X-Project 2026 St. Moritz: Three foil sports unite for the first time
by X-Project 6 Jul 19:53 BST
X-Project 2026 St. Moritz © X-Project
X-Project is a unique global event held exclusively in St. Moritz, Switzerland. This crossover event pits windsurfers, wingfoilers, and pumpfoilers against one another.
It is an invitational event featuring the world's top athletes from each respective discipline. Through various freestyle competitions held on breathtaking mountain lakes, the best athlete across these different sports is determined. Three days of freestyle action on Lake St. Moritz featuring the world's best athletes in the beautiful Engadin region. Various competitions allow for direct comparisons between different disciplines, with performances evaluated by a panel of judges.
Austrian twin brothers Tom and Aleks Acherer are the favorites in the wingfoil category; Tom currently leads the world rankings in freestyle wingfoiling. Another contender is Sam Esteve from Leucate, France—a two-time European freestyle windsurfing champion. Swiss "waterman" Balz Müller from Biel is the top favorite across multiple disciplines. In the pumpfoil category, brothers Mateho and Ron von Roll from Solothurn rank as the world's best freestyle pumpfoilers.
Unfortunately, the famous thermal Maloja wind let us down a bit over the three days, so the focus shifted to pump foiling. On the second day of the event, however, the wind sports athletes were able to let loose on Lago Bianco in optimal conditions and showcase spectacular freestyle tricks to the judges against a unique mountain backdrop.
At the pump foil freestyle competition, athletes dazzled the crowd on Lake St. Moritz with world -class combinations and jumps. The winner is Rob von Roll from Solothurn, Switzerland, with a score of 9.6 points. Gian Bohlhalder took second place, impressing the judges with a handstand on his pump foil board. The bronze medal goes to Matheo von Roll, the winner's younger brother. The podium was occupied exclusively by Swiss pump foilers.
Austrian wingfoil star Tom Acherer won the overall X-Project competition. He impressed the judges with technically demanding, high-flying jumps. The silver medal went to Balz Müller from Biel, Switzerland, who competed in all three disciplines and secured a spot on the podium. Müller is one of the world's most creative athletes in foil windsurfing, wingfoiling, and pump foiling. Third place went to France's Sam Esteve, a two-time European champion; he performed triple rotations during the tow-in competition on Lake St. Moritz.
This unique global crossover event was all about freestyle and thrilled the large crowd in St. Moritz.