Racing

Nicolo, how did your year 2024 go? You finished 7ᵉ overall in Wingfoil Racing and I feel you are going to tell me that you would have liked to have done better…

Nico: This year didn’t go exactly as planned, but there has been significant progress. In recent years, the wing sector has experienced remarkable development, both in terms of materials and profiles. At the beginning of the year, we fell slightly behind in the development of double profiles, but by the last competition, we saw a clear improvement thanks to the work done with Gaastra, Tabou, and Sabfoil.

Being actively involved in material development, I made a significant contribution to creating high-quality equipment, which allowed me to secure fourth place in the final leg of the World Championship in Brazil. I’m very pleased with these results achieved in the latter part of the year because we’ve shown that both the athlete and the equipment are highly competitive. Next year, I hope to start strong and aim for a spot in the top three of the championship.

Photo : Robert Hajduk – Wingfoil Racing

Maddalena, as the first Wingfoil Racing Marathon World Champion, how are you finding this new competition format? Have you had any specific training and preparation for long-distance events?

Maddalena: I really love this type of format! I have always enjoyed long-distance races, and this competition gave me the opportunity to focus solely on marathons. In Wingfoil Racing, there is only one marathon on the first day, and with this format, I could fully express myself in the discipline I enjoy the most. For long-distance events, I’ve specifically focused on endurance training, as it’s the most critical aspect of this type of format. Especially on the last day of the competition, when we covered 80km around the island, endurance and the ability to push through without giving up were absolutely essential.

Photo : Robert Hajduk – Wingfoil Racing

As brother and sister, how does your relationship influence your training and your performances in competition?

Nico: Being brother and sister, there are times during training when we have some disagreements or occasional arguments during competitions. However, overall, we manage to train together without any major issues, both in the gym and on the water. During competitions, we don’t get in each other’s way; on the contrary, we often manage to view the race from different perspectives and help each other out.

Photo : Robert Hajduk – Wingfoil Racing

You are both sponsored by Gaastra and Tabou. Can you give us a quick tour of your wingfoil quiver, and give us your opinion on your  gear?

Nico: The equipment we use most frequently for wing racing includes prototype boards. I use an 80-liter board, while Maddalena uses a 70-liter board designed by Fabien, specifically Tabou, and the Jet Wings from Gaastra, particularly the 6.2. We choose this setup because the wind in Oristano is often ideal for the 6.2, and we feel very comfortable with it, especially with the new double profiles, which we believe will be highly competitive this year. As for the foils, we use the Red Devil from Sabfoil, paired with the Front 704, which works perfectly for us.

Photo : Robert Hajduk – Wingfoil Racing

In the wave and freestyle category, we use the Poison and the new Pure wings from Gaastra. For the boards, we prefer the Tiny 56-liter model, which is excellent for both surf foiling and freestyle. Finally, we use the Balz Pro foil, which performs outstandingly in both freestyle and wave riding.

Photo : Robert Hajduk – Wingfoil Racing

What are your respective goals for the 2025 season and how do you plan to achieve them?

Maddalena: My main goal is definitely to win as many races as possible and reclaim the world champion title I unfortunately lost in 2024. I’ll give 110% and, most importantly, I’ll make sure to enjoy myself along the way. To achieve this, I’ll focus on continuous training and improvement, making the most of all the support I have, especially With the young azzurra programma launched by the YCCS in 2020 to support young talented sailors.

Photo : Robert Hajduk – Wingfoil Racing

Nico: My goals for 2025 are to win a World Cup stage and claim the championship title. To achieve them, we will focus on excellent material development in collaboration with the companies we work with, along with a lot of hard training.

Photo : Robert Hajduk – Wingfoil Racing

Thank you both for your answers !

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