Foil Mania Youth – Switzerland’s youngsters keep flying high

The dynamic Foil Mania Youth is motivating more and more young Swiss to fly higher. Have fun, make new friends and maybe one day take part in the Olympic Games – that’s what this great association is all about. We talked to them about their year in review and the new projects on the horizon, including the co-creation of a truly national wingfoil and pumpfoil tour in 2023.

Text: Pauline Katz

Thanks to Balz Müller (@radiculo), a true pioneer of foiling worldwide, the potential of our Swiss lakes was soon revealed. Still little-known and expensive, however, foiling was hardly accessible to our young riders. To reverse this trend, Christian Müller and Alex Strub created Foil Mania Youth (FMY) in 2020. Looking at the numerous events and the huge smiles on the faces of the mini-foilers, there’s no doubt about the project’s success.

The main aim of the FMY is to introduce young people to the joys of foiling and the many possibilities it offers. Whether in wing, windsurf or pumpfoil, young people can take to the skies. The association not only supports local clubs, but also organizes events such as the 1-hour Challenge and a 100% foil & fun camp in Sardinia. And if you’re looking for mates to share your sessions with, subscribe to their
WhatsApp group, where alerts go out as soon as the wind blows.

For competitors at heart, the FMY has set up two racing teams this year, one in IQ-Foil and the other in wingfoil. “These two teams are open to all young people with the ambition of taking part in national and even international competitions”, says Alex Strub. He adds that “IQ being a niche sport, local clubs are currently unable to set up such a training structure, and only a lucky few join the ranks of Swiss Sailing. So, with our club at national level, we act as a link between these different entities. What’s more, a Swiss team makes sense, because to train regularly, we need to follow the wind on our various lakes. Thanks to this new structure, Switzerland is playing a leading role, and there’s a good chance that some of the team’s youngsters will shine at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

Wings and pumpfoils take shape

In wingfoil, the sport is still in its infancy, and our training structure is still being developed,” says Alex. By next year, regular training sessions should be underway on Lake Uri, thanks to Michi Näf and Laura Rudolph. If the following year we see a lot of youngsters training in Geneva, we’ll set up something there too. That’s really what our association is all about, enabling the younger generation to fly ever higher, by supporting them with a useful structure.”

Today, Switzerland is probably one of the most active foiling countries in the world, and this trend is set to continue. Thanks to the FMY, but also to many other players, a national wingfoil and pumpfoil tour will be launched in 2023. It will comprise no fewer than nine stages throughout Switzerland. This will probably be the most developed national tour in the world, and will enable our young talent to soar even higher. Most stages will also include a 1-hour Challenge.

Swiss Wingfoil & Pumpfoil Tour 2023

• April 15/16 → Lugano
• April 22/23 → Ascona
• 06/07 May → Flüelen
• May 12/14 → Murten
• May 27/29 → Silvaplana
• June 3/4 or July 8/9 → Sihlsee
• June 10/11 → Saint-Blaise
• June 13/19 → Engadinwind
• August 19/23 → Engadinwing
• August 24/27 → Engadin Surf-Kite-Wing Marathon & Swiss Windsurfing Championship
• October 6/8 → Geneva (TBC)

Further information → www.foilmania.ch