Foiling Magazine #9 Free Digital Issue

I S S U E

FINDING WINGVANA

BRANDON SCHEID IN PERU

# 9

MATAHI X PORSCHE

THE DREAM PHOTOSHOOT

I S SU E # 9 $ 1 0 . 8 5

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T E S1 T E D

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Freewing by Starboard x Airush Website: https://freewing.star-board.com/ Email: info@freewing.world Photographer : Eric Durán Rider : Fiona Wylde

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P H O TO G R A P H E R : F R A N C K B E R TH O U T | R I D E R : MA R LE Y F R A N C O

The power of nature flying right through you.

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Fly the water.

It Calls.

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NORTHKB.COM

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HERE Shortlisted for our cover this issue and for good reason... Quinn Ewing in the spotlight on Lake Minnetonka.

Photo: Ryan Taylor

C OV E R The most excellent Brian Finch in sunny southern CA with some hot pink under his feet. Pure steez.

Photo: Bo Bridges

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CONTENTS F

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106

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F IN D IN G WI NGVANA

F RE S H LOV E S

MATAH I X P ORS C H E

Brandon Scheid heeds the call and sets

Wingfoiling in one of the world’s most

The chance to be the ‘face’ of Porsche

off for some far-flung Peruvian desert

beautiful locations is nothing hugely

sort of snuck up on Matahi Drollet. But

point breaks with the Ride Engine team.

newsworthy these days. But when it’s a

he rose to the challenge and, frankly,

Cue some insanely long rides and (spoiler

former Viking stronghold, surrounded by

so would most of us if we got paid to

alert) yes, Wingvana was most

lofty mountains, and within the Arctic Cir-

foil and drive a top of the range Porsche

definitely found.

cle… well that’s something pretty special.

around the Pyrénées…

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B ATTL E O F THE SEASONS

JU NGL E B OOGIE

NORT H E RN E X P OS U R E

Annabel van Westerop well knows the

Benny Ferris and Laird Hamilton fly to

Hear the words ‘Baltic’ and ‘Sea’ and

various pros and cons of winging in

a hush hush Central American spot on

you’re certainly not going to instantly reach for the boardies and sunscreen.

both searingly warm and frigidly cold

the edge of the jungle for some down-

climes. Here she weighs up the two and

time away from charging massive Jaws.

But, as Steffi Wahl points out, it has

diplomatically comes up with something

Although these waves are still pretty big

plenty of charms of its own when sum-

of a compromise…

by most people’s standards…

mer shows up.

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G

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L

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26 E X POSURE / 5 6 UP LOA D E D : TO M CO UR T / 5 8 R I S I N G U P : M A KA N I A N DR EWS / 62 THE OU TER B A N KS : T H E SLAB , LINK I N G T H E C H A I N , W H E R E E AG L ES DA R E / 8 8 THE G OOD STU F F / 1 4 2 B AC KSTORY: L EV I TA Z / 150 T H E 1 01 : DOW N W I N D S UP F O I L I N G PA R T 1 / 1 5 4 W EA P ON OF C HOI C E: F LO JU N G / 1 5 6 R ED L ETT E R DAY: SH OOT ING T H E BR E E ZE & O N E C A L I F OR N I A DAY / 1 68 TESTED / 1 8 0 I N B OU N D / 1 94 THE DEVOT E D : S K E E T E R T I C H N O R / 1 96 STATE OF P L AY: A N N ELOU S L A M M ER TS

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Foto: Sophie Meylan

Check out our 2021 Foil Range indiana-paddlesurf.com | info@whitewave.ch | A Brand of White Wave AG

SCAN ME

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E D I TO R IA L

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EDITORIAL I’m sure you, like me, like most of us, are pretty excited to at least have the opportunity to travel again soon. It remains a complex world for travelers, battling restricted countries that sit on lists with all manner of color assignations, confusing vaccination requirements, airport stresses and potentially long periods sat in dank hotel rooms under quarantine.

But it’s worth reminding ourselves that it’s a problem that those of us who are traveling for pleasure (with a sturdy baggage train of boards and foils in our wake) are still lucky to have. That we’ve gotten to a point where we can get on a plane or a boat and head for even a limited number of distant and dusty shores, lingering swells and hopefully some sunshine (shout out to my UK friends whose summer seems to have disappeared currently) then we’re not doing too bad at all.

Being an internationally distributed magazine, we are fortunate to have a widespread and well-positioned readership, generally with worthy conditions in easy reach. It’s meant that, with travel being tricky for some time now, and even despite some knock-on supply chain issues that have affected many (if not the majority of) water sport brands, the content has kept on flowing in. And boy has it flowed… I now have a folder called ‘Image Dump’ (I should note that the filename does not reflect the quality of the images that make the cut into there) where I store all the good stuff that comes my way, and from where I can make content calls for the magazine.

We’re also lucky that a lot of the key players out there – be they brands or high-profile riders – have kept up the tempo on producing top-level content and factoring me in as one of the first in line when it’s being disseminated.

I’m very grateful for that. And you’re going to find plenty of the results in this issue. Look no further than Brandon Scheid’s adventure in Peru with the Ride Engine team, Benny Ferris’s jaunt to a secret Central American location with Laird Hamilton, or Kari Schibevaag’s adventures on a wing in Lofoten, Norway.

The gear has thankfully also kept on rolling to our test team too, who’ve done a sterling job of getting out there on a regular basis and penning some well-considered and impartial feedback on what they’re riding. They’ve been so proactive and busy in fact that we’re having to roll some tests out exclusively on our website. It’s always worth heading there first if you’re in the market for any new gear.

The hope is that these are the last stirrings of this global upheaval… rumbling aftershocks before the dust finally settles and normality – whatever you believe that to be – returns. Here we sit, one issue away from our milestone number 10, seeing our subscriptions and readership growing on the daily and a community that’s chomping at the bit to get out there and ride. The future looks good indeed, and I have a feeling that my Image Dump is about to get swamped…

Enjoy the issue.

Cai Waggett E DITOR

L E F T Aaron Candy chasing the feather on a cold June day off New Zealand’s west coast.

Photo: Paul Campion

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E D I TO R I A L

THE PLASMA HIGH ASPECT FOIL SERIES 1000 / 1300 / 1600cm² 20

PLASMA

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Chasing the fastest ocean swells or pumping with innnite glide, the Plasma Foil Series was developed with key athletes such as the Ultimate Waterman, Z ane S c h w e i t z e r, t o d e l i v e r a n e x t r e m e l y h i g h - p e r f o r m a n c e ride, without compromise.

SURF

PUMP

WING

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RIDER: Zane Schweitzer

PHOTO: Erik Aeder

A K D U R A B L E S U P P LY C O . C O M 21

Rider: Victor Hays Photo: Samuel Tomé PRODUCTION TEAM Editor: Cai Waggett Editor-in-Chief: Alex Hapgood Sub-editor: Sarah Sylvester Art Director: Nikki Hall Digital Marketing: Tom Weyers Technical Editor: Richard Boughton Contributing Editor: Kjell Issey van Sice CONTRIBUTORS Adrian Geislinger, Alex Schwarz, Annabel van Westerop, Annelous Lammerts, Antoine Badin, Ariihoe Tefaafana, Armie Armstrong, Ben Thouard, Benny Ferris, Bo Bridges, Brandon Scheid, Brian Finch, Brian Solano, Bulgenslag, Clement Roseyro, Craig Levers, Dan Jenkins, Daniel Dingerkus, Danny Houwaart, Dave Kay, David Troeger, Eduardo Vidchar, Eric Duran, Eric Egstrom, Fabian Muhmenthaler, Flo Jung, Garrett Cortese, Howard Shepard, Ivan van Vuuren, James Casey, James Robertson, Jerome Cloetens, Jesse Andrews, Johanna-Catharina Edin, Josh Berry, Josh McCormack, Joshua Emanuel , Julien le Prevost, Kari Schibevaag, Klaas Voget, Laci Kobulsky, Lionel Faliu, Louis Floyd, Lukas Stiller, Luke Atkinson, Makani Andrews, Marcel Berrevo, Markus Greber, Matahi Drollet, Mateo Ell, Mathis Ghio, Matteo Guazzoni, Miriam Joanna, Nate Volk, Paul Campion, Pieter Plooy, Rein Rijke, Richard Myerscough, Rob Wylie, Robby Naish, Robert Bratz, Roderick Pijls, Ryan Taylor, Sam Brisby, Samuel Cardenas, Samuel Tomé, Sjaak van der Linden, Skeetor Tichnor, Sophie Meylan, Steeve Fleury, Steffi Wahl, Steve McCormack, Steve Tobis, Sylvain Mitault, Thomas Bevilacqua, Tom Court, Tomoko Okazaki, Willow-River Tonkin ADVERTISING All advertising enquiries can be sent to advertising@thefoilingmagazine.com SUBMISSIONS We’re always on the hunt for foil adventurers who can write and/or take a good photo. Please send your pitch or previous examples of articles photography to hello@thefoilingmagazine.com COPYRIGHT All material in Foiling Magazine is subject to copyright. Reproduction without the express permission of the publishers will result in prosecution.

PUBLISHER Foiling Magazine is published by Water Born Media Limited in Hayle, Cornwall.

United Kingdom ENVIRONMENTAL This magazine is printed on paper sourced from responsibly managed sources using vegetable based inks. Both the paper used in the production and the manufacturing process are PEFC™ certified.

FIND US HERE @foilingmagazine foilingmagazine thefoilingmagazine.com 22

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RI DE R Ariihoe Tefaafana LOC AT ION Taharuu, Tahiti PHOTOG RAP H E R Julien Le Prevost Ariihoe: Since I started foiling, my daily routine has changed. Living in front of the best beach break in Tahiti is a blessing for me. There, I can find myself, everything related to the ocean I enjoy in that beach’s black sands.

My favorite time to go foil is definitely at sunset time, the vibes and colors are just heavenly. More than just standing on my foil, I like to sit and lay on it, I love to feel the power of the foil in different aspects. The ocean is my favorite playground and enjoying it with a foil is just another level of fun.

E XP OS UR E

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RIDE R Johanna-Catharina Edin LOC AT ION Fuerteventura PH OTOGRAP H E R Miriam Joanna Johanna-Catharina: It's my first time on the island and out on my first wing session with my new setup: Boom 48L board from Levitaz with the Shaka L foil and the 5.2m MOJO from Flysurfer. The wind was really light, and I spent the afternoon in the water waiting for the gusts to get me up and going. I got up two times, and by then Miriam decided to swim out with her waterhousing. She managed to capture this shot just before the wind dropped for the day…

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E XPOS U R E

R I D E R Roderick Pijls LO C AT I ON Maasvlakte, The Netherlands P HOTO GR A P HE R Rein Rijke Roderick: The Maasvlakte holds one of the longest waves to surf foil in the Netherlands. We decided to keep a close watch on the actual wave height and period to see if it would be worth driving to the spot. Rein was already crazy enthusiastic about the light and clouds, and he’d just received his new waterhousing. We got in the water surfed many waves until sunset, got our legs burning from connecting wave-after-wave and finished the day off with some great bangers in the bag.

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L I G H T E R - S TRON GER THE COMPOSITE WING REVOLUTION IS HERE! In collaboration with ALUULA, Ocean Rodeo is pleased to bring the composite materials revolution to wing foiling.

Whether you’re generating insane speed and drive to take to the air or forgetting your wing as it flags out behind you on a wave, the Glide’s extreme low weight, smooth handling, and balanced design delivers the highest levels of performance.

GLIDE A-SERIES

GLIDE HL-SERIES

40% LIGHTER* Featuring a complete ALUULA composite airframe.

