The Season Begins 2026
The 2026 eFoil racing season has exploded into life with back-to-back international stops in Morocco and China to kick of the 2026 eFoil Racing season. We have been talking for some while now about how this sport is going to explode, and at EFRL we have a feeling it will be this year! So Stay tuned, sign up to our news letter and mailing list and let’s stay on the start line!
Manuel Arpa showing us what a boey rounding should look like!
Marking the most ambitious and globally connected eFoiling season so far with back to back Surf Foil Tour stops. From the historic lagoons of North Africa to the futuristic skyline of Shenzhen, the opening rounds showcased just how fast competitive eFoiling is evolving onto the world stage…
Ready, set, go!
The season opener in Marchica, Nador, Morocco, was a landmark moment for the sport. The event became the first-ever SFT eFoil Cup held in Africa, bringing elite riders to the spectacular flat-water lagoon of Marchica Resort. Riders from across Europe, the USA, the Middle East, and North Africa gathered for three days of high-speed racing, technical elimination rounds, and time trials to set the competition standard, all in ideal racing conditions. Taking the eFoil Racing League, standard track design for the final, with a fast head to head element in the time trials for the full throttle track.
The men’s division saw Spain’s Manel Arpa stamp his authority on the new season with a standout victory ahead of American powerhouse Justin Chait and Austria’s Clemens Kresser. Arpa’s speed and consistency through the elimination rounds immediately positioned him as one of the favourites for the 2026 world title chase.
In the women’s fleet, Sweden’s Agnes Wicander opened her campaign in dominant form, taking victory ahead of Julia Castro, who impressed throughout the event using a foil-assist setup rather than a traditional full eFoil configuration. Castro’s innovative approach became one of the talking points of the weekend and highlighted the rapidly evolving technology inside the sport.
Beyond the racing itself, Morocco represented a major milestone for eFoiling globally. Hosting an official World Cup event on African soil signalled the continued international growth of the discipline, while the local Moroccan rider participation and crowd support showed how quickly the sport is reaching new communities and coastlines.
Straight after Morocco, the tour shifted east to Shenzhen, China, for another historic stop. Supported by Chinese eFoil manufacturer Waydoo, which is closely related with DJI. Signaling not only massive international interest in the sport, but also potentially new technologies coming into play in the coming season!? The Shenzhen World Cup introduced efoil racing to one of the world’s leading technology hubs. With a $30,000 prize purse, elite riders, and strong industry involvement, the event underlined the increasing professionalism and commercial backing entering the sport… watch this space!
Set against Shenzhen’s futuristic waterfront, the event blended cutting-edge technology with high-performance racing. Tight technical racecourses challenged riders on speed, battery management, and tactical decision-making, while local crowds experienced world-class eFoil racing for the first time. The Chinese stop also demonstrated how Asia is rapidly becoming one of the most important growth regions for electric foiling and marine mobility innovation.
Justin Chait laying it down in China
With major stops still to come in Germany, Italy, Atlanta Foil Fest, Foil week in Lake Guarda, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai later this year, the 2026 season is already shaping up to be the biggest in eFoil racing history. Morocco delivered the emotion and breakthrough moment for Africa, while China showcased the sport’s future through technology, scale, and innovation. Together, the opening events confirmed one thing clearly: competitive eFoiling has entered a new era and we, as efoil racing league, and as riders are proud to have been at the forefront of this amazing innovative esports discipline!