16.01.2026 • 10 min.

Pooltastic 2026: Now the girls are in the game

Also available in German
boot.de

On January 23 and 24, Hall 17 at boot Düsseldorf will once again become the epicenter of wakeboarding. This year, Pooltastic will, for the first time, see six top female riders compete alongside ten male riders, all battling for victory right on the show floor.

Last year, boot Düsseldorf set a visual benchmark with the redesigned Hall 17 – and the same can be expected again in 2026. Once more, the wakeboarders on the pool will thrill the crowds: first during the daily shows, and then on the second weekend of the show with the return of the international top event Pooltastic, which has undoubtedly earned its reputation as the world’s largest and most renowned indoor wakeboard contest.

And this will continue in 2026, as Pooltastic enters its next round – this time with an exciting new addition. For the first time ever, there will be a dedicated women’s category alongside the men’s competition. In addition to ten male riders, six top female athletes will travel to Düsseldorf to battle it out on the pool for the win and the largest prize purse of the event.

Rivers Hedrick

A top-level lineup of men – and women for the first time ever!

Since its first edition in 2019, Pooltastic! has been all about the (young) men delivering a heavy show for the crowd. In 2026, that finally changes, as the equally talented female riders join the action for the first time.

The only difference lies in the size of the fields: while part of the men’s lineup will have to battle through the qualifications on Friday, January 23, the six invited women are already locked in for the finals on Saturday. The same goes for the four seeded male riders, who—just like the women—will be fighting for the largest prize check of €1,000.

Gavin Stuckey
Anne Freyer

On the women’s side, the lineup includes two-time world champion River Hedrick (USA), as well as Anne Freyer and Joelina Gerards (both GER), who have been competing at the top international level for years and are especially known for their technical and stylish riding.

Joining them on the men’s side are, among others, six-time world champion Gavin Stuckey (USA), Jan-Luca Schulz (GER)—who already has two world titles and three European championships to his name—and Tobias Färbers, who has really stepped things up over the past two years and already thrilled the crowd at Pooltastic last year.

The full rider lineup will be announced soon on social media – so keep your eyes open and, most importantly, make sure to be there live on site to catch all the action from both the women and the men.

Jan-Luca Schulz

Creative setup and an exciting format

In the men’s competition, the six invited riders will battle it out in the qualifications on Friday for three spots in Saturday’s main final. There, they will face the seeded riders, going head-to-head in the opening round to determine the four finalists who advance to the Super Final.

The women skip Friday’s qualifier altogether, as all riders are directly qualified for Saturday’s finals. They will also start with three head-to-head matchups, fighting for secure spots in the Super Final. Before the Super Final takes place, the three riders who lose their first final matchup get one more shot: a single Last Chance Trick, where they have the opportunity to impress the judges and claim the final Super Final spot. The Super Final itself will then be contested in the proven and familiar format.

Riders once again get to unleash their skills on the 60-meter-long pool, powered by a System 2.0 for consistent pull. On top of that, both athletes and spectators can look forward to two features from UNIT Parktech: the well-known Bumpfor serious airtime and the brand-new Segmented Incline, promising top-level technical rail riding.

With this creative setup and thrilling format, Pooltastic 2026 at boot Düsseldorf is once again guaranteed to deliver tension and world-class wakeboarding action.

Experience pro wakeboarders up close …
... is what Pooltastic is all about!

Another highlight of the Wakeboard Weekend in Düsseldorf: On Friday, January 23, 2026, the Cable Mekka Awards Show 2026 goes down at the Cinema Filmkunstkino. Doors open at 8:00 PM for an evening where the scene comes together to celebrate the best riders and creatives of the year. As part of the night, there will also be the premiere of FOAMA2 by Felix Georgii and Dominik Hernler – definitely something you don’t want to miss.

Until then, it’s up to you: Voting is open until January 18, 2026 at 8:00 PM. Cast your vote and support your favorites here 👉 www.cablemekka.com/awards

This weekend in Düsseldorf should already be marked in your calendar. If it isn’t yet, now’s the time. Because there’s hardly a better way to escape the German winter for a few days than Hall 17 at boot Düsseldorf – and especially for wakeboarders, the show and the awards guarantee top-level entertainment. See you there!

More info about the trade show: www.boot.de

Ähnliche Artikel

16.01.2026 • English • 10 min.