The quick flex response of the airframe brings this wing alive in all conditions. Next-level performance for all levels of rider in wind chop, swell or breaking surf. This is wing riding at its absolute finest. sizes: 3m, 4m, 5m, 6m

20% LIGHTER* Featuring the industry's first ever hybrid airframe, merging an ALUULA boom with a rugged Dacron leading edge. The ultra-light high-pressure boom delivers a session-changing increase in responsiveness that'll benefit riders from all wing disciplines. sizes: 3m, 4m, 5m, 6m

COMING SPRING 2021

FOLLOW US AT: oceanrodeo.com | facebook.com/oceanrodeo | instagram.com/oceanrodeo | twitter.com/oceanrodeo *than industry-standard Dacron framed wings 29

RIDE R Matahi Drollet LOC AT ION Teahupoo, Tahiti PHOTOGRAP H E R Ben Thouard Ben: Matahi is one of the most talented surfers I know. Then he discovered foiling and very soon he mastered that too. He was the first to get barreled at Teahupoo on a foil, but then he really impressed me again when he figured out how to wingfoil in such a short amount of time. He did not know much about the wind before, he was not a windsurfer or a sailor, but in a very short time he was good enough to sail on his foil with his wing, and here he is at Teahupoo on one of his first sessions out there on one of the heaviest waves on the planet. Can’t wait to see what the future holds for this guy.

E XP OS UR E

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RIDE R Sylvain Mitault LOC AT ION Currumbin, Gold Coast P H OTOGRAP H E R Pieter Plooy Sylvain: This was a cracker morning at Currumbin. Light wind, multiple peaks everywhere and only a few people out. The waves were standing high at the back and breaking nicely inside with some whitewash sections begging to be hit. A couple of good wipeouts but also some successful ones. I love the responsiveness of my F28 Cloud9 foil. I don’t feel any limitation to what’s possible, and my lines are getting closer to surfing day by day. The addiction is real!

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E XPOS U R E

RIDE R Jerome Cloetens LOC AT ION Wakana, Tarifa PHOTOGRAP H E R Samuel Cardenas Jerome: Whenever I see a strong forecast of at least 35-40 knots of Levante I call Fabian Muhmenthaler and prepare a plan to take advantage of the strong wind with the wing. This time we decided to go to Wakana Lake, a natural park that’s 50 minutes from Tarifa. This place is magical, Wakana is far away from everything and there are beautiful animals around it and almost no human pollution. This was probably one of the windiest days of my life, I had to let go of the wing a couple of times and sit on my board to wait for the gusts to pass! Luckily I was there with Fabi and we could push ourselves to do some backflips even if the gusts were hitting 55 knots. I love wingfoiling in strong winds and especially in Wakana where the wind hits the valley and creates some nice wind swells in the right direction that can be used as kickers. I hope to go back there soon and throw down some bigger backflips and finally learn the frontflip.

E XP OS UR E

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RIDE R Mathis Ghio LOCATI ON Lake Silvaplana, Switzerland PHOTO GRAP H E R Laci Kobulsky Mathis: I joined photographer Laci for this shoot in Silvaplana before the GWA event in St Moritz. The sun was out, the wind was there, and the chop was present... It was the perfect wingfoil day! Laci went in the water with his camera to shoot some action pics. My 1600 HA from Levitaz meant I could nail landings without losing any flight, and the Glide from Ocean Rodeo is such a super light wing… there’s a lot of power on tap with the ALUULA flange pumped to 13psi. It’s exactly like using a carbon boom in windsurfing.

It’s really maneuverable and allows higher jumps with a soft landing.

E XP OS UR E

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RIDE R Willow-River Tonkin LOC AT ION Durban, South Africa PH OTOGRAP H E R Joshua Emanuel Willow-River: As a surfer, you learn very quickly to be prepared for the unexpected. There are so many variables that can affect your session, but how you handle it is what matters. I just landed in Durban with about an hour of sunlight left. Joshua Emanuel picked me up and said the waves are cooking and we're going to go shoot. So I put my boardies on in the carpark of the airport and we rushed down to the beach! With only about 15 minutes of light left and having no clue of which of my many boardbags my foils could be in, we managed to set up and get in the water in record time. We had one attempt to get the shot before the sun went down, and that one shot that we took managed to be this exact photo. Some people may call it professionalism, some people may call it lucky… I call it: Life as a surfer!

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E XPOS U R E

RI D E R Adrian Geislinger LOCATI ON Bajo del Medio, Fuerteventura PHOTOGRAP H E R Alex Schwarz Adrian: First day on the island and we had some very weird weather. It was blowing from the south-east. It is the so-called “Calima” wind which brings dry warm air and sand from the Sahara towards the Canary Islands. However, this means that all the North Shore spots have offshore winds, and when we arrived at the spot, we already saw some perfectly shaped sets coming in over the reef. The lefts are usually a bit more mellow and tend to draw less of a crowd, so it was the obvious choice to head to with the foil and – as you can see – we were not disappointed.

E XP OS UR E

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Rider: Florian Daubos Picture: Arthur Samzun

CS Wing Bar for intuitive hand positioning and easy handling

Light Carbon CVC construction optimized for wing foiling

Carbon front and back wings for outstanding performance

Sizes :

Sizes :

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3/4/5/6

5’8”

/ 125 Ltr

5’0”

/ 72 Ltr

5’2”

/ 90 Ltr

4’10” / 56 Ltr

W W W. E L E V E I G H T K I T E S . C O M

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950 / 1200 / 1400 / 1650 / 1950

R I D E R Josh Berry and Sam Loader LO C AT I ON Beehive Island, New Zealand P HOTO GR A P HE R Josh McCormack Josh: Beehive Island is one of my favourite spots to visit; only an hour north of Auckland, and 5km offshore, it makes a cold winter southerly feel like a tropical getaway. We launched at 6:30am to catch the sunrise from Moturekareka Island and downwind to Beehive. With the wind unsettled at this time in the morning, ranging from 10-20 knots, the Surge 3.8 wing was fully lit in the gusts with enough power to charge through the smallest lulls giving fantastic versatility and meaning every session is epic.

EX POS UR E

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RIDE R Kai Lenny LOC AT ION Spreckelsville, Maui PH OTOGRAP H E R Brian Solano Brian: Dark and rainy. Not the best conditions to shoot the beautiful new Ozone wings. Our video crew was not stoked, too grey they said. Wind was questionable. But our stoke was high, so we went for it. As Ridge, Annie and Lane boosted over my head, Kai put on a clinic, slashing his foil dangerously close to my camera and my legs. Hours and thousands of photos later, I swam in with a session to remember. I’ve always been a believer that when conditions are questionable, photos have more character and that is when the magic happens.

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E XPOS U R E

RIDE R Steeve Fleury LOCATI ON Celtic Spring near Nyon, Switzerland PHOTOGRAP H E R Sophie Meylan Steeve: This Celtic spring had been engraved in my head for a while, but to get in there it is necessary to wait until the snow melts, pours into the streams and springs up to fill this natural cavity. That day everything was in place to foil in this magical forest. I thank the spirit of the spring for having tolerated me in these pure and icy waters…

E XP OS UR E

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DEFENDER HF IMPACT VEST

Optimized design and fit for all styles of foiling: kite, surf, windsurf and wing featuring Internal impact-shell technology located in high-risk areas

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RIDE R Clement Roseyro LOCAT ION Fuerteventura PHOTOGRAP H E R Lukas Stiller Clement: My primary focus has always been on wave riding, but every now and then I enjoy pushing my limits into other disciplines! On this particular day, I found a tiny lagoon with no-one in, on the North Shore of Fuerteventura. The ideal place to practice some wingfoil freestyle! The water there is pretty flat but it was also fairly shallow, with some rocky areas that I had to dodge. In the end, I had a perfect session practicing back-side airs, 360s and air grabs... I’ll be back for more!

E XP OS UR E

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RIDE R Rob Wylie LOC AT ION Dorset, UK PH OTOGRAP H E R Howard Shepard Rob: This was a totally spontaneous moment. We had originally planned to shoot a short video for Fliteboard and take some stills from the boat. As we approached the middle of Studland Bay, an RAF Chinook came overhead and started circling our position. As it came lower and closer we could see the rear door open and guys starting to assemble at the back. We carried on shooting but the backdrop suddenly changed from beach to helicopter. Just when it couldn’t get more dramatic, guys started jumping out of the back and into the water, directly in-line with our shoot. Even if we’d planned it, we couldn’t have got it any better.

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E XPOS U R E

RIDE R Mateo Ell LOCAT ION Secret Spot, Maui PHOTOGRAP H E R Nate Volk Mateo: I was in Maui for a photoshoot with Armie and a few other Armstrong riders. We saw swells rolling in and I got a bit nervous but went out anyway.

The water was clear blue, the wind was about 15 knots. I was winging, going out, and saw this wave coming, and I knew it was going to be good. I turned into it, luffed my wing, and dropped into the wave. Filled with adrenaline I made it, before kicking off and heading back out for another one.

E XP OS U RE

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RIDE R Chris Defrance LOC AT ION Gorges du Verdon, France P H OTOGRAP H E R Lionel Faliu Lionel: We were told: “This is a spot where the water is turquoise, pure and exceptionally transparent. It is splendid, you must see it at least once!”. We certainly weren’t expecting that when the sun goes down, the wind stops, leaving the water flat and mirror-like, and that the turquoise then mixes with the heat of the sun. We arrived late at the spot that evening, but it was impossible not to get onto the water as the whole spectacle was splendid. It was my best eFoil photo session ever.

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RIDE R James Robertson LOCATI ON Mangawhai Heads, New Zealand PHOTOGRAP H E R Craig “CPL” Levers James: This shot was taken on the inside section which I call Playgrounds, because it’s so much fun to foil. It’s a very long wave, so best surfed on the outgoing tide which takes you all the way out to Sentinel Rock where we roll-in. You can either chip in and make a few connections on the outside or choose a bigger roll-in and ride it to the Surf Club. On a clean swell it’s not unusual to get one-and-a-half minute rides off these, so I’ll normally choose the latter. It looks choppy in the shot, but it was actually offshore that day.

There’s a lot of water moving out through the channel and as the tide drops it can get messy.

E XP OS UR E

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STILL LOOKING FOR YOUR MOJO?

PHOTO: MIRIAM JOANNA | RIDER: THÉO DE RAMECOURT, LUKE MCGILLEWIE

# F I N D Y O U R M O J O

THEN LET US HELP YOU. SIZES: 2.8 / 3.5 / 4.5 / 5.2 / 6.2 / 7.0 WWW.FLYSURFER.COM 49

R I D E R Daniel Dingerkus LO C AT I ON Dahab, Egypt P HOTO GR A P HE R Markus Greber Daniel: Dahab is a small village on the east side of the Sinai-Halfisland.

It’s surrounded by mountains and desert, with not much living in it. The complete opposite to what we found in the ocean. Lots of fishes of all kinds of colors, intact reefs and very clean water. So we went out and joined the sealife...

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RI DER Nathan van Vuuren & Bowien van der Linden LOC AT ION Big Bay PHOTOGRAP H E R Sjaak van der Linden Ivan van Vuuren: This really was quite a unique day as we all knew it could be the last of our amazing South Easter winds and waves combo for the summer season in Cape Town. Rushing down to Big Bay right before sunset to test the last bit of Signature wingsurf gear, Nate knew he only had a short time to get out to ride, jump and tweak some of the moves he had been attempting all summer. Just when he thought he was styling, this young girl from the Netherlands arrives with her dad Sjaak (a photographer who used to film us when we were young pro windsurfers), rigs up her wing and before we knew it she was charging waves and flying through the air. Bowien is no doubt a name we’re going to hear more about in the future and just like Nathan in this pic, don’t be shocked when she boosts over your head at 100mph across the bay…

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E XPOS U R E

RIDE R James Casey LOC AT ION Sydney PHOTOGRAP H E R Sam Brisby James: What a morning for a bit of testing! I was trying out a new Sunova x Casey Pilot in some nice clean conditions at the favorite local spot at home.

