Voting opens for 2026 Foil Awards; community-picked nominees in wingfoil, windsurf, tech

Voting for the 2026 Foil Awards (Edition IX) is in its final hours, with the official community voting phase running February 1st to 20th, 2026. The organisers describe the Foil Awards as community-driven awards that highlight athletes, products, innovations and projects in the global foiling ecosystem and present the process as “THE VOICE OF THE FOILING COMMUNITY.”

Nominees were assembled from a community-led suggestion period that ran between January 1st and 20th. Between January 1st and 20th, the members of the Foiling Community have been invited to suggest athletes, events, projects and products that made a significant impact during 2025. Submissions are reviewed by the Organising Committee before being considered for inclusion in the official shortlist.

Shortlisted entries moved to the public vote: “The shortlisted nominees are submitted to a community voting phase, during which the international Foiling Community determines the winners across the various categories.” The official site frames the public call with action phrases including “VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE NOMINEES”, “VOTE NOW”, and uses buttons labelled “VOTE” and “FOLLOW THE RESULTS” to guide voters through the Feb 1st to 20th window.

Winners will be revealed in person at the World Foiling Congress 2026: “The winners of Edition IX will be announced during the World Foiling Congress 2026, at an invitation-only dinner for participants, guests, stakeholders and the press on March 17th in Genova.” Attendance at that dinner is primarily by invitation; members of the Foiling Community and Journalists wishing to attend may express their interest by contacting the Foiling Awards Secretariat at secretary@wearefoiling.com.

The awards’ official copy refers broadly to “various categories” rather than listing specific class names in the provided excerpts. This edition’s community conversation and coverage have centred on wingfoil, windsurf foil and foil tech as the topical strands where 2025 innovations and performances made the most noise. Organisers emphasise the participatory nature of the awards with site language such as “A COMMUNITY-DRIVEN AWARD” and “SHAPE THIS YEAR’S FOILING AWARDS.”

If you haven’t cast a ballot, the voting window ends today, February 20th, 2026; voters can use the Foiling Awards voting interface to submit choices and then “FOLLOW THE RESULTS” as winners are announced at the March 17th dinner in Genova. For attendance requests or media enquiries, contact the Foiling Awards Secretariat at secretary@wearefoiling.com.