Pooltastic 2026: Now the girls are in the game

Also available in German
boot.de

On January 23 and 24, Hall 17 at boot Düsseldorf will once again become the epicenter of wakeboarding. This year, Pooltastic will, for the first time, see six top female riders compete alongside ten male riders, all battling for victory right on the show floor.

Last year, boot Düsseldorf set a visual benchmark with the redesigned Hall 17 – and the same can be expected again in 2026. Once more, the wakeboarders on the pool will thrill the crowds: first during the daily shows, and then on the second weekend of the show with the return of the international top event Pooltastic, which has undoubtedly earned its reputation as the world’s largest and most renowned indoor wakeboard contest.

And this will continue in 2026, as Pooltastic enters its next round – this time with an exciting new addition. For the first time ever, there will be a dedicated women’s category alongside the men’s competition. In addition to ten male riders, six top female athletes will travel to Düsseldorf to battle it out on the pool for the win and the largest prize purse of the event.

Rivers Hedrick

A top-level lineup of men – and women for the first time ever!

Since its first edition in 2019, Pooltastic! has been all about the (young) men delivering a heavy show for the crowd. In 2026, that finally changes, as the equally talented female riders join the action for the first time.

The only difference lies in the size of the fields: while part of the men’s lineup will have to battle through the qualifications on Friday, January 23, the six invited women are already locked in for the finals on Saturday. The same goes for the four seeded male riders, who—just like the women—will be fighting for the largest prize check of €1,000.

Gavin Stuckey
Anne Freyer

On the women’s side, the lineup includes two-time world champion River Hedrick (USA), as well as Anne Freyer and Joelina Gerards (both GER), who have been competing at the top international level for years and are especially known for their technical and stylish riding.

Joining them on the men’s side are, among others, six-time world champion Gavin Stuckey (USA), Jan-Luca Schulz (GER)—who already has two world titles and three European championships to his name—and Tobias Färbers, who has really stepped things up over the past two years and already thrilled the crowd at Pooltastic last year.

The full rider lineup will be announced soon on social media – so keep your eyes open and, most importantly, make sure to be there live on site to catch all the action from both the women and the men.

Jan-Luca Schulz

Creative setup and an exciting format

In the men’s competition, the six invited riders will battle it out in the qualifications on Friday for three spots in Saturday’s main final. There, they will face the seeded riders, going head-to-head in the opening round to determine the four finalists who advance to the Super Final.

The women skip Friday’s qualifier altogether, as all riders are directly qualified for Saturday’s finals. They will also start with three head-to-head matchups, fighting for secure spots in the Super Final. Before the Super Final takes place, the three riders who lose their first final matchup get one more shot: a single Last Chance Trick, where they have the opportunity to impress the judges and claim the final Super Final spot. The Super Final itself will then be contested in the proven and familiar format.

Riders once again get to unleash their skills on the 60-meter-long pool, powered by a System 2.0 for consistent pull. On top of that, both athletes and spectators can look forward to two features from UNIT Parktech: the well-known Bumpfor serious airtime and the brand-new Segmented Incline, promising top-level technical rail riding.

With this creative setup and thrilling format, Pooltastic 2026 at boot Düsseldorf is once again guaranteed to deliver tension and world-class wakeboarding action.

Experience pro wakeboarders up close …
... is what Pooltastic is all about!

Another highlight of the Wakeboard Weekend in Düsseldorf: On Friday, January 23, 2026, the Cable Mekka Awards Show 2026 goes down at the Cinema Filmkunstkino. Doors open at 8:00 PM for an evening where the scene comes together to celebrate the best riders and creatives of the year. As part of the night, there will also be the premiere of FOAMA2 by Felix Georgii and Dominik Hernler – definitely something you don’t want to miss.

Until then, it’s up to you: Voting is open until January 18, 2026 at 8:00 PM. Cast your vote and support your favorites here 👉 www.cablemekka.com/awards

This weekend in Düsseldorf should already be marked in your calendar. If it isn’t yet, now’s the time. Because there’s hardly a better way to escape the German winter for a few days than Hall 17 at boot Düsseldorf – and especially for wakeboarders, the show and the awards guarantee top-level entertainment. See you there!

More info about the trade show: www.boot.de

Ähnliche Artikel