Blue skies and some tasty wedges, it certainly was a fun morning trading out the whip with Zane Westwood. While it was a little smaller than what it had been for previous sessions, sometimes smaller means you can push just that little bit harder and get closer to the peak…

E XP OS UR E

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IS L E OF W I GHT TO POOL E ON AN E-FOI L T O M

C O U R T

We’ve seen a few videos here and there of besuited men cruising around on eFoils, but this new one from Tom Court had us a little more intrigued as, at a glimpse, it looked like he was literally in the middle of the ocean… Turns out this was kind of the case. We caught up with Tom to hear about his lunchtime jolly off the south coast of the UK…

Hi Tom. It looks like you covered a lot of distance. What are we talking?

So the distance from the Isle of Wight to Poole, Sandbanks, is around 35km as the crow flies from the Needles. However, for this challenge, I left from Yarmouth harbour on the end of the pier, and traveled via Hurst Castle, the Needles and then made the full crossing across the open ocean. It ended up being around 38km in total. It was a lot further than I expected and it’s a strange feeling being out in the middle of nowhere with nothing but a Fliteboard and a suit, flying along the water… it was a new foiling experience for me!

You had quite the crowd show up to see you off… what did they make of your eFoil antics?

Yes, in the end I had quite a send-off from the island as I walked the board through the town before heading off to sea, lots of people were interested in the board and also the challenge. It's the nice thing about living on an island, people are always motivated for new and interesting ways to travel by water, as island life is dictated by the sea. It was nice to have a few cheers before leaving.

What Fliteboard setup were you riding?

At the moment I have the Series 1 Pro board, however soon I will get the Series 2 Pro and possibly the Ultra for some different uses. I have been super impressed by my Series 1 Pro board as it has been super reliable, easy to use and get people started into foiling as well as its incredible range. I am looking forward to experimenting with some different wings, boards and models to try to improve the range and distance that a Fliteboard can travel. I am also super excited to use the free spin prop in the waves, it will be epic to ride some decent waves with the Ultra with footstraps… I feel the future is coming with this one!

And what was your top speed out there?

I have hit 54km/h before as my top speed on the Series 2 Pro with a Race wing setup, however for the long distance I was using the Cruiser wing, slightly larger for better glide, traveling a little slower, around 30km/h for the whole distance. I was sitting on level seven

on the hand controller for most of the crossing… nice and steady and trying to ride the wakes of distant boats in order to gain maximum efficiency.

Did you have any back up support for the ride?

I had a support boat for filming, also for safety as at some points I was miles from land and with some of the world’s most dangerous tides around the Solent it was vital to have support if anything went wrong. It also allowed us to get these epic shots!

Was it daunting at all being out in the open water and reliant on battery charge?

It’s always a weird feeling being miles out to sea, however with nothing except a Fliteboard in a suit (no wetsuit) it was very strange.

Nothing except the hand controller and the battery charge to keep you going, no wind, no waves… Yes, an awesome feeling. It really helped me to be confident in the board and the setup too.

This looks like a pretty sunny day for the UK… did it last?

We were super lucky with the weather, and that was a big part of the plan to make sure that the sea wasn’t too rough, the tides were right and there wasn’t a headwind. So as it happened, we scored the hottest day of the year so far, perfectly flat and couldn’t have worked out better. However, if the wind did pick up, it wouldn’t take much for it to become quite serious out there, quite quickly!

Where did the glass of bubbly appear from on the trip back?

Once we had made it to Poole and the main challenge was complete, we went for lunch, plugged the battery in for an hour-and-a-half of complete charge and naturally had a few beers to celebrate. On the way back, I buzzed old Harry Rocks, Bournemouth Pier and finally getting back to Yarmouth we got some bubbly from the harbor, and I took a victory lap in front of Yarmouth to finish the day off in style…

Be honest… we know Daniel Craig is on the way out. Was this your official Bond pitch?

What can I say… I am working on it!

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MAKANI ANDREWS

Coming of the roster to the

to winging from a competitive sailing background, Makani Andrews is part up-and-coming crop of youngsters who will, no doubt, feature in the of big name pros in future. We caught up with him while on a recent trip mainland US…

Hey Makani! So first let’s find out the basics: how old are you and where do you live?

I’m 13 and I live in Kaneohe on the windward side of Oahu, Hawaii.

Where are your local spots to foil out there?

We live close to the sandbar at Kaneohe Bay which is only accessible by boat. It’s a great flatwater place to practice tricks as it’s protected on the lee side, with an option to ride outside in swell. It’s about a mile long and typically with steady trade winds.

Kailua beach park on the windward side is also close by and popular with pretty consistent 5-meter conditions. Castles is at the far end of Kailua Beach and is fun when the breeze is up with an east wind swell. Even when there are surfers out there, the outside is really fun with waves that you can only ride with a wing and ride all the way in.

Diamond Head on the south shore is almost always windy with good waves and side shore winds. I usually stay upwind of all the surfers closer to Cromwell’s Beach. When the trades are blowing, there is always a good swell and is best in summer. It usually blows 20-25 with overhead south swells.

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My favorite spot though is outside Velzyland on the North Shore, it’s called Revolutions. Phantoms is even further outside and you can catch big north swells for a few hundred yards. The north swells can get really big and travel fast. It makes it fun to ride with friends and sometimes we all ride three or four to a wave. I think I’ve hit my top speed there on a really big day. On the way back out you can catch giant air with the updrafts on the swells.

Have you been in the water today? And if so how was it?

We are actually visiting family on the east coast US. Today we took a boat out to Fisher’s Island, NY, about three miles from the Connecticut shore. I brought my foil but there wasn’t much wind so I did some dock starts with my high aspect foil. A group of us headed out on a boat and took turns tow foiling which is great for learning new tricks and launching as high as you can! Tomorrow is supposed to be windy, and we will head to Sandy Point just a few hundred yards from Stonington, CT and Watch Hill, RI. This is protected on the north side and Napatree Point to the south is open to the ocean swell.

Tell us about what you’re riding…

I ride an ELS 4’5” for surf foiling and I actually learnt to wing on it as well. I also have a custom wingboard shaped by Tim Carroll out of Sunset Beach. My favorite foil for winging and tow foiling is the Unifoil 150 Vortex. It’s a great all-around foil for freestyle and bigger waves. For pumping and smaller surf I use the Unifoil Hyper 150. It’s a high aspect foil and glides and pumps really really fast. It also turns fast with the short fuselage and the 13” Kane tail.

Who’s been your biggest mentor, and who do you look up to the most?

My favorite riders to watch are Tito and Radiculo. They are probably the two best freestyle riders in the world and I like to watch their clips and try to pull off the moves even if I keep blowing up wings! So thanks to Marc Barra and Ullman wings for always repairing my screw ups. I really want to get over to Maui where they are also doing crazy big wind tricks and there are some insane people over there besides Kai Lenny, like the Spencer brothers.

Have you had a chance to travel much? If so, where’s your favourite spot to foil away from home?

I haven’t traveled much since I only started winging at the beginning of the pandemic, but I have competed in sailing world championships in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. I’d love to make it back to New Zealand and Australia with some foil gear. There are so many fun people and venues that I’d love to get back to with foils!

I did bring my foil to Kauai recently and lucked out by meeting up with Mateo Ell and his dad. They have a jet ski and launch right in front of their house. Tow foiling is the best and similar to winging in waves but easier, since you just get whipped in and can go for big airs on big waves. I’m really looking forward to getting over to Maui.

I’ll be sailing over there for a Labor Day annual race and I’ll bring over my wingfoil gear. My friend Cameron sails with us and we both love to wing in the windiest spots possible.

Foil tech is still advancing at quite the pace. 10 years from now when you’re 23, how are things looking and what’s everyone riding?

10 years from now I can imagine foiling being super popular and a big wingfoil tour with course racing stops in all the great locations around the world in the windy spots. There will also probably be a separate freestyle/wave tour like the WSL that could share some of the similar destinations like Fiji, Mexico, North Shore Oahu and other insane surf locations with wind! Who knows, it might even be an Olympic sport by then. I’m sure everything will get more efficient and lighter with new wing designs without having to pump them.

For race wings, they will probably figure out the foil wings like the kite racers are using and have more similar foils to the kite foils for high-speed foiling.

Tell us about your perfect session…

I like to wing with my good friends Cameron, Mani, Torik and Mala’e.

We are all about the same age and like to wing big waves on small wings! I’d say 10’ north swell, 25 knot side offshore winds at Phantoms would be a pretty perfect day…

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T H E S L AB A gnarly bit of shallow mid-Atlantic reef became somewhat of a proving ground for Clement Roseyro and friends as they set out to see exactly what was achievable on a foil. Happily, everything went to plan…

WORDS CLEMENT ROSEYRO PHOTOS EDUARDO VIDCHAR

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"WE KNOW THE WAVE QUITE WELL AS WE SURF AND KITE ON IT OFTEN, BUT WE HAD NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT FOR FOILING. IT'S A FAST, SLABBY TYPE OF WAVE, BREAKING OVER A SHALLOW REEF." 65

I have been hanging around the Canary Islands for a while now. I went there first to learn kitesurfing a few years back, but I fell in love with the potential for doing all kinds of water sports there, and I keep going back every winter since then! It feels like my second home now and it is also the place where I tried foiling for the first time. The reputation of the Canary Islands as the European Hawaii is definitely not a myth… Even if it has been a bit crowded for surfing lately, the potential that foiling has to offer is huge. There are so many perfect foiling waves that surfers don't even consider, so many outside reefs with no one around, it is basically like a wave pool for foilers. We had so much fun discovering plenty of unridden spots all along the north shore of the islands.

This particular day didn't start that good. It was a little overcast, slightly windy but I’d just arrived on the island and the waves were pumping, so we had to go out. We set out to look for waves with my friend Tommy (who I own foilsurfing.club with, a company dedicated to teaching foiling, wingfoiling and providing tow foiling for riders who want to catch three-minute long waves...) and my French teammate Martin Vitry, who happens to be one of the best SUP racers in Europe!

We looked for a while and didn't find anything that suited us… it was a little too choppy everywhere for foiling. But on the way back we stopped at this place. We know the wave quite well as we surf and kite on it often, but we had never thought about it for foiling. It's a fast, slabby type of wave, breaking over a shallow reef. But the fact that this wave is really close to the shore kind of keeps the face cleaner than other waves we’d checked before that. That day was a little too heavy for surfers and bodyboarders to be paddling into it, and the tide might have been a bit too low too, so we had the place empty for a while. We pride ourselves on never doing any jet ski towin sessions if there are surfers around: we consider it both unsafe and unethical.

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"I GOT CLOSER AND CLOSER AND EVENTUALLY ENDED UP IN THE VERY HOLLOWEST PART OF THE WAVE. THIS IS WHEN IT CLICKED… IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO GET BARRELED!"

We thought we’d give it a try, first just staying on the shoulder, but as time passed and our confidence built up, I got closer and closer and eventually ended up in the very hollowest part of the wave. This is when it clicked… it might be possible to get barreled! At that time, no one had done a barrel when foiling, or at least there were no pictures of it anywhere. I had previously got barreled there on a surfboard and also on a kiteboard, so I knew it was a good possibility. So we decided that I should try.

The equipment I used was probably not the most ideal but in the end it worked surprisingly well! I had the Fanatic 80cm mast with the 90cm front wing… But if I had to do it again I would probably try it with a smaller front wing to keep more control at high speeds.

Also, a lighter mast and fuselage would probably be safer in case of wipeouts (I had a few close calls where the barrel closed out in front of me and I had to bail, praying for the foil to pass away from me...).

It is pretty technical to get into this barrel because you have to approach it from the opposite side. Imagine you’re taking off to go left but you have to cross under the lip to go right at the last moment. I used all my surfing experience to time it to perfection… If I turned too late I’d risk a lip to the face and a pretty heavy wipeout (keep in mind the maximum water depth there is probably around one meter). If I turned too early, I’d leave the barrel too far behind.

