History at WGI
Winter Guard International (WGI) is a visual performing arts organization that hosts regional, national, and international competitions for color guard (known as winter guard), as well as indoor percussion and marching bands ensembles. Contests are held in the U.S. and in an expanding list of other countries. The WGI headquarters is located in Dayton, Ohio, and hosts units from more than a dozen countries at the World Championships each April.
WGI was founded in San Francisco, California in 1977, as a competitive vehicle for the performing arts. The first division was the Color Guard division. The second division, Indoor Percussion, was established in 1992. The third division, Winds (indoor marching band), was established in 2014. The organization sets standardized rules and criteria, provides educational clinics and resources, and manages competitions on a regional, national, and international scale. SAPA is regionally modeled after WGI and its rules. Please select a link below to see how SAPA units performed at the World Championships.
SAPA Color Guard Finalists at WGI