Just wanted to share a couple of clips from the recent Mondial du Vent (the multi-wind-sport week in France) - definitely worth a look if you haven't seen them yet.
The Parawing level is getting seriously impressive. This first-ever PW competition happening alongside the event could be a real tipping point for the market. We saw an international lineup of riders, challenging and far-from-perfect conditions (not your typical Instagram day), and tons of new prototypes and design approaches on display.
www.instagram.com/reel/DXhXEYsDKYD/
www.surffoilworldtour.com/event/sft-downwind-parawing-world-cup-leucate-2026/
www.instagram.com/surffoilworldtour/reels/
A few things stood out: PW is evolving fast, and it's clearly proving itself as a legit low-wind discipline - not just a "perfect Maui conditions" niche, PW is no longer just experimental or limited to advanced riders, different brands are converging, PW is easier than two years ago and gear is more accessible and specialized at the same time....After events like this, you start to see how a sport begins to scale.
...many of you foil in Australia or the US, and in this new anti-globalization era 
a competition in the south of France might feel pretty far from your local spot and you might not care.... but honestly, this feels like one of those tipping-point moments in a new sport.
Today it's just racing-focused (upwind, pumping, speed), but wait until we start seeing true wave-oriented PW competitions - that's when things could really explode in terms of appeal and media attention.
Curious to hear your thoughts.
Yeah super cool to see the first official world level parawing race. Definitely a good step forward for the sport. Parawing can bring the multi discipline nature of foiling into a race better than any other form of foiling.
I would have liked to see them do a full stow for the pumping section of the race. It seems like they all just flagged their wings and left them flopping around during the pumping section. Visually this looks sloppy and unappealing but I think it also misses the best part of parawinging, where the parawing disappears completely. I also think if the racers are required to do a full stow this could lead to more innovation in that area which would be cool.
There's a bit of noise on fb about some of the new models spotted at the race
The Ozone after burner a higher AR parawing. On the foil rat podcast with the ozone team they had been dropping hints about something that " goes upwind better than anything on the market" this must be it.
777 PT LTX
another hybrid from 777 but looks to be a bit lower aspect more tuned to quick stow. A comment from Aljaz Valic ( who I think iis part of 777) " more compact less AR smaller RAM air front chamber super shorth lines."
Select to expand quoteYoungbreezy said..
Yeah super cool to see the first official world level parawing race. Definitely a good step forward for the sport. Parawing can bring the multi discipline nature of foiling into a race better than any other form of foiling.
I would have liked to see them do a full stow for the pumping section of the race. It seems like they all just flagged their wings and left them flopping around during the pumping section. Visually this looks sloppy and unappealing but I think it also misses the best part of parawinging, where the parawing disappears completely. I also think if the racers are required to do a full stow this could lead to more innovation in that area which would be cool.
defs visually unappealing those parawings flopping around unstashed during pump stage! Certainly a catalyst for designers to have a good look at the entire stow workflow.
When the current-against-swell sweet zone at my local upwind/downwind spot is only half a km or so, I often cant be buggered stowing, despite knowing how much nicer handsfree carving is. Look forward to better designs and/or whole new approaches to the 'what to do with yr wang when carving' challenge ;)
edit: I have a sneaking suspicion Greg's cooked something up in that dept