It all went so fast, but the feeling of having the lip above my head, even for a fraction of a second, standing on a foil, is such a rush! I’m used to getting barreled surfing, kiting or even on a SUP, but there is something special doing it on a foil. Some may argue that it wasn't deep enough to be a proper barrel, but I'll be back next year to make sure I get a fully covered barrel…

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WA N T S O ME MORE F O I L I NG FUN? 68

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Rider: Adrian Geislinger Photo: Benjamin Geislinger

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LI N K ING THE C HAIN We do love a good backdrop here at Foiling Magazine, so when we were made aware of this pretty unique team session deep in Florida’s expansive wetlands, we got in touch with our old pal Louis Floyd and asked him to tell the tale, and not to leave out any alligator encounters…

WO R DS LO U I S F LOY D PHOTOS GARRETT CORTESE

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A

s athletes we wait all year for that special moment where we all get to come together and see all the new product that is lined up for the following year that we’ve all been working so hard on in the flesh. For Slingshot, that was a few weeks ago and as usual the product did not disappoint. After the two years we’ve had between hurricanes in Florida cancelling Surf Expo and the unfortunate events with Covid this past year it was nice for us to all finally be together to have this experience.

Myself, Jeff McKee, Dylan Miller, James Jenkins, and a few others had a couple of boats to take full advantage for a few days in the Clermont chain of lakes. I believe it’s close to 16 different lakes, all connected by canals. The unique thing about the Clermont Chain is the amount of cypress trees that surround the water. The tree roots have turned the water an almost brown Root Beer color.

Now, with living in Florida, especially during the summer, hurricane season is just something that comes with the territory. I mention this because the week before we were all supposed to get together, we got a warning for our first hurricane of the season. In the back of my mind I’m thinking “that’s it”, we’re going to have to cancel or we’re going to have to reschedule when everyone’s schedule lines up again because when it rains in Florida, it pours. Sometimes it rains for five minutes, sometimes it rains for five hours. I have to give it to McKee though, I think him being a Florida native means it’s in his blood with knowing how to predict the weather. The day after the storm that didn’t end up showing, we had perfect conditions. I guess you can take the man out of Florida, but you can’t take Florida out the man! So, we continued with the set team plans.

I knew most of the team members that were in town and have previously heard about and had seen James Jenkins killing the surf scene through social media. It wasn’t until I met James and saw his riding that I really appreciated the effort that he was putting into foiling. His style of riding is more like ocean surfing. Boat foiling was a little tame for him, it didn’t mean that he couldn’t show us his skills and pump circles around us. It’s always awesome meeting and seeing another teammate’s riding style. I feel as if riders who are used to riding behind the boat are a little spoilt with the means of having someone swinging back around and picking you up so you don’t work as hard when you get back up and pump the next wave. But, when you’re in the ocean, it’s better to stay on your feet and work your way back to the next wave, or at least that’s what it looks like when we’re watching the transition from a distance…

We aimed for the typical morning and evening light for shooting and trying out the upcoming gear, but it was during our downtime, hanging out during the day and exploring where we really got see the Clermont chain, and let me tell you I felt like I was taken out of what I’ve known and have seen before and had been thrown into a Steve Irwin movie. We went down canals where you needed to be up on plane because they were that shallow compared to where we had been before, and then when we traveled under the older bridges, we had to drop towers and take foils down because they were that narrow and tight.

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L I NKI NG T H E C H A I N

We went on an adventure where we started in your traditional lake and the next thing we knew, just one canal over, it changed drastically. Before we knew it all you could drive through was a winding strip complete with reeds and lily pads, making sure not to hit any stumps left over from the old fallen trees. It wasn’t a drive for an inexperienced boat driver. The views as a passenger were breathtaking though, the lily pads would play tricks on you, making you think there was an alligator chilling there but the only thing we saw whilst on our ride were a few turtles... Nonetheless it was an experience I would love to do again if given the chance!

The weather in Central Florida is pretty predicable when it comes to wet weather. Normally, in the middle of the summer there’s an 80% chance that it will rain, so you always keep that in mind. Midday we could see that the weather was starting to change, so we stopped by the local slipway to grab some gas, meaning that we didn’t have to run back up to the house, out to the gas station and return hours later; it was done on the spot. We grabbed a few cold ones and tacos from the food truck and jumped back on the boats and headed out.

The rain showed up, but we only got the outlying bands, and it made for an epic evening with some moody backdrops.

Around the corner from where we had started from that morning there was a group of trees that we were all eyeballing and all thinking the same thing. We loaded the ballast, got the foils out and started riding lines around and through the old cypress trees. After a few goes we got comfortable and started to figure out our lines through them. We all fell victim to roots we couldn’t see under the black water but no scraps… just some big laughs. We then linked a line, shared waves to get through some of the gaps and enjoyed the glassy water and epic sunset after an evening’s shower. We got back to where we parked the boats in complete darkness… pretty difficult to say the least, especially when you’re trying to find everything that needs to come off the boat.

We spent a total of four days out on the chain, catching up with old friends that we don’t get to see that often, met some new ones and overall had a really great time. Team trips don’t happen all the time, but when they do we get to capture some magic because you get a group of people that are all trying to push something in all different directions. It’s awesome seeing everyone’s different riding style come together so cohesively and in unison, especially when new gear comes out. We got to test our skills on the water and really enjoy it all. It’s always a lot of fun encouraging your teammates or have them encourage you while riding and capturing some epic shots and moments.

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W HERE E AGL ES DA RE Luke Atkinson’s local river spot in Australia is not for the faint-hearted. Between various obstacles(some of which have sharp teeth) and a big tidal range, you definitely need to know what you’re doing if you’re heading into the line-up. But the prizes can be worth the risk…

W O R D S L U K E AT K I N S O N PHOTOS STEVE MCCORMACK

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W

e are super lucky where we live in far north New South Wales, with a massive selection of waves for all conditions.

This session was at the mouth of the Richmond River, one of the local stomping grounds where a lot of local foilers have honed their skills, both tow foiling and prone. This spot works particularly well on an outgoing tide, as the water runs out against the waves, they stand up and get a nice steep face. With the right conditions these waves continue right down the river for about one kilometer or more. It can however be quite a dangerous spot…

Firstly, dealing with the outgoing tide can be quite a test of the paddling strength, continuously paddling against the water to stay on the bank. There have been a few occasions where people have been sucked outside the mouth and had to scramble up the wall.

Secondly, the debris! With the tide moving out, particularly after big rain events, logs, trees, crab traps, floats and even the occasional boat I have seen wash out of the river. When you’re on a foil you don’t want to run into these and there have been some close calls!

Then the last major factor of foiling and surfing here is the marine life.

It is a very fishy place with dolphins and sharks using the area as a hunting ground and even recently a whale entering the river. Schools of mullet washing out with the tide attract a lot of this attention and, being a fisherman also, I see lots of sharks in this river, generally small, but definitely there and feeding. Some days you can actually feel the foil hitting mullet as you’re gliding… All in all it’s an amazing spot in an amazing place and to be able to use the foil to explore and make the most of waves in any conditions is really a privilege.

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"ON SOME OF THESE WAVES, I WAS DOING ALL I COULD TO JUST KEEP THE FOIL IN THE WATER AND GLIDE INTO THE NEXT SECTION."

This day was pretty raw with onshore winds and about 4-5ft of swell.

I was riding a Carbon Co custom Vape, 4'6 and 29L, with an AXIS 680 Surf Wing (one of their first releases) with a 370 rear wing and 75cm mast. This setup is my go-to for steep fast waves, carving and surf turns. I also have a 910 wing that is handy for smaller days or when the tide is moving extra fast, allowing a little extra glide and distance if you need to recover some ground.

Inside, the rivermouth was holding the swell really nicely and the banks were setting the waves up nice and steep with plenty of whitewash. The waves kept going through fat sections and re-forming into some quite steep drops, which made for some challenging but extremely fun foil waves with lots of speed. On some of these waves, I was doing all I could to just keep the foil in the water and glide into the next section. Some of the longer waves were continuing right down the river for just over a kilometer, but the steeper, surfier waves were up at the mouth.

On one of the waves I can distinctly remember holding on for dear life and afterwards, my mate Toby, who also frequents the rivermouth, was frothing out on the speed and reckoned that if I fell I would’ve just about ruptured my eardrum. For me, the froth and stoke between mates coupled with the flow, glide and unmatchable speed of foiling is what it’s all about and keeps me coming back for more.

Shout out to the local foil crew for being legends, always pushing and supporting each other through the journey!

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DESIGNED AND ASSEMBLED IN CANADA 87

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UNIFOIL VYPER

Those clever bods at Unifoil (notably the chief Clifford Coetzer and team rider Adam Bennetts) merged the best bits of Unifoil’s Hyper and Vortex systems which, helpfully, gave them this excellently badass name as well as a high-quality surf foil. Well done fellas.

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02 RRD AIR BELUGA

RRD have released their super stiff, ultra light inflatable wingboard, ideal for anyone backpacking their way to the water’s edge. It has a trapezoidal outline (worth a Google if you’re not up on your Euclidean geometry) and comes in four sizes. Ideal for all levels of rider.

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03 NORTH SONAR ACCESSORIES

Strap yourself in securely to North’s Sonar range with their sturdy leash offerings. For wingfoiling, pair up the waist leash and quick release board leash.

Then for downwinders and waveriding, or when using the Nova wing’s wrist leash, the calf leash will sit nicely above the water, negating any unwanted drag.

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04 FREEWING AIR V2

The second coming for this collaborative wing from the combined water sport muscle of Starboard and Airush. More stable, more stiff, and more speedy than V1, the FreeWing AIR V2 is optimized with harness attachment points to allow for a more relaxing mega-downwinder.

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05 VAYU FLY

The high volume but compact Fly board from Vayu was built for one purpose: to make wingfoiling as easy as possible. Its wide width allows for easy knee-starts and centered and stable positioning and a bit of chop no longer need be a barrier to pumping like a pro…

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06 ARMSTRONG HA925

A co-development between Armie Armstrong and America’s Cup helmsman Pete Burling, Armstrong’s new HA925 has certainly earned its stripes and has even been put through its paces by legendary sailor Jimmy Spithill too. So plenty of top-end R&D sitting in this high-performing and fast high aspect foil wing…

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Dylan wichman

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unifoil

pre-order now at www.uni-foil.com

Photo by Kyle cabano

07 FLYSURFER MOJO (DARK EDITION)

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“A classic Flysurfer mixture of an innovative build and high attention to detail” was the conclusion our Technical Editor gave when he tested the MOJO for the last issue of the magazine.

So if that convinced but you’ve yet to buy, why not opt for their ninja-stealthy ‘Dark Edition’…

08 SPG ULTRA NATURE

Seen under the feet of rider Nathan van Vuuren recently, the Ultra Nature from Signature Performance Gear moves slightly to the left of that posh carbon composite look and instead has a more ‘au naturel’ look. Don’t be fooled though… it’s still packed with SPG tech, including 3D Calculated Volume Distribution for easier wave catching.

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09 TAKUMA TK55-140 CARBON

Takuma’s all-rounder with full carbon construction TK55 board is built to be reliably stable at high speed, deliver pure performance, and to take hard knocks. It also benefits from Takuma’s ‘GDeck’, letting riders reduce the volume and size of your board compared to what you’re used to without compromising performance.

10 NAISH MATADOR

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So named for its similarity to a bull fighter’s cape, this compact-shaped, wave-focused wing from Naish is covered in more detail over in our Inbound section this issue. To quote Robby Naish himself: “Matador perfectly describes the look and feel of flagging the wing while riding a swell or wave, which is what this wing was specifically designed to do…”

11 AXIS HPS 830

HPS means High Performance Speed, and the 830 has proven itself as such an amazing performance front wing in the AXIS range that we hear it’s now the ‘goto’ for all the ferry and container ship wake-riding that’s going down in San Francisco Bay. Fast, stable, and accessible to all levels of rider.

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INSPIRED BY HUMBACK WHALES By mimicking nature’s powerful and efficient organisms, combined with our design expertise, we’ve developed the ultimate foil to evolve your sensations of flying above water.

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12 LEVITAZ SHAKA HA

As we go to print, Levitaz’s new HA series of wings are arriving and, given Levitaz’s often cited attention to detail in previous gear we’ve tested, we’re super excited to get these on the water.

