Out on the water and into the cool water: we dive into the water sports trends of 2024! Yes, booth paddling (SUP) is still one of them, even though the former niche sport has long since developed into a mass sport phenomenon. Nevertheless, SUP still has potential for growth. And that's not the only trend. The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris will provide new impetus with two sailing premieres, the IQFoils in windsurfing and kite foiling instead of kitesurfing. Foiling in general - the fast-paced underwater sail is gaining ground in more and more water sports disciplines. At the same time, surfing is conquering the inland, and even in late winter, board fans are getting excited about a completely new trend in water sports with pond skimming.
Kitesurfing will be competing as a new discipline for the first time at the 2024 Olympic Games. However, the competitions in Marseille will not be held on conventional boards, but on foil boards. As usual, the kiteboarders will be pulled by a large kite that is steered using a control bar. However, unlike in kitesurfing, the board has an underwater sail attached, the so-called foil or hydrofoil. As different kites are required depending on the wind conditions, "Formula Kite" is not a one-design class at the Olympic Games and the size of the kites and foils can vary. After the Olympics at the latest, the demand for kitefoiling will increase in windy regions - kitefoil tourists are coming!
What is a foilboard?
A foilboard, also known as a hydrofoil, is a board with a sword-like extension (mast) on the underside. A hydrofoil is attached to the mast, which lifts the board out of the water at a certain speed. This often makes it seem as if the foilboarders are floating through the water.
Stand-up paddlers have become an integral part of lakes, rivers and coastal waters. In the USA, 4.13 million people regularly paddled across the water in 2023, a record number.
You don't necessarily have to paddle standing up on the SUP boards; water lovers can easily expand them into a sailing SUP or canoe with additional gadgets - or even into a tent on the water. With an e-fin, you also have the option of steering your board with a small electric motor.
Wingfoiling is the little sister of windsurfing and kitesurfing. If you have mastered these two sports, you definitely have a good basis for getting off to a flying start with wingfoiling. Surfers stand upright on a foil board and hold an inflatable sail above their head, similar to a kite. In contrast to kitesurfing and foiling, however, they are not connected to the kite via a harness. Depending on technical ability and wind strength, this requires muscles in the shoulders. Wingfoiling is a hip new water sports trend that has become increasingly popular in recent years due to the manageable equipment required.
iQFoiling is a sub-class of windsurfing and will replace the RS:X class at the Olympic Games from 2024. The surfboard equipped with a foil can be steered using an adapted sail, which works optimally in a wide range of wind conditions. iQFoiling is becoming increasingly established in the windsurfing scene. There are various race formats such as course or marathon races or even slalom. The 2024 Olympics will definitely have an impact on the iQFoiling scene - so get ready!
Standing waves away from coastal regions - whether natural or artificial - are booming all over the world. The largest surf facility is currently the Wave Park in Siheung, South Korea, with a lagoon measuring 160 x 160 meters. Numerous other surf pools are under construction or about to open, such as Surftown near Munich. Natural river waves, which are optimized for surfing through structural measures, are also being created in many places around the world. The cities and regions want to use them to boost tourism. For brands - not just from the surfing scene - this trend offers numerous sponsorship opportunities that attract a young target group.
Canoeing or kayaking is an old but proven pleasure among the water sports trends. Sitting in a boat, amateur captains enjoy paddling in lakes, rivers or along the coast. As conventional canoes are often bulky, there are now great alternatives. For example, more and more paddlers are using inflatable canoes or kayaks, which are compact to pack and can be inflated quickly. Foldable canoes offer a more stable alternative, but paddle fans will have to dig a little deeper into their pockets. For adventurous water sports enthusiasts and camping lovers, bivouac canoes are suitable, which can also be used as overnight camps. If space in the cellar at home is limited, numerous rental companies offer boats, tours and events - what more could you want? So let's get into the cool water!
Canoe or kayak?
Canoes and kayaks are both paddle boats that differ in several key ways: A canoe has an open design, with the occupants sitting or kneeling on a raised bench. It has high side walls and is often wider than a kayak. A kayak has a closed design with a small opening (cockpit) in which the paddler sits low. The legs are stretched out inside the boat. While a canoe uses a single-bladed paddle that only dips into the water on one side, a kayak uses a double-bladed paddle, which enables more efficient propulsion.
If you can't get enough of water sports even in winter, you should give pond skimming a try. The water sports trend of the winter is a mixture of water skiing and downhill skiing, where you shoot down the mountain on skis or a snowboard and try to glide over a pool of water. According to legend, this sport was developed in 1928 by beer-drunk Canadians. So it makes sense that the aim of pond skimming is more to have fun, make a big splash and win applause than to actually cross the water basin.
