Starboard Foiling S/S 2026 Preview
Retail Buyers Guide: Foiling S/S 2026
Brand: STARBOARD
Interviewee: Adrien Grelon - Chief of Operations, Tiesda You - Starboard Foils Founder & Chief of Design
How was the 2024 market?
For 2024, our sales numbers were fairly steady. Overall, total sales are still down from the peak of the windsurf foiling business in 2019-2021, but we’re now seeing total sales split up between a lot more categories of products, which is exciting! Previously, all our sales were either freeride or race windsurf foiling, or iQFoil Olympic class foiling sales – markets in which we were historical market leader from the get go. Now sales are split up between windsurf foiling, downwind, prone, winging and dock foiling, which is amazing. We finished 2024 with a few podiums on the international downwind scene, and we’ve already had some more podiums in 2025, so we’re expecting this to become a very strong sales segment for us in the coming year – specifically the MF range
How are stock levels compared to a year ago?
Pretty low. Adrien and I run a very lean operation. We don’t need the pressure of chasing volume and numbers. Starboard Foils is a small team and our main objective is to be proud of our foils that are second to none and proud our team of athletes and designers.
What sport is driving the most demand at the moment (kite, wind, wing, surf…) and why?
Wing. It’s relatively a fresh new sport that’s light, simple and really really fun. Like windsurfing, you can do it almost anywhere you find a lake or beach and a gentle breeze is enough to get you flying. That’s probably why it’s the most in demand at the moment.
Foils
Which of your 2025 foil set ups have sold best and why?
The SLX and MF have been great this year. I think it’s just their sheer performance that’s talked about a lot at the moment. We’re kinda the dark horse in the racing world and with the developments in the pipeline, it’s going to be very, very exciting.
What are the main trends in foil construction, materials and design?
We can’t say for all brands but for us, who have racing in our dna, we feel a strong demand for ever higher spec carbon parts and the use of titanium and steel parts to chase the ultimate.
What are the highlights of your 2026 foil offer?
Our 2026 needs to remain under wraps for now, sorry! However, I can say that an exciting part of the 2026 collection is the new Team series…
How will you support retailers to sell your 2026 products?
We support a network of distributors who support their network of resellers. Combined, there’s an efficient supply chain pipeline for the products themselves, a transparent information pipeline to distribute product information and timeframes, and local warehouses carrying stock of foils and parts. Finally, we also have demo programs, team rider programs and an online ticket system to deal with and issues that may arise.
Key Products:
The MF:
An auto-optimised design for downwinding and wing foiling. Winner in Barcelona and Crozon, it is astonishingly efficient in the 8-27 knots board speed range.
MF 960
The SLX:
Also auto-optimised, it’s simply our fastest wing.
SLX 535
The E-Type 2:
Benoit Carpentier’s Pro Model. It’s a very popular wing that can be carving up waves, dark-sliding in the most radical conditions one moment, then free riding on flat water lakes the next moment. It’s a really fun and versatile wing.
E-Type 2
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