Parawings go mainstream, wings get stiffer: what landed this summer
Two things are worth your attention this season: a new tool that stopped being an experiment, and a shared direction across inflatable wings. Neither changes how you learn to fly — but the first changes what you carry, and the second changes light days.
The parawing went from curiosity to catalogue
Until recently the parawing — a soft wing with no inflatable structure, held in shape by the wind and its lines — was a fringe object. The current industry comparison now lines up seventeen models from ten brands: BRM, Ozone, F-One, GONG, Duotone, Ensis, Flow, Flysurfer, North and Aeryn.
The point is not power, it is bulk. They pack into a waist pouch, come out when you want them and stow away when you don’t; the lightest model in the comparison is quoted at 464 grams in the 4.0. An inflatable wing, with its leading edge and its pump, simply cannot do that.
Who makes them, and in what sizes
| Brand and model | Sizes | Stated use |
|---|---|---|
| BRM Kanaha | 2.5 – 6.2 m² (6) | All-round, upwind and downwind |
| BRM Maliko 2 | 2.2 – 5.3 m² (4) | Downwind specialist |
| Ozone Pocket Rocket | 1.9 – 5.0 m² (6) | All-round, best upwind |
| F-One Frigate | 1.9 – 6.5 m² (8) | All-rounder |
| Duotone Stash V2 | 2.2 – 5.6 m² (6) | Stability |
| North Ranger | 2.2 – 5.2 m² (4) | Downwind specialist |
| Flysurfer POW | 1.7 – 5.0 m² (4) | Wind range, low-end power |
| GONG Lowkite Plus V2 | 2.0 – 5.0 m² (4) | Entry level |
Do not read these numbers the way you read wing sizes: the brands describe different uses (downwind above all) and the ranges start lower. Same unit, different thing.
2026 inflatable wings: stiff, light, and finally big
The Foiling Magazine’s group test — sixteen wings ridden in June — reads as a shared direction rather than a contest: frame materials aimed at stiffness without weight (Aluula, N-Weave45, UPE structures), and high-tension canopies in mixed yarns chasing the same trade-off.
The change you feel most is elsewhere: ranges now stretch upward into light-wind sizes of 7.0-8.2 m², and most lines offer between five and ten steps. On a lake where the thermal fills in slowly and builds, having a genuinely big size — not the "big" of three seasons ago — is what decides whether you launch at two or at four.
Around the edges: modular booms and handles, removable battens, reinforced trailing edges and attention to packed size. Small things that do not change a session, but that you notice across a season.
GONG: less dihedral, no baseline twist
Of the period’s announcements, GONG’s is the most legible technically: on the 2026 wings dihedral is cut to a minimum and baseline twist is gone, so the draft stays where it is and twist appears only dynamically at the tips. On the water: a crisper, more predictable pull and less spring when you load it.
The boards follow the same logic: recessed decks to sit closer to the foil, footstrap inserts flush with the pad for strapless riding, and a semi-rigid tail rail that helps the board release.
What this means if you read this site
- If you are learning, none of it concerns you yet: the parawing exists for downwind and for people who already fly, and nobody positions it as a first-flights tool.
- If you are choosing a first wing, look at the big steps in the new ranges before the small ones: on Lake Garda and the Adriatic, days under 15 knots are the majority.
- The right size is still the one your weight and the measured wind at the spot point to, not the one in the latest announcement.
Frequently asked questions
Does a parawing replace an inflatable wing?
Not the way the brands present it: several models are described as downwind specialists, and the trait every one of them leads with is packability — it stows in a pouch while you ride. It is an extra tool, not a replacement.
Can parawing sizes be compared with wing sizes?
Not directly. The ranges start smaller (from 1.7-2.5 m²) and the stated use is different. Buying a parawing "the same size" as your wing will not give you the same power on the water.