More soon...

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13 SLINGSHOT FWING PHANTASM 926 & 928

Slingshot’s versatile freeride winging-focused Phantasm foils offer a very user-friendly blend of early lift, stability and ease of use for all levels of rider, with a stiff carbon mast and extreme pumping capability. The result of two years of deep Slingshot R&D….

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AK HELMET & VEST

AK Durable Supply Co’s Riot Helmet and CE Flotation Vest offer up some pretty damn stylish levels of protection for foil users, and ideal for those riders who like to go hard, whether that’s attempting a double backflip on a wing or heading out into the deep blue on a long downwinder…

15 LIFT 250 HA

Lift’s 250 High Aspect wing is a dialed-in surf monster. Finely tuned for high performance levels out in the waves, the 250 HA is not shy when let loose and certainly not one for the entry level crew. Visit their Surf line-up instead if that sounds like your kind of ride.

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16 PWRFOIL HAND-SHAPED EFOIL

French eFoil company PWRFOIL just announced a new ‘handshaped’ eFoil board service. You get to choose the material, color and board size, and PWRFOIL’s in-house shaper takes care of the rest. At the time of print this service is only available by email or phone, so drop them a line if you’re interested.

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17 OCEAN RODEO GLIDE

Ocean Rodeo’s work with the new ultra light and strong ALUULA composite material has certainly been hot news in the kiteboarding world and looks set to do the same over here on the wingfoiling side. Find out more over in our Inbound section...

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STING LIKE A BEE

BEE 7’8”, 8’2”

RIDERS ADAM LEWIS, ARTHUR ARUTKIN,

T H E B E E I S T H E U LT I M A T E W A T E R S P O R T S - W E A P O N .

V I CTO R F E R N A N D E Z, O L I V I A J E N K I NS

F O U R D I F F E R E N T D I M E N S I O N S O F WAT E R S P O R TS I N TO O N E

P H OTO F ISH B OW L D I A R I E S, TO BY B RO M W I CH

B OA R D: S U P S U R F I N G, S U P F O I L I N G, W I N G F O I L I N G A N D W I N DS U R F F O I L I N G – YO U D E C I D E O N T H E S E T U P YO U R I D E !

FA N AT I C.C O M / F O I L I N G

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FINDING

Take a bunch of team riders with a thirst for adventure and a Brand Manager who knows a thing or two about some distant, dusty, desert waves – and give them all a reason to go there – and you have the perfect blend for an epic trip. Factor in a lack of crowds because of you-know-what and, well, does it get much better?

WORDS BRANDON SCHEID PHOTOS ERIC DURAN

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Long roping left-hand point breaks, dusty desolate roads, empty groomed offshore lineups, windswept coastlines and smiles upon smiles upon smiles.

Creating captivating assets for marketing is never an easy task, especially in the conditions-dependent wind sport world. Swell, wind, light, action, and the cameras all need to line up in that one magical moment. Companies spend thousands of dollars and invest a plethora of time in order to capture these “magical” moments. With the hope that, in the long run, they will help sell their products to awe inspired consumers. There is always so much effort that goes into planning these trips, and a lot riding on their success. That’s why when you start to plan these style of trips, you try to find a place that provides reliable and predictable conditions. Additionally, you hope it’s not somewhere everyone goes, as you want to have a unique feel to your brand’s content. As if it wasn’t already hard enough to find, overlay all that with the Covid chaos that the world is still reconvening from, and the list of locations somewhat dwindles down… This left Ride Engine Brand Manager Gary Siskar scratching his head for a suitable location to shoot the 2022 RE product launch. Being that Ride Engine offers a diverse line of wind sport products, we knew the first big challenge would be to find a place that offered high quality reliable conditions for both kitesurfing, foiling and the budding new sport of wingfoiling. We also needed a crew that was vaxxed, highly motivated, travel savvy, and multi-sport capable. After a few long brainstorming sessions in the Hood River office, the riders and filmers were carefully selected and the list of locations narrowed down.

THE CREW

Joining Gary Siskar and myself on our “work” trip was a well-rounded cast of characters. Our diverse crew of riders consisted of: Kylie “Shredzilla” Zermati, one of two shred sisters who easily logged the most on-water time of the trip; Kaden “The Tongue” Sponhauer, goofy footer, trip grom, lord of the froth, and deadly precise on his front hand; the dangerous duo of Matt and Moriah, hailing from the cold waters of Santa Cruz and well accustomed to big exposed conditions; Jesse Faen, long time surf frother, easily our best composed under a heaving lip; Coleman Buckley, the spark that started the Ride Engine fire; Bryan “Bry-Guy” Metcalf-Perez, video extraordinaire, pro windsurfer, and wing enthusiast; and finally, Eric Duran, the man with the iron quads and tack sharp focus. With the team selected, all we needed now was a good swell forecast and a promising spot on the map. There was a lot of places thrown around, but at the end of the day we needed somewhere beautiful, untouched, uncrowded, and most of all, with pumping conditions. Drawing on years of travel experience, and one hell of a pros and cons list, Gary finally decided that we would roll the dice and head off into the land of long groomed left-hand point breaks, Northern Peru.

Gary, prior to taking over at Ride Engine, lived, operated a business, and kited regularly in the northern Peruvian deserts. He always talked fondly about his time there, and often recounted stories of epic windy and wavy sessions with no one else around. Sounds dreamy no doubt, however currently Peru has the highest death rate vs. popula-

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tion from the Covid virus. It has been one of the worst hit countries in South America, if not the world. The area we were planning on visiting won’t be expected to see their first doses of the vaccine for another year or so, and the country was under strict restrictions to try and contain and control the spread of the Covid virus. Not exactly what you want to hear about the place you are resting all your shooting hopes and dreams on. All these restrictions made it challenging, if not impossible, for most people from visiting countries to be allowed to travel into Peru. As bad as all this was, it ended up being a blessing in disguise for the success of our trip. While it made getting us into the country a little trickier, it also limited others from coming, leaving the normally semi-crowded lineups empty.

THE GEAR

Ride Engine was founded on the idea that a purpose-built quality product will deliver reliable performance day in and day out, no matter the conditions. While we all love to believe this product forward mantra when designing the products on the computer in the comforts of the air-conditioned office, when they were put to the test in the harsh desert environment of Northern Peru, they delivered, often exceeding our expectations. The Sechura desert in Northern Peru is one of the most desolate and harsh environments I have had the pleasure of exploring in quite some time. Hours of blistering hot sun exposure, stout offshore winds, salt laden air, and powerful and dense waves ready to pound you and your gear into submission.

Every day, like clockwork, the gear got haphazardly stuffed into bags, toted down long dusty roads in the back of the Hi-Lux, only to be quickly ripped out of the bags into the harsh UV and salt water for hours on end. Needless to say, we were really putting the gear to the test, in a place where getting things repaired or replaced was out of the question. Whether this was the luggage stuffed to the breaking point, wetsuits worn for hours barely dry from the last session, outer wear pulled from its wadded up hiding place deep in the truck, or all manner of leashes, rash guards, impact vests, foot straps, and harnesses… the gear performed in every situation no matter what was thrown at it. This is a testament to the hard work that goes into designing these products, and it’s something we took for granted while there. Our gear worked flawlessly with little thought needed and it let us focus on the important tasks at hand, like shredding until we couldn’t stand anymore.

THE SHREDDING

Northern Peru is known for one thing when it comes to wind and water sports – long clean roping left-hand pointbreaks. Additionally, thanks to its desert landscape and topography, there is reliable trade style wind almost every sunny day. Like clockwork, with the heating of the surrounding desert, the morning's howling offshore winds would slowly rotate to perfect side/side-offshore conditions. This not only made for amazing riding almost every day of the trip, it also kept the wave faces clean and extremely rippable. One of the best things about the area we were in was the sheer variety of points, bays, and waves we could tap into. In just one hour’s drive from our house in El Nuro, we could ride over twenty different spots. Some were amazing world class waves, very much on the map, while some others were never ridden waves so far off the beaten path that they often don’t even get checked regularly. This made making the day’s call on F E AT U R E

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shooting location all the harder. Do we go to the known spots, deal with the crowd, and ride a world class wave? Or do we risk wasting a shooting day driving into the unknown with hopes of finding the next “go to” spot? We had all the traditional gear necessary (surfboards, foils, kites and kiteboards) to make the most of every spot no matter the conditions. Thankfully we also brought a bag of new toys, our prized wingfoiling gear. Because the sport of wingfoiling is so new, it had hardly been seen in the area. When the wingfoiling gear got pulled out, all the local surfers and kitesurfers dropped what they were doing and pointed their gaze to the horizon. They could not believe how many waves we were able to catch, how long we were riding them, how the offshore direction didn’t faze our wave flow, and how much fun we were all having. Several surfers made a point to paddle in and come see what these “future machines” were and how they could learn to wing. It was obvious that the foils made the most of the downtime between sections and pushed the already long waves into the realms of fantasy. We’re talking ten-minute rides, seemingly never-ending sets, and not another wind powered soul in sight. Except for our ten strong group of frothers, of course. I’m not one to make bold claims, but thanks to the skills of our seasoned crew of wingfoilers, we were able to put the “first to wing” flag up on several of the more prominent points in the area, our adventures finally culminating in the discovery and first rides at a wave we dubbed “Wingvana”, a perfect three-mile-long point often overlooked by kitesurfers and surfers alike. More on that shortly.

Thanks to the experienced foresight from Gary, we were on the ground in Peru for two weeks. This gracious shooting period allowed us ample time to line up swells and dial in the intricacies of each individual spot. The famed Sechura desert points work mostly in the summer months with the onset of long period southern hemisphere ground swell. However, several of the spots also work in the winter months thanks to the same large NW swells that light up the Hawaiian Islands. This makes the area one of the most consistent spots for swell in all of South America. Thankfully, Mother Nature played her part and provided us with two large south swell events while we were there, the first hitting right out of the gate on the first three days.

This did a few key things. It helped satiate the built-up excitement and froth. It helped set the pace and tone for the trip. Finally, as we had a lot of products and sports to shoot, it took some of the initial pressure off the media team. Those first few days were a great way for the riders to get their feet in the wax, wrap their head around the setups, and start to work on the timing for attacking the lip. Turns out it’s really easy, when looking down the line of a perfectly groomed long wall, to become entranced and race the sections, rather than linger deeper in the pocket. Everyone needed some time to adjust their techniques and take feedback from the media team. Thankfully, that first big swell was followed by another big blip towards the end of the trip, allowing us to revisit some of the more promising spots again, this time with more swell, better light, and a few pairs of fresh legs. Both swells lined up amazingly for one of the famed points, Lobitos, and we took full advantage. This small surf town, literally in the middle of nowhere, was one of the easiest and most consistent spots we rode the whole trip. Normally quite crowded with surfers, Lobitos offers several sections for both traditional surfing and kitesurfing.

Luckily for us the strong winds and mellow crowds allowed us full access to the point for several wingfoiling or winging sessions. We were able to pick off almost every set wave, and not have to worry about frustrating the surf lineup.

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T H E R E WA R D S

Luckily, thanks to the large expanse of empty coastline, we were also easily able to escape the crowds. Just a short drive off the beaten path opened a whole new world of adventure. There was seemingly nowhere our Hi-Lux equipped crew couldn’t get to. This granted us a ton of adventuring confidence, and after studying the coastline via Google Earth we took off with a few promising points of interest to investigate. One of these turned out to be the pinnacle wingfoiling wave setup we had the pleasure of riding the whole trip, the aforementioned “Wingvana”, jokingly dubbed as such after the initial session as the quality and consistency of the spot was unparalleled to any other in the surrounding area. The long sand bottom point provided effortless rides for over three miles, and the wave face remained immaculate thanks to the howling offshore winds. The wave featured three big racy pitching sections, linked together with a series of big crumbly walls. You couldn’t really ask for a better setup to push yourself and the limits of the foils. However, as perfect as this spot was, there was still the small issue of exposure. One, we were riding at a desolate point in the middle of nowhere. Two, riding in almost straight offshore winds makes any small gear issue steamroll out of control quickly. Inevitably, when people put it on the line damage happens and, in our case, we snapped a few leashes and popped a few wings, resulting in some harrowing wing rescues and some long, lonely paddles of shame. Nothing like being stuck miles offshore, not being able to get back in… fun times! Even with all the personal exposure and the adventurous trek to the point, the crew just couldn’t get enough of Wingvana. After that first eye-opening day, none of us could stop thinking about the wave, and most conversations steered their way back to the question of the trip… “When are we going back to Wingvana?”. Luckily for us, the answer most days was a resounding “today” and the crew was able to get their fill of never-ending rides down the long green wall.

