You want to try wing foil, but before you do, you want to know more about this sport? In this article, we explain everything about wing foil, a sport that appeared in the United States in the 1980s and that has more and more followers around the world. Wing foil is practiced with a very light portable sail, a board and a foil which is the submerged part of the board giving it its lift. Unlike kitesurfing, the wing is held in the rider’s hand, which gives an extremely exhilarating feeling of freedom. Let’s go and discover more about the latest trend in board sports, the wing foil.
The wing foil equipment
Choosing the right board for the right person is very important. It must have a volume greater than your weight. Overall, if you weigh 80 kilos, the board should be 100L. By following this advice, you will be able to float much better and start on your knees before gaining speed and being able to stand up. Then, with practice, you can do a classic waterstart. The foil is what allows you to fly over the ocean. The lighter the foil, the more fragile it is, but it’s what will get you high in the jumps. Secondly, the sail which is so small that it fits in a small bag. The standard wing size is 4 m2. However, there are kites of 3 m2 or 6 m2, to be adapted according to the strength of the wind and your weight. Finally, the leash is the cord that connects you to the sail by the wrist.
Gliding made easy
Less technical than kitesurfing, wing foil can be similar to windsurfing, but easier. Indeed, it is a sport practiced by families and children as it is simple to both equip and start having fun on the water, taking the wind. The small kite, which can be triangle-shaped, is used to give the rider lift. As for the board, it is equipped with a foil that can even be mounted on a paddle board for beginners. As the practice progresses, the board is shortened to sail faster, surf the waves and perform tricks such as jumps.
The wing foil requires little equipment, which is easy to carry and easy to set up. All you need is this little kite, the board with the foil, the leash to connect you to the board in case of a fall and that’s it. Wing foiling is neither technical nor dangerous and can be done with a cross-offshore wind direction, which is not the case with kitesurfing. If you go off the beach, it is easy to come back to the beach by rowing with your hands like on a surfboard for example. In addition, wing foils do not require a safe space to take off.
Learn to wing foil
If you have never practised a gliding sport before, it is probably best to take the advice of an instructor and sign up for lessons. Do a whole on the website of the French Federation of Free Flight. The instructor will help you handle, carry the kite and board and understand the positioning of the feet so that the foil gives you lift. Learning the basics is always a plus for a good start in wing foiling. To do things in order, you will need to learn how to get in and out of the water, know the rules of priority on the water, and ride on your knees and standing up. Then you will need to learn about windward and leeward sailing, foot changes and tacking. When you are more advanced in learning to wing foil, you will be able to catch the swell and jump.
The future of wing foil is assured by regular technical innovations. The best riders practice freestyle with jumps; the tricks performed are simply amazing. Others specialise in wave-riding, which involves catching a wave using the wing as a propeller. Whatever you do, wing foiling is definitely a cool sport that gives you a great feeling of gliding and a great sense of freedom.