After two weeks of intense battles and voting, it’s time to announce the results of the first-ever TotalWing Wingfoil Awards! But first of all, we would like to thank you all, athletes as well as brands and also all those who voted and shared, for playing this game thoroughly, and for allowing us to collect more than 27000 votes! And the winners are… *drum rolls*
And it’s a hold-up by Maddalena Spanu (28,86% – 1 548 votes)! This young Italian, windsurfing slalom talent, is also starting to make a name for herself on the international wingfoil circuit since she finished second in Youth U19 Surf-Freestyle and Surf-Slalom on the 2022 GWA circuit, but also 4th in the 2022 WingFoil Racing World Cup & Europeans Italy and first in U19. On the side of our awards, she has snatches first place with a huuuuge lead: more than double the vote than second! The second who, moreover, is the immense waterwoman Olivia Piana (11,26% – 604 votes) who, even if she was less present in competitions in 2022, is still present in the hearts of wingfoil fans with her commitments, her beautiful images of our sport on social networks but also her SheWings events which promote women’s wingfoil. On the third place of the podium, we find Paula Novotna (9,27% – 497 votes), one of the best wingfoilers on the planet, who was crowned in 2022 GWA Surf-Freestyle World Champion but also Wingfoil Racing World Champion, no less! And not far behind, fourth place is taken by Flora Artzner (7,05% – 378 votes), whom we met a few days ago for an interview about her 2022 season. Surf-Slalom World Champion at the GWA Wingfoil World Tour 2022, she also won the very first Défi Wing and organized the great RocaCup competition. Very inspiring women!
The Spanu family heist continues with Nicolo Spanu (23,53% – 1 380 votes) winning the title of your favorite male rider of the year 2022! The Spanu have obviously succeeded in bringing together a very large community in Italy, then Nicolo also finished with a considerable lead over the second, more than 500 votes apart. Like his sister, Nicolo is a young wingfoil talent who, after already having a great career in windsurfing, is getting ever closer to the podium in international events. 6th overall in Wingfoil Racing 2022, and 2nd U19, Nicolo also finished the GWA Surf-Slalom season with a 6th place in Brazil and a 7th place overall. A youngster to keep an eye on! Second place is won by another young, Malo Guénolé (13,69% – 803 votes), our GWA Surf-Freestyle World Champion! Malo has impressed all season, whether on the Youth World Cups or on the GWA circuit, with his speed in slalom but also his incredible tricks in freestyle and in waves: always more committed, always more innovative, but always with an impressive fluidity and with his signature smile. Guénolé is the only French on this podium since in third place, we find the young Italian Ernesto De Amicis (10,64% – 624 votes). You may not know his name yet, but it shouldn’t be long since the young waterman finished 1st in the European Championships in U15, and 6th overall. Gifted in wingfoil and pumpfoil, we risk seeing him more and more on the youth podiums! Francesco Cappuzzo (9,62% – 564 votes) finds himself not far behind in 4th place, having succeeded in mobilizing a real community to vote for him. The Sicilian will have had a good track record in 2022: GWA Surf-Slalom Vice World Champion and also 10th overall in the GWA Surf-Freestyle. Francesco was also crowned European Champion in Wingfoil Racing but also many other podiums that we could not all mention! Congrats to all !
The votes were veryyyyy close in this category, and had many twists and turns! And it’s the Cabrinha rider Damien LeRoy & @plantpositivefilms (24,5% – 889 votes) who together win the title of your favorite content creator of 2022! Between their Youtube channel and their Instagram, these two provide us with high quality tutorials, as well as product reviews, beautiful wingfoil images and also vlogs always full of fun and humor! In second place is Hadou Brunner (20,17% – 732 votes)! The Frenchman has one of the most qualitative Youtube channels in the world of wingfoil, with product reviews that make reference, precise and useful tutorials and also high quality video productions. Not to miss ! On the third step of the podium, we find Erwan Jauffroy (13,64% – 495 votes)! This former editor of the best French board sports magazines of their time (yes I grew up reading WindMag) is now at the head of a very successful youtube channel: Watersport Zone. With him too, we find detailed tutorials, product reviews, techniques, advice but also really fascinating interviews! And this mainly in wingfoil, but also in windsurfing, kiteboarding, SUP… A little further behind these three YouTube champions, we find in 4th place Balz Müller @radiculo (8,02% – 291 votes) who, with his many creative videos around the wing and the foil, always brings more fun to our Instagram feed. These are creators who really deserve a look!