In classic bittersweet fashion, the last days of our trip dawned upon us quickly. The long days ticked by in a blur of sessions, laughs, new friends, amazing food, and even more amazing memories. As with anything, the trip had its ups and downs, but I for one wouldn’t have changed a thing. I would gladly endure another 36 hours of traveling while having one hell of a case of food poisoning if it meant I got to spend one more day with my new friends exploring the dusty roads of Northern Peru…

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Given that the weather can be pretty unpredictable in Kari Schibevaag’s extremely remote (but extremely beautiful) corner of Norway, it’ll be no surprise to most that the versatile sport of wingfoiling has quickly worked its way into Kari’s multi-watersport toolkit. The one person who is pretty surprised is Kari herself though…

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still remember when I started kiting, and how eager I was to learn the sport, to become better and ride more powerfully.

I wanted to spend as much time as possible in the water and could not get enough of it. I remember how hard it was to wait for the good windy days and how happy I was when I came out of the water from a good session. You had so much power, and the only thing I wanted was another windy day so I could get in the ocean.

I finally have this feeling again… The urge to just enter the water at any time. But it came with another water sport – wingfoiling. The first time I saw it I thought it looked stupid, but when I tried it, I got instantly hooked on it. Now it’s just like being back in the days when I learned how to kite. I wake up early when the wind is blowing, and I come out of the water feeling totally “game over”. It is such a great feeling, this feeling of happiness and motivation running through my body again. The energy I get from this is truly special. It is hard to explain it, but if you have experienced it, you know exactly what I am talking about.

The best thing about winging for me is that you can do this so many more days than you can kite, and especially where I live in Norway.

It is easy to just jump in the water from the rocks, and I can use the wind in the fjords or lakes and the gusty offshores to have fun. There are simply a lot more spots that work for winging than kitesurfing.

Since I started wingsurfing, I’ve gotten so many extra good windy days in the water… Even the hardcore gusty days that would never have worked with a kite are good for winging. You can use the gust to get up and ride, and when the wind drops, you can just sit back and relax and wait for the next gust to keep you going. It is also a good time to just sit and watch the nice mountains from the ocean and think about what you want to do while waiting for the next gust to give your wing the power it needs.

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The first time I saw it I thought it looked stupid, but when I tried it, I got instantly hooked on it.

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I live in my car and when I am driving, I always look for wind in the fjords. It is good to have a campervan when you do water sports in Norway because it makes it a lot easier to jump in the water. It is hardly ever over 20 degrees with nice weather to change outside in.

Living in a campervan and exploring Norway has been fantastic for my active lifestyle with water sports and other outdoor activities. After a session I can change indoors in the van and make myself some hot coffee or tea. The perfect warm up before yet another session.

Wingfoiling is still such a new sport that a lot of my inspiration for new tricks and to see the progression in the sport comes from watching what other athletes do on Instagram and Facebook. You can watch moves in the evening and then go out and test them the day after.

This makes it easy both to progress and to follow the progression on the sport. It has also made the times throughout the pandemic more fun, just following this new sport to see what is going on. We might have to stay in the same spots, but we can still have contact and motivate each other through digital communication, and that way pushing the sport and getting better.

I never thought I would say this, but I am now suddenly in love with the strong, gusty winds. I would never have even been able to imagine that before, but yes, the gust is suddenly my new best friend thanks to wingsurfing.

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PORSCHE When opportunity knocks – particularly if that opportunity is a paid trip to foil some of the most beautiful regions in France on the latest eFoil tech, and a chance to drive a top-of-therange Porsche – it should be grabbed with both hands.

Matahi Drollet did just that…

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Shooting for Porsche was such an incredible experience. When I left Tahiti I didn’t really know what to expect during the trip. I actually thought I was just going to France to shoot a small foiling segment for a Porsche commercial but when I got there I realized that in fact I was the main focal character for the whole project. I was super stoked to be involved and it was the beginning of two really fun and very intense weeks of work.

The whole crew was all set up and waiting for me, ready to shoot the very next day. The first week was mostly focused on shooting with the car, it was by far the nicest, fastest car I have ever driven! It was an awesome experience to work with the whole team to see how they get the best angles for images and videos. The car (a Taycan Cross Turismo) was so fun and smooth to drive that it never really felt like work, I was just having fun the whole time. That’s the dream right?

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"THE FIRST WEEK WAS MOSTLY FOCUSED ON SHOOTING WITH THE CAR, IT WAS BY FAR THE NICEST, FASTEST CAR I HAVE EVER DRIVEN" 117

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"IT WAS SUCH AN AWESOME EXPERIENCE TO FOIL IN PARIS, SOMETHING I WOULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED MYSELF DOING." F E AT U R E

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The first part of the shoot was located in the south of France, around the Pyrénées mountains... beautiful places with incredible landscapes. We then moved the set to Paris to get a few shots of me driving and foiling directly in front of the Eiffel Tower. It was such an awesome experience to foil in Paris, something I would never have imagined myself doing. We got really lucky with the weather, a sunny and glassy morning with a stunning sunrise. I was able to foil for almost two whole hours with the whole Seine river all to myself… unbelievable!

The same afternoon we headed out to Corsica, a beautiful island between France and Italy to shoot the rest of the foiling footage. The weather there was super nice, almost on par with Tahiti! It was a really enjoyable week, shooting with a smaller crew. I got the chance to try out the newest, soon to be released Takuma E-foil and also foil behind a ferry, which you can see in these shots. The food was also really good, the people were super nice and the places I was foiling were just so beautiful. I just want to thank Takuma and Porsche for letting me be part of such a nice and unique project: it was the dream trip.

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Winging has taken off around the world, as popular in the lazy tropical waters of the Caribbean as it is in bone-chilling frozen lakes and seas in the high northern hemisphere. Annabel van Westerop gets to experience both regularly, and here she lays out both the upsides and the downsides of winging in opposing seasons…

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water temperature of 27 degrees Celsius, that’s how I learned wingfoiling. Spoiled? Maybe. Although I didn’t feel so spoiled when I had to go from this heaven for wingfoiling back into a Dutch winter. Although currently living in the Netherlands, my roots are on the Caribbean island of Aruba. Luckily my parents were smart enough to stay when I decided to move back to Europe two years ago, so I have the perfect destination to travel to throughout the year.

I got the first opportunity to start winging in October last year, when a few of the locals offered me their setup and shared their skills. I was surprised as it was way more fun than I expected. Luckily North was just finalizing their production of the first wingfoiling setup. Back in Holland I got my hands on a set and was back on Aruba later that year to get going.

Foiling in the warm weather feels amazing of course, although I already bumped upon some first “summer struggles” quickly. One word, four letters: rash! We all know it from surfing, kitesurfing, and basically every other water sport you can think of, and winging is no different. There are many ways to get up on a wingboard and until you can fully sink your board with your feet in the straps, the risk of rash will be present. I started out on my knees, and while my knees lasted longer than expected, the tops of my feet were the first ones to give in. A week of winging with duct tape around my feet made me get creative with some other tactics of getting up. A key one was to keep the toes tucked, although my favorite, which I still use daily now, is to get up from sitting. However, that brought on the next one: bum rash! Thought I was looking all cute in my latest Mystic bathing suit when that one came around the corner. So after two weeks I was looking quite lovely out there: leggings, long rash guard over the impact vest, helmet, and even booties to walk outside over the reef.

Please feel free to picture it…

Coming back to Holland and, although freezing, it almost felt like a breath of fresh air at this point. Thick wetsuit, booties, gloves, cap, so no chance of rash anywhere, while still looking as normal and cool as everyone else out there. One good point for winter!

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And a second point for winter might come up quickly, because the wetsuit functions very well as a layer of protection. Everyone winging or foiling knows that you have some pretty crazy crashes. I’ve had a tough crash myself while kite foiling a few years back so I have huge respect for the foil. Even the crashes on the water itself can be harsh sometimes, so that protective layer all around feels very safe and comfortable so you can push even harder. 2-0 for winter.

It’s looking good for winter, but that ends pretty quickly once you’re cruising around and have zero grip in your hands and on the board.

Gloves and booties are extremely limiting in your grip, and quick actions like switching your hands takes more time meaning you might miss the handle or get snagged behind it as you simply don’t have as much responsiveness in your digits. If you’re using footstraps, the same happens with booties. In other words, you’re lacking control in two pretty essential parts, the hands and feet. A point in summer’s favor then.

Talking about lacking control… if you’ve ever been out in near zero degrees, you know that, gloves or not, at some point you’ll no longer feel your fingers. If I can’t even open the valve of my wing, how am I supposed to throw a frontside 360? And if only it stayed at the tingling of the fingers... the entire body is stiff and the wetsuit thick, so there is a significant decrease in flexibility, affecting everything from turns, to tricks, to the harshness of crashes. When the weather is warm your body is more relaxed and therefore everything feels easier and softer, including the water.

So... looks like it’s a tie between summer and winter.

How about a compromise? As winter came to an end in Europe, the weather was softer, and the wetsuit thinner. A sweet little trip to Tarifa also helped in the discovery of perhaps the best weather for winging. Bikini weather on the beach, and the water cold enough to have to wear a wetsuit, ideally a 3/2 or 4/3. No rash, a layer of protection, no gloves or booties, and a warm and functioning body equals the best winging weather, hands down. Solution found, although we might all have to move to the Mediterranean or Cape Town… Neither of which are bad options!

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Waiting out the dog days of summer isn’t easy if you’re a hardened big wave rider used to towing into and charging 100ft+ waves. But Benny Ferris – along with big wave tow-in partner and friend Laird Hamilton – aren’t the type to sit around and let the waves come to them. So they sought out some Central American swell opportunities and chucked the foils in the boardbag…

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Hey Benny. First up, where were these shots taken and how did you come to be out there with Laird?

Outside of the times you both meet up in mind-bending swells with the jetski, do you guys train together for those days in advance?

These photos are from a recent trip we did to Central America. Laird and I ended up there because summertime gets a little quiet in the Northern Hemisphere and you gotta get out and go explore. We wanted to go somewhere we hadn't been and this spot, deep in the jungle, we've never been to before. So it was exciting to go check out somewhere new. I think we always have to keep our horizons extending and even though we've been somewhere amazing, we gotta go somewhere else, even though we don't know what we're going to find.

Laird and I don't end up actually training together too much in the summertime, he's in California and I'm in Hawaii. So, outside of then is when most of the training happens, although we will link up some here and there. I just got back from spending some time with them in California and training, which was amazing. Him and his wife Gabby are amazing in their pursuit to continue getting better and progressing, no matter how good they already are. It's inspiring to go and be around that and to learn from it, and to continue pushing your own personal goals and challenging yourself endlessly. So yeah, we don't train together too much but in the wintertime we spend a lot of time on the water together and ultimately that's the best training, actually doing what you want to do to get better at it.

This seems like quite a playful session compared to some of the situations we often see you guys in…

This was a very playful and fun session. Definitely a lot more mellow than some of the other conditions that we ride in the wintertime. We do appreciate though how the foils, even when the waves are head high or a foot overhead, make the waves feel a lot bigger than they are. It can still be exciting and a lot of fun, even when it's only head high. And that's something that a lot of foilers understand and it's what keeps us intrigued.

You and Laird seem to have a great dynamic. How did you guys first meet?

