Thanks to the punctual Maloja wind every day at 11 o'clock, the lake region in the Upper Engadin is a popular place for many water sports activities including windsurfing and sailing which are ideal for such conditions.
The wind force of 4-5 Beaufort even attracts internationally known faces of the surfing scene to the lakes of Silvaplana and St. Moritz. The event "Engadinwind" is one of the most famous water sports events worldwide and is also the oldest windsurfing event in the world. Around 200 participants from over 15 nations attend the international tournament and surf for glory and honor on the two lakes for over a week.
In 1977, the first Engadin Surf Marathon took place, making it the oldest event still held in this category. For the 40th anniversary, the "Legends Race" was organized, in which all winners of the last 40 editions participated. Among them were Karin Jaggi from Bern, who is considered the fastest female windsurfer in the world as well as 29 times world champion; the Swiss Jan Bonga, who participated in the 1988 Olympics in the discipline Division II; as well as the two Olympic champions and record holders of the Engadinwind Timm Stade and Matthias Bornhäuser from Germany, who won the marathon four times between 1988 and 1999.
The so-called iQFoil is also used for the races on Lake Silvaplana and is at the forefront of windsurfing innovation. At the next Olympics in 2024, the RS:X equipment used so far will be replaced by the iQFoil, thus leading into a new future of windsurfing. A future that promises more excitement and sustainability for generations to come.
