New products at the boot trade fair 2026 in Düsseldorf

Indoor foil action in the pool, exhibitors and shops

Anyone looking for new sails and wings at this year’s boot trade show in Düsseldorf will find what they’re looking for at a German brand’s booth: the German Armed Forces are exhibiting there. A wing and a sail in a camouflage design are on display, and they actually look pretty good.

The camouflage-patterned Wing even features a pistol grip and a long barrel—a model with real punch. However, these models aren’t available for purchase - they’re one-of-a-kind pieces made by F2 specifically for the trade show booth. And F2 is, in fact, the only brand showcasing hardware in the windsurfing sector.

Once again, at the forefront of protective gear - the German Armed Forces. On offer: what is surely the most durable helmet for foilers, paired with goggles that even outshine Oakleys.

At this point, however, we’ll shift our focus to the products from specialty brands and stick with the topic of protective gear for now.

WIP is exhibiting: helmets, protective vests (with buoyancy suitable for Lake Garda), and other protective gear to wear under a wetsuit. Of particular interest are the caps and bucket hats, which provide sun protection for the face with their brims and visors, while also protecting the head during hard impacts thanks to their hard shell (containing shell limestone) and reactive D3O foam (soft and flexible, hardens upon impact).

Caps and hats of this type are also on display at Armstrong, the only wing brand in Hall 17 besides F2. An A-Wing XPS Mk II is on display, equipped with a lightweight carbon boom or two handles that can be swapped out when the wing is not inflated and lock into place under air pressure (Dyna-Link system). Armstrong is also exhibiting boards and foils.

Not on display as an exhibitor, but available in the VDWS training area: the new Viva wing from Starboard, the first model in Starboard’s new line, which replaces the models previously offered under the FreeWing brand.

Ketos-Foil is a French manufacturer of foils and foilboards that produces its boards in Spain and its foils in France. The company offers a pump foil front wing that can be disassembled into three parts. This makes it easy to transport the compactly disassembled gear to urban spots by scooter or bicycle.

Axis will be on site with an extensive range of foils; visitors can also check out the new Surge front wings and masts with integrated Foildrive. Foildrive itself will also have a booth. Other e-foil board manufacturers, such as PWR and Plume, will be there as well.

Also electric - but designed for SUPs - is the JayKay propeller fin, which simply screws into the fin box on the underside of the SUP board and can be activated in various modes using a remote control on the paddle.

In addition to its booth in Hall 17, Camaro is also exhibiting in Hall 12, offering custom-made wetsuits and, in one line, as many as 53 sizes. The Austrian company also offers waterproof 5-finger neoprene gloves that are 1 millimeter thick.

The centerpiece of Hall 17 is the action pool, which is once again equipped with wind machines along its entire length and will serve as the venue for the GWA’s first 2026 wing foil contest during the opening weekend. Individual timed races are being held; Balz Müller and Alan Fedit were the fastest wing foilers on the first day, while Nia Suardiaz was the fastest woman.

The pump foilers from the SFT (Surf Foil World Tour) also competed in their time trials. At the poolside, there were interviews with Björn Dunkerbeck and Philip Köster, among others.

The rest of the hall is filled with shops and SUP vendors. At the Stoked Zone concept shop from Hamburg, you can find surfskates from Curfboards and Strizy Scootpump boards, as well as products from PPC and Jimmy Lewis on display.

Here are the highlights from the first day of the trade show: The FPT (Freestyle Pro Tour) windsurf freestylers will kick off their tow-in contest on the second weekend, and the Euro Tour SUP Indoor World Cup will also take place on January 24 and 25.

January 18, 2026 © WING DAILY  |  text: Jürgen Schall  |  photos/graphics: Jürgen Schall  |  translation: DE