We hear you wear multiple hats, Benny. Is it true you’re also a firefighter?

Yes, I do wear multiple hats! Foiler, farmer, firefighter, fisherman, all kinds of things. A lot of f-words ironically, but yeah, my real main job is as a firefighter on Kauai and it's great, I love my job.

You obviously manage risk very well, which I’m sure is a good trait to have in any big wave tow partner?

Laird and I first met on Kauai about 15 years ago, he had lived on Maui for a long time when I was a young kid, and then when I was a teenager, he moved back to Kauai and we met in the water, surfing I think, and over time became friends, and yeah, now we have a great dynamic and we're good friends and have a lot of fun riding waves together.

Firefighting and riding big waves have a lot in common for sure. You don't know what's going to happen and in the situations that you find yourself in, it's really important that you remain calm and collected and really just don't do anything stupid. If you just slow the situation down and think about what you're doing and think before you act and then everything turns out okay. I would definitely say that the big wave riding helps the firefighting. The firefighting is interesting

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"THAT'S KIND OF HOW THESE TRIPS TEND TO GO – GO AND HIT IT HARD, SPEND FIVE TO EIGHT HOURS IN THE WATER EVERY DAY FOR A HANDFUL OF DAYS AND THEN COME HOME!" because every day you go to work – relating it to big waves – it might be the equivalent of a hundred-foot swell and it might be the heaviest session of your life, but you don't know, because there's no swell forecast you can check beforehand. So that aspect of firefighting is extra challenging, and we have the saying "always be ready" because you never know when you're going to get the big one.

Tell us about what you guys were riding in Costa Rica.

Down there on this trip to the jungle, Laird and I were both riding our go-to SUP rigs. We can ride these rigs anywhere from like one foot to triple overhead and they work really well on all those conditions, which is nice because you can invest a lot of time and really get familiar with the setup. Laird's board is a 7'4 shaped

by Terry Chung. He's on an aluminum mast that Lift made for us and he's riding the 150 Surf V2 wing with the 38 tail, and then I'm on a similar setup. My board's also 7'4 but it's a lot narrower and thinner just because I'm a much smaller guy than Laird, and I'm on the Lift 100 Surf with the 32 Glide tail and that setup is so sweet...

Literally like knee high to triple overhead, that setup works good.

It's amazing.

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while you were out there?

This session that these photos are from was in the morning. We ended up doing a pretty long session that day and then that afternoon I think we changed locations and went a little bit more to the south. I don't remember real clearly, but pretty much all the days on the trip we'd do a morning and afternoon session, spend most of the day on the water, and that's kind of how these trips tend to go – go and hit it hard, spend five to eight hours in the water every day for a handful of days and then come home!

Nice tee that Laird's wearing. For those yet to SUP foil in decent surf… is it a lot harder than it looks?

Yes, it is definitely a lot harder than it looks. Pretty much anything Laird does is a lot harder than it looks. The guy is beyond talented and dedicated to everything that he does. But the stand-up paddling is definitely in there... It's challenging and Laird makes it look easy.

It's funny, we were out in the water in another lineup and a surfer randomly said, "Wow. You know you guys make that look so easy..." and I looked at him and smiled and said, "You know, it's a lot harder than it looks..."

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Where many would normally head for warmer climes and limited neoprene interference, Vayu team rider Steffi Wahl joined her teammates for a couple of photoshoots in the higher northern latitudes. Turns out, it has plenty of charms of its own…

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n these times, everything seems to be a little bit different. Being part of a new wing brand is something fresh for me and the guys behind it are absolutely on fire with their ideas. Living and developing almost everything in the north of Germany was a big challenge, but we are used to long and cold winter nights and I guess many good ideas develop out of those...

When it came to putting together a photoshoot, we just hopped into the Baltic Sea, as we always do. Here we love to surf in the wintertime. Sometimes you just need to change your perspective a little bit, and for me there is absolutely no reason to not create some great photos in our region, even in winter.

While crossing the border I felt a big relief. What a weird time! As Europeans, we are all so used to open borders, traveling to wherever we want to go in these lands with just our passport in our hands…

We are just not used to being restricted in moving, and it really is a big luxury to live without those restrictions. Our whole crew was so happy that the whole weekend looked set to be a good one, with everything lining up perfectly. Happy, easy travelling with a bunch of nice girls and guys, and a whole lot of water time in different spots.

The first pictures of our wings on the water were taken at the beginning of February, when a nice easterly breeze brought some cold and sunny weather to our coastline. Then when Denmark, our neighbouring country, opened the borders again at the beginning of June and the wind forecast was on, we got into our cars for a little team trip to our beloved North Sea and its endless coastline for some solid waves.

The first evening was very special. For me it was the first time in ages that I could sit indoors with a group of people, while enjoying a nice drink, chatting, laughing, and all after a good day of wingsurfing. As we all had to be Covid tested when entering the country, it was such a nice feeling to enjoy life as a group, and share our emotions and thoughts… and not just via a phone or a video call, or outside with winter jackets on. This made the trip so heart-warming for me and after such a long time in this situation you really do realize what you have been missing.

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We were very blessed with the conditions every single day, from flat water to wave sessions, and enjoying crazy sunsets at almost 11 o'clock at night. I love those midsummer days in the north… The day feels as long as three, and you can squeeze in so many sessions into one single day. A normal weekend is like a week-long holiday. The best thing at the end of the day is midnight pasta with a bunch of stoked people! I look forward to that time for the whole year, and I really love to be at home in June for this reason. Whether it's in Denmark or the Baltic Sea, our landscapes shine during that time and it feels like an endless summer. I almost got a little bit melancholic during our trip… the longest days of the year, the best bunch of people, good conditions… It should always be like this.

When the coastline is so long there is no need to squeeze into a busy parking lot. And with wingfoiling, it's even easier as, in my opinion, you don´t need the perfect wind direction or the perfect wave. Almost all conditions you head out in are fun, and when the water is empty or just loaded with a bunch of people you know, it's even more fun. I like to surf with people I know, because I know their abilities and how they ride. It's all about cheering, pushing and caring for each other. For this reason, and all the reasons I’ve mentioned, I really enjoyed our little trip and I hope many more will come along. There’s so much more to discover in our surroundings…

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Be the water.

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P H O TO G R A P H E R : F R A N C K B E R TH O U T

This is North Foil.

It Calls.

NORTHKB.COM

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RAND

LEV I TA Z Starting out as a pure kite foil brand, Levitaz made the natural move into the full foil spectrum, and now host an ever-increasing range, not least with the recent addition of their new BOOM boards. We got in touch with Levitaz to find out the full story, from then to now…

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Hey team. So firstly, can you tell us how the Levitaz brand was first formed, and who was most instrumental in its founding?

The brand was formed by the brothers Adrian and Benjamin Geislinger, as well as their father Cornelius Geislinger and the Kitefoil Pioneer Mario Legenstein – all united by their passion for water sports. Mario built and designed foils long before they became popular and was on the lookout for an industrial partner. With more than 25 years’ experience in developing fiber composite couplings and shafts, and with extensive experience in carbon fiber technology, the family-owned Geislinger GmbH turned out to be the perfect partner for developing hydrofoils. Adrian was responsible for the brand management and commercial side, whilst Mario was working closely with the engineers of the company to bring his designs into a serial production. Levitaz started all of this in 2014 and the first foil was released in April 2015.

And who are the key players at Levitaz today?

The team grew quite a bit since then and Michael Zeilinger is one of the key players when it comes to the whole product management and sales at Levitaz. He originally started in sales, but now he does much more than that and is involved in almost every aspect of the brand. Michael works directly together with Adrian for the strategic direction of the business units and brand. On the R&D side we have Andreas Brandstätter, who oversees our product development team and last but not least there is foil designer Mario Legenstein and our board shaper, Alex Schwab.

From what we understand, the company has a pretty rich background in working with high-tech composite materials. This must have given you somewhat of a head start in the foil game?

LEFT Michael Zeilinger (left) and Adrian Geislinger (right).

At Levitaz, we have an immense in-house expertize that is unique when it comes to high-tech composites. This gives us a key advantage when it comes to creating products of the highest possible quality. This has given us a head start but we believe that it still is one of our unique selling points.

TO P Attention to detail is in the Levitaz DNA. B OT TO M R I G H T Andreas Brandstätter with loads of on-screen tech that's way above our paygrade.

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Where are you based, and where does most of your production take place?

While the Levitaz development and innovation team is located at the headquarters in Salzburg, the hydrofoils are produced exclusively at the state-of-the-art Geislinger production facility for carbon fiber composite products in Bad St. Leonhard, Austria. We are proud to guarantee that Levitaz Hydrofoils are produced 100% at our own production site in Austria. The intense collaboration and exchange between the Levitaz R&D department, the production team, and the team riders gives us a unique competitive advantage and is reflected in our high-performance premium products.

So what’s the meaning behind the name Levitaz?

"THE NAME LEVITAZ COMES FROM THE LATIN WORD LEVITARE FOR LEVITATION, WHICH IS THE PROCESS BY WHICH AN OBJECT IS HELD ALOFT IN A STABLE POSITION."

Levitaz was founded in 2014 with the sole intention to build foils. The name Levitaz comes from the Latin word levitare for levitation, which is the process by which an object is held aloft in a stable position. The feeling we love and know when riding a foil!

Who’s out there leading the charge for you on the foiling frontlines?

We just added Mathis Gio to our team in wingfoiling. A young Frenchman with a background in windsurfing, he is representing us in the GWA Wingfoil Tour and works with us on the wingboards. Moreover, we have local hero Lukas Haigermoser, actually a riversurfer with no relation to wind-related sports but surf foiling and the wing quickly got him hooked. But the beauty about foiling is that the lines between the disciplines get blurred. Our riders jump on a foil and either ride it with a wave, kite or wing depending on the conditions and no matter their background. But we also have a strong kite team especially in racing which whom we work closely together on all developments.

How important is the racing scene for you as a brand, and how satisfying when someone is winning at a major championship on your foils?

The race scene is very important for us and defines what the brand is at its core. In racing, you have to rely on your equipment a lot and therefore it has to exceed your expectations. Levitaz, at its core, is passionate about high-performance sports equipment – because these products are the most fun to ride on the water – and ultimately, that’s what matters. But the belief that your sports equipment should exceed your expectations is something we put into all our foils and boards. Seeing our athletes win major events is definitely very satisfying and it is nice to see that the hard work pays off. But even more satisfying is the positive feedback we get from the top riders and day to day riders about our products.

TO P Alex Schwab doing what he does best.

B OT TO M Levitaz HQ in Salzburg.

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LE V I TA Z

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Can you take us through your board line up – you’ve got some new boards out, right?

Basically, we cover all aspects of hydrofoil sports with our boards.

The latest additions are the wingfoil boards, the BOOM Series. At the moment we offer three models, the Boom108, the Boom94 and the Boom48 (a hybrid wing and surf shape). But we are currently working on smaller shapes like a Boom75, and we even want to go down to something closer to a 30L board.

Can you talk us through the construction of your boards, and where are these produced at the moment?

The Boom Series boards for wing and surf foiling come with a high-density waterproof core. Because we all know when there are waves or wind, no one wants to repair their board because of a ding from the last session. With boards like these, you have some time until you eventually need to take care of it. Moreover, all the boards have a full carbon construction to keep them as light as possible and come with high tensile reinforcements. The new board line is entirely made in Portugal at the Appletree factory. We always wanted to move the production of our boards to Europe to improve quality and shorten supply chains.

What’s more difficult, building the perfect foil or the perfect board?!

Both are quite a challenge when you thrive on having a perfect product. But, of course, we have to say the foil is a bit more challenging.

One comparison we like to make is that building a foil is like building an airplane, and building a board is like building a car. Both are complex, but small changes to an airplane can easily lead to a crash, and as with a foil, the consequences are much greater than with a board.

So an exciting roll out of new products, anything else in the pipeline?!