On the first step of the podium, we find Takoon (13,83% – 462 votes)! And it’s not really a surprise given the amount of wings of this brand that we come across on the spots. With one of the best value for money on the market, Takoon offers a single wing model that is effective in all conditions and uses, but available from 2.5m² to 7m² and in several stylish colors. In second position, congratulations to Gong (11,4% – 381 votes)! This brand also offers one of the best value for money and is very common on our spots. But the particularity of Gong is to have a wide range of wing models, each with its own specialty: freestyle, waveriding, power, speed… there’s something for everyone! Less than 10 votes behind, on the third step of the podium, we find the behemoth Duotone (11,16% – 373 votes)! Always at the forefront of innovation as with the booms, the rigid handles and the fabrics used like the Aluula on the D/Lab, Duotone has established itself as one of the most high-end wing brands, as much ideal for freeriding than for freestyling and waveriding. And to close this podium, it is F-One (10,09% – 337 votes) who is positioned in 4th place! Also a top-of-the-range brand, F-One offers two wing models: the Strike, a powerful and high-performance wing, and the Swing, a wing with incomparable lightness and comfort. F-One also has the absolute and inimitable weapon for lightwind: the Strike CWC and its inflatable battens.
For your favorite wingboards 2022, we find a podium quite close to that for your favorite wings… we can really say that these brands have fans and an active community! And yes, because it’s still Takoon (15% – 431 votes) who takes the top step of the podium! Producing its boards in Europe, in Portugal, while maintaining this quality-price ratio that characterizes them, Takoon has a wide range of wingboards, from beginners to experts, and for all uses (freeride, waveriding, freestyle, etc. ..). In second place, we find Gong (13,75% – 395 votes) once again! With a wide range made up of 12 (!) boards, there is enough to have a lot of fans! Whether inflatable or rigid, multisport or specialized in a wing discipline, at Gong it is impossible not to find the board that suits you, corresponds to your spot, your practice and your level. In third place, after a fantastic comeback (because we forgot to name them in this sorry category), it’s Indiana Paddle & Surf Co. (10,69% – 307 votes)! Indiana has an impressive range of foil boards, whether All in One boards or boards more specialized in pumpfoil, surf foil, SUP foil and of course in wingfoil. And in wingboard too, there are boards dedicated more to freestyle, waves or race, and in inflatable or rigid models. You have choices! And to close this category, you ranked Fanatic (8,84% – 254 votes) in 4th place! Since the start of the sport, Fanatic has been offering top-of-the-range boards with its Sky Wing boards, which came in 3 versions in 2023 to suit even more riders. Whether it’s Sky Surf, Sky Style or Sky Free, everyone will find the Sky that match and that adapt to all your practices! Without forgetting the Sky Air Premium, which, with its new version 6’10 is the perfect progressive board to go from wing SUP to your first flights!
Your favorite foil brand in 2022 is… Sabfoil (13,52% – 402 votes)! This Italian brand is indeed one of the favorite brands of speed lovers, and it is really often found on the podiums of Wingfoil Racing. With a wide range of carbon foils, and front wing surfaces, at Sabfoil you are bound to find what you are looking for to achieve your performance goals! Barely 8 votes behind, it’s (again!) Gong (13,25% – 394 votes) who wins the silver medal! Once again, their wide range will be able to accompany you from your first flights to your title of World Champion, without breaking the bank. Carbon or aluminum, UHA or Low Aspect, at Gong you are spoiled for choice! In third place, it’s once again Indiana Paddle & Surf Co. (9,62% – 286 votes)! This brand also offers a wide range of foils that will specialize in certain disciplines: wing, wind, SUP, pump foil etc; while offering great compatibility between the different sizes of masts and fuselages, but also frontwing and stab surfaces. And finally, we find Takoon (9,38% – 279 votes), which, as with their wings and boards, offers great value for money for their foils, with a range where beginners and experts alike will find what they are looking for.
