Foils take over Serre-Ponçon. In June 2025, the small town of Savines-le-Lac will be hosting a brand-new event dedicated to foil-based board sports. Initiated by two young locals, the aim of the event is to structure a fast-growing sport.
The foil, a technical evolution that appeals to enthusiasts
The foil is based on a profiled wing attached to the underside of the board, generating sufficient hydrodynamic lift to allow the craft to rise above the water. This reduced contact with the liquid makes for a smoother glide, less affected by surface disturbances. Initially developed for kitesurfing, foils are now used in surfing, paddling and wingfoiling.
Accessible from average winds of 12 to 15 knots, it changes the reference points of navigation and attracts a varied public in search of new sensations. This paradigm shift in gliding requires adaptation of equipment and technique, but in return offers silent, continuous navigation.
Serre-Ponçon, a thermal stretch of water ideal for all kinds of sliding sports
The Lac de Serre-Ponçon, straddling the Hautes-Alpes and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence departments, combines a number of assets: water temperatures of 20°C in summer, Alpine sunshine and, above all, a regular regime of thermal breezes that pick up power from mid-day onwards. These winds, oscillating between 12 and 15 knots, create an ideal playground for foiling.
The Chanterenne, Chadenas and Eaux Douces beaches offer accessible, well-exposed launches. The site has already carved out a reputation for kitesurfing and windsurfing, and is now seeing a growing role for foiling.
A regional dynamic structured around the event
The show is run by the Le Foil à Serre-Ponçon association, founded by Jade and Maël Pavie, aged 17 and 21 respectively. Their objective: to unite the rider community around a technical and convivial event. Their approach is supported by local players such as the Club Nautique Alpin de Serre-Ponçon and the Power Kite Hautes-Alpes association, as well as public institutions and SMADESEP.
This local network demonstrates the project's ability to federate partners around a coherent development of the lake region.
A program built around practice and discovery
Over two days, visitors will be able to discover manufacturers' stands, test equipment, attend demonstrations and take part in initiations. The show will also feature a dock start pumpfoil contest, a technical discipline that emphasizes control and recovery of the foil by leg power alone, without wind or rowing assistance.
This dynamic format combines entertainment and education, opening up to a curious, neophyte audience.
The Serre-Ponçon Foil Show illustrates a turning point in the appropriation of inland waterways by new gliding disciplines. At a time when practices are evolving rapidly, the development of such events raises questions about the accessibility of facilities, the cohabitation of uses and the need for infrastructures adapted to new disciplines. A promising field of study for Alpine lakeside regions.
