The Association of Wind and Water Sports Industries (AWSI) Board Sports Expo 2026 took place in Hood River, Oregon, running from September 8–11, 2026 with core trade exhibition and demo days held September 9–11.
Serving as North America’s premier annual trade show for wind and watersports, the event convened manufacturers, brand reps, shop owners, retail buyers, media, and pro athletes. AWSI promotes the advancement and sustainability of the wind and water sport industries.
The annual AWSI Board Sports Expo in Hood River, Oregon highlights major trends and engineering breakthroughs defining wing foiling, kiteboarding, and foiling. Major industry releases from AWSI emphasize gear efficiency, lightweight construction, and hardware simplification.
Core Windsport Trends & Innovations
1. Hardware & Quick-Connect Revolution
Fiddling with dozens of tiny titanium screws is quickly becoming a thing of the past.
- Slingshot One-Lock System: Named AWSI Innovation of the Year, this system eliminates assembly screws entirely using a latch mechanism to lock the front wing and stabilizer onto the fuselage, drastically reducing drag and setup time.
- Modular Mast & Fuselage Standards: Brands are rolling out single-track foil mounts and integrated monobloc wings/fuselages to shave weight and eliminate play in the foil structure.
2. The Rise of “Parawings”
Parawings (small, pocketable, ram-air inflatable or bridle-based wings derived from paragliders/trainer kites) exploded as the fastest-evolving segment. Riders use them as low-hassle power sources for downwind foiling or light-wind cruising, stowing them away easily once up on foil.
3. Portable E-Foils & Integrated “Foil Drives”
Instead of fully dedicated heavy e-foils, modular motor-assist setups (led by pioneer brands like Foil Drive) dominated. Boards are now being built with dedicated hull cavities and trench slots specifically designed to tuck battery drives and motor boxes flush into the board shape for minimal hydrodynamic drag.
4. Mid-Length & Narrow Board Outlines
Board shapes continue to shift toward longer, narrower profiles (“Midis”). By prioritizing speed down the water line over width, these displacement-style hulls allow riders to get up on foil much faster in light winds, pairing perfectly with small wings, parawings, and motor assists.
5. High-Tech Ultra-Light Materials
Every major manufacturer showcased lightweight materials like Aluula, Hookipa, and N-Weave. Premium canopy and strut fabrics make wings stiffer, more reactive, and significantly lighter—preventing canopy deformation while expanding wind range and drift performance.
Other Event Highlights
- Next-Season Product Reveals: Major brands across wing foiling, kiteboarding, and SUP presented their 2027 gear lines. Retailers and shop managers got early looks at lightweight wing designs, updated foil masts and fuselages, high-performance kites, and inflatable tech.
- On-Water Demos: Leveraged the reliable thermal wind corridor of the Columbia River Gorge. Attending dealers and pro athletes actively tested prototype boards, wings, and foils in real-world river chop and thermal conditions.
- eFoil & Electric Watersports Showcase: Electric foiling continued to feature heavily, with hands-on demo sessions and fleet showcases organized alongside local partners such as Big Winds.
- AWSI Industry Awards: Recognized top accomplishments in the watersports sector, honoring Brands of the Year, Retailers of the Year, and standout Athlete Ambassadors across various disciplines.
- Dealer & Retailer Networking: Served as the central B2B booking hub for North American shops to finalize pre-orders and inventory stock for the upcoming spring season.
Visit Association of Wind and Water Sports Industries (AWSI) website or their Facebook page for more information.
