Windsurfing is a wind-propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing.[1] It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the Californian aerospace and surf culture.[2] Windsurfing gained a popular following across Europe and North America by the late 1970s[3][4][5] and had achieved significant global popularity by the 1980s.[6] Windsurfing became an Olympic sport in 1984.[7]
Newer variants include windfoiling, kiteboarding and wingfoiling. Hydrofoil fins under the board allow the boards to safely lift out of the water and fly silently and smoothly above the surface even in lighter winds.
Windsurfing is a recreational, family friendly sport, most popular at flat water locations around the world that offer safety and accessibility for beginner and intermediate participants.[8] Technique and equipment have evolved over the years.
Major competitive disciplines on unified World Tour include Slalom, Wave and Freestyle.[9] Increasingly, new technology "foiling" with high speed foil racing is replacing traditional 'fin' racing events and the IQfoil class[10] is the new Olympic windsurfing racing class for France in 2024.