And it’s with a big lead that The Wingman harness (19,89% – 325 votes) wins the title of your favorite foil accessory! It must be said that their product, which we presented to you several weeks ago because it caught our eye, is quite unique on the wing market: a rigid hardshell impact vest that gives you high protection, combined with a high-end chest harness that supports your back. Performance, comfort and safety in one product! In second place, you liked the Kraken Quick Release System from Sabfoil (10,95% – 179 votes) the most. Thanks to this system you can decide to leave your foil plate connected to the board and mount the rest of the foil in a few seconds through a single conical screw, with a few turns of the key and without losing each time your setup on the board itself. The bronze medal is for Fly Mount with their Aero-130 (10,34% – 169 votes), a camera mount that allows you to position your GoPro directly on the leading edge of your wing. Light and secure (I use it very often myself!),you will get unique and original viewing angles. And to finish in fourth place, congratulations to A3D and their Artness (9,12% – 149 votes), a harness line that automatically retracts when you’re not using it (we presented it to you in more detail in a previous article). No more line that comes to tangle or hit you during your maneuvers or your jumps!
And your favorite event is rather a series of events, since it is the GWA Wingfoil World Tour (33,53% – 572 votes)which wins the gold medal, with a large lead! Indeed, this tour with its events in the four corners of the world, as well as its QS and Youth World Cup, is very unifying for all the small world of the wing. The riders were able to challenge each other in their two disciplines of Surf-Slalom and Surf-Freestyle on dream spots, while the public was able to follow the competitions on the many live streams and images broadcast on the social media. An unmissable! The silver medal goes to one of my own favorite events I participated in: the Défi Wing (13,54% – 231 votes)! Adaptation of the legendary Défi Wind, the Defi Wing brought together 150 riders in Gruissan (the event was sold out) who set off on long-distance runs after an equally legendary rabbit start, with a beautiful Tramontane which was at the rendezvous. There is no doubt that in 2023, we will not be “only” 150! The third place goes to the VikWing (7,03% – 120 votes)! This convivial event was one of the first in France in 2022, and, despite the cold, saw a good number of riders participate in race, freestyle but also in the brilliant concept of “One Hour Challenge”. The VikWing was also an opportunity to test the gear and attend demonstrations, and even learn about the wing with Olivia Piana’s SheWings event. A beautiful event that returns from April 8 to 10th 2023. To close this category, we find in 4th position the Mondial du Vent (6,15% – 105 votes)! The Mondial du Vent was a GWA event which was not too blessed by the wind this year despite the last beautiful days. It allowed pro riders to meet again in a beautiful setting after the winter break from competitions. The Mondial du Vent is GWA World Cup again this year, so go for it!
We would like to make a few special mentions: first of all congratulations to Tahe Outdoor Store for being so dedicated to winning votes for SIC Maui, you have delighted us! Congratulations of course to Gong and Takoon for their hat-trick in the podiums of the three categories of brands, if there was a cumulation, you would be the big winners (see below)!Hats off also to A3D and their Artness who took advantage of our awards to make someone happy by winning one of their harness lines. Congratulations also to the RocaCup who missed 4th place… for only one voice! There is no doubt that next year this event will be on the podium! Last mention for Kylie Belloeuvre, who was the very first to share our Awards!
Many countries from all over the world have participated in our Awards, and we thank you! Here is the Top of the countries that voted the most:
If we had awarded winners by country, the results of the Totalwing Wingfoil Awards would not be quite the same! Here are your number 1 by country and in order of category:
In short, we vote rather local, but not only! Congratulations to Gong, Cabrinha and Indiana for their triple win in France, USA and Switzerland!
Out of curiosity, we wanted to know what the Top 5 brands would be if we combined their number of votes in the Wing, Board and Foil categories. Here are the veryyyy close results:
For the most curious and the most mathematical, you can consult all the statistics (evolution of votes over time and distribution of votes by country) by following these links:
We thank you all for having played the game so much on our Awards, which, we remind you, was the first time that we organized something of this type and which wanted to be fun, friendly and bring everyone together around the wing and around our favorite brands and athletes. We have taken into account your various comments on the suspicions of multiple votes by VPN, the omissions of certain brands/athletes, or the fact that the votes were hidden in the last days of voting and the time of publication of this article. Your comments will help us do better next time so don’t hesitate to tell us what you prefer: a closed list of nominees or the possibility of adding others? A closed selection of a fixed number of nominees per category, selected based on their performance and impact over the year? A mandatory connection by email to be able to vote? The votes always masked from the start? And if you liked our Awards, let us know too 😉
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