Yes, right now there’s the new Boom wing boards in different sizes, then we are looking at a new smaller rear wing for the Shaka Series and probably soon some new front wings that we want to add to complete the range. So: plenty on the way!

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LE V I TA Z

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Who better than Australia’s James Casey – pro foiler with his own coaching business – to dish out comprehensive advice on how to get up to gold standard with your downwinding game. Here’s part one of two…

PH OTOS SAM B RIS BY

This is the first skill you need to master in order to complete a truly independent downwind SUP foil. While it isn’t necessary to paddle up in true flatwater you will want to hone your technique so you can get close and your technique is sound. Once there is big wind and wind chop behind you, you will have the technique to be able to get up and going, creating your own chip shot from anywhere along your downwind run.

To start with it’s good to practice with a bit of assistance behind you but without the big wind chops and bumps. Flatter water is easier to balance and get your technique and balance right before hitting your local downwind run.

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• The biggest foil you can find will make working on this skill easier. I personally like to use the GL240 or Maliko 280 from GoFoil. I use a longer pedestal tail wing so you can use a lower cadence once up on the foil. A shorter mast will make it easier to get going as there will be a bit less drag and weight.

• You will want to place the mast further forward and create as much lift as possible. This could mean shimming the back of your base plate or your tail wing to create that little bit more angle or drag which converts into extra lift.

BOARD

• Longer and skinnier is better than shorter and wider. I use a 6’0 x 24 with the volume to match my body weight. The bottom shape can help too, generally a bit of V up front allows better release to get your initial speed.

PA D D L E

• Stiffer shaft and a bigger blade will give you the ability to generate more speed with less strokes. A shorter paddle, about head height, will allow you to increase your cadence while keeping your paddle vertical so you will be able to paddle straighter for longer.

STEP 1

PA D D L E S P E E D

• Position yourself forward on the board in a split stance (goofy or natural).

• To get the board up on the foil you will only be paddling on one side. You will only paddle on the other side if you can foil both natural and goofy. Natural footers will always have their right foot back and goofy footers will always have their left foot back.

• Sprint paddle as fast as you can, thinking about good sprint technique. Good sprint technique involves a positive angle with your paddle creating plenty of lift and only following through with your stroke no further back then your back foot.

• Your stroke should be short, deep, and fast, starting out in front of your board with the cleanest possible catch, thereby limiting the amount of splash and slippage on your stroke.

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BOUNCING THE BOARD

• At the same time that you are working your paddle speed you need to bounce your board to help initiate lift from the foil. By bouncing your board you allow the foil to begin to lift as well as creating a bit of space between your board and the water by using a bit of buoyancy.

• Do this by slapping the bottom of your board against the surface of the water during your stroke and unweighting your board on the recovery phase.

STEP 3

PUMPING THE BOARD

• While you are still bouncing the board you need to add in a pumping motion.

• Do this by bending your knees and getting your weight forward during the catch, forcing the nose of the board down and forward while on the downward bounce.

• Shift your weight to your back foot at the end of your stroke, in your recovery phase, and unweight your entire body on the upward bounce. All your weight should be on your back foot, almost springing back forward towards your next stroke.

• At this stage you are only trying to create a bit of space between the bottom of your board and the water, allowing more speed to be generated. You are not trying to initiate lift off yet.

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COMBINING IT ALL TOGETHER

• Once your speed is up and you’re bouncing and pumping motion is fluid, the foil will begin to feel like it is up onto the plane and begin to lift a little. From here it gets tricky as you need to continue your speed and pump whilst moving your back foot over the mast to initiate more lift.

• This is a subtle movement that is necessary to get that last bit of lift off. Too far a shift back without the necessary speed and you will stall the foil and lose all your speed. Not far enough back and you won’t get enough lift to release the board from the water

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• Once up on the foil you will want to continue to use your paddle while shifting your weight forward and back.

• Shift your weight forward, pushing the nose of your board slightly down and plant your paddle in the water. While you complete your stroke you will want to transition from nose low (front foot pressure) to nose high (back foot pressure), finishing your stroke gliding higher on the mast with your nose high.

Second part coming soon! And if you want to learn to downwind foil or progress your surf foiling be sure to check out the Coach Casey Club at caseyaus.com.

DOW NW I ND S U P FO I LI N G PA RT 1

WEAPON DIMENSIONS RIDER HEIGHT RIDER WEIGHT

STARBOARD X AIRUSH FREEWING AIR V2

FREEWING AIR V2 4M 184CM

Happy to go where the wind takes him (literally), wind sport professional and adventurer Florian Jung tells us why the FreeWing Air V2 is the wing for him…

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PHOTOS SAMUEL TOMÉ

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I had the chance to test a few FreeWing Air V2 prototypes in November last year in South Africa. When I got to try the final version, I was more than stoked about the outcome.

I think control and power are the main things I look for in a wing, and certainly that light feeling in your hands, especially when riding waves. I think in the end it’s a fine balance between a neutral feeling, control in a big wind range and the right amount of power when needed.

I have been working with Clinton Filen from Airush/Starboard and therefore had the chance to try a lot of different wing prototypes.

We had just launched the Air V2, which is 100% focused on being our versatile all-around wing and we stayed with our trusted construction and materials. We improved the stiffness of the Air V2 through a better strut to LE connection and the bigger sizes are a lot more compact, making them much easier to use and maneuver. For this version, there was a big evolution on the lighter wind side. But as the sport is quite new, there is so much to learn and try: different shapes, leading edge profiles, materials and so on.

The progress in these early days is immense and after each session you come back with new ideas. I have a lot of experience in testing windsurf products like sails, which helps me a lot to understand the way to make progress, but I definitely still have to learn a lot about different wing designs, which makes it quite exciting for me.

So far, I haven’t been doing any events but I am looking forward to it. I guess the perfect wing I’d be looking for in competitions would be something that has a good amount of power and agility. The FreeWing V2 offers that, so it’s the perfect setup to use in a competition.

I like working on new prototypes and the R&D side of things. things I learn a lot when trying out new concepts and it’s a great opportunity to work with the whole team in Cape Town. I also learn a lot from the other team riders, like Victor Hays, who comes from a kiting background and has a better understanding of it from that perspective.

In my case, coming from the windsurf side, the maneuvers and tricks are pretty different. For example, just because of the foil and the lower relative wind speed, your whole load up into the move is completely different, the swing weight is different, so your rotation is much more about body dynamics and less about using the rig. It’s a whole new world of fun. We have also experimented with non-foiling wing boards which is a bit closer in terms of power as you need more wind and can drive off the fins, but that is still in its early stages and is another whole paradigm.

I’ve had a lot of good sessions around Greece, Spain, Germany and South Africa. From riding in big waves, light winds on lakes, as well as out in 40 knot wind jumping conditions in Pozo, Gran Canaria. One of the standout sessions was in front of the lighthouse on the Cape of Good Hope. I always wanted to go there as it’s an iconic place with a lot of history and wild stories. The setup with big cliffs, currents and two oceans clashing together is pretty unique. I did a downwinder and my friend followed with a small dinghy boat. The wind was about 15 knots and it was amazing to have the ability to check out a place like that by making use of the foil and the FreeWing. There is a lot of ocean life going on down there, and besides spotting a few seals I also saw a shark under me while doing a jibe. So every time I crashed a move, I was jumping back on my board pretty quick…

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LOCATION DATE

MUHMENTHALER

SAMUEL PLAYA

TUESDAY,

CARDENAS CHICA, JUNE

8TH

TARIFA 2021

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t the beginning of June, I spent some days shooting for Duotone together with my friend and teammate Jerome Cloetens. I was very motivated to be shooting with him and also the fact that we had Lidewij Hartog as our videographer made me super happy, because she is a true professional and has an incredible, artistic eye.

After a couple of intense days shooting, exploring Tarifa and its surroundings, the filming was coming to an end. On the Monday we had a pretty extreme day, filming in the morning at Valdevaqueros and then heading to Wakana Lake in the afternoon. Pretty magical but hard work. Wakana is a big lake, an hour away from Tarifa, and Jerome and I were the first ones to ever wingfoil there. The cows were looking at us the whole time and making sure we were giving our all, riding and sending those big backflips! At the end of the day we bagged a pretty epic sunset and felt super happy to have unlocked a new spot.

This particular Tuesday I had an exam, so went training in the morning and after that I was studying the whole day. At 7pm Jerome, Lidewij and I went to Playa Chica, to make the most out of the last Levante day.

Our great friend and photographer Samuel Cardenas decided to join us, and these pictures are the result of that session. Samu has been a very good friend of mine for more than 10 years, and I am very proud of seeing him evolve as a person and as a professional. Jerome and I were super amped to shoot and we wanted to go full send. Although our bodies were destroyed from the last couple of days, our motivation was stronger than our tiredness. I had some holes in my foot that looked pretty nasty, but hey, my philosophy is that salty water heals everything, so of course I went riding.

"THE SKY TURNED ALL RED, ORANGE AND PINK, AND THESE ARE THE MOMENTS WHEN YOU GIVE THANKS TO MOTHER NATURE FOR BEING JUST SO PERFECT." R E D L ETTE R DAY

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We went out and the conditions were just perfect, amazing 20 to 25 knots of Levante, crystal clear water and an empty spot, just for us.

We were completely in touch with nature, dancing over the water with our foils and flying with our wings like the seagulls who followed us, curiously eyeing us up.

"JEROME AND I WERE SUPER AMPED TO SHOOT AND WE WANTED TO GO FULL SEND. ALTHOUGH OUR BODIES WERE DESTROYED FROM THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, OUR MOTIVATION WAS STRONGER THAN OUR TIREDNESS."

Behind us we had “La Punta del Santo”, which translates as “The Saint’s Point”, with the big statue of the saint who takes care of the fishermen of Tarifa. I like to believe that for him, we are kind of a big show every time we go riding at Playa Chica, and he enjoys watching us and, for sure, he also takes care of us on the big and strong Levante days.

We had a great session together, riding till sunset, which was a very special and pretty one. The sky turned all red, orange and pink, and these are the moments when you give thanks to Mother Nature for being just so perfect. The best thing is to enjoy such a special moment from the water, it makes everything ten times more wonderful.

I remember Lidewij screaming around because she just couldn´t believe that the sky was so amazing… guess she took some nice clips for the upcoming video.

As we finished up and realized it was our last filming session, mixed feelings were passing through my mind. On the one hand I was happy for the days we had and to have been able to wrap it up in such a perfect way. On the other hand, I was just analyzing how much I'd learnt in the last few days and kind of sad that it had come to an end.

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BRIAN BO

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BRIDGES

CALIFORNIA

JUNE 11TH,

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Unflinchingly committed to the foiling community in general, Brian Finch also maintains this level of responsibility when it comes to his sponsors too, and there was no way that he was going to let any minor thing like a move to the mainland, Great White sharks, or being stuck on a jet ski out at sea get in the way of a great day’s product shooting.

Our kind of guy.

In mid-June I sold all my stuff and moved to Florida from Kauai; but it wasn't a straight shot, I had a stop to make. The second Freedom Foil Boards team trip was scheduled in Orange County, California and my FOMO would not allow me to miss it. Chris Sayer, (founder of Freedom Foil Boards) and his crew have been working relentlessly on a whole range of new boards and products and called in the team for a product testing day. Myself, Jason Miller, and Trevor Isabell along with ambassadors Austin Keen, Michael Duke, and renowned photographer Bo Bridges. Bo and I met a few years ago on Oahu's North Shore doing a similar product test and photo shoot with Armstrong Foils; I was excited to hang with him again... plus Bo gets the shot!

To coordinate and prep for this kind of day is a low-grade nightmare.

There are so many moving parts: tons of foil gear to organize, jet skis, swell forecasting and about 1000 phone calls. Chris and I started the day launching his ski out of the Dana Point harbor. It was a crispy 64 degrees out and I was dying of psychological hypothermia. My blood type is T+ for Tropical. We launched the ski, I donned my wetsuit and a rain jacket and headed south. Chris drove off in his Ford F150 with heated seats to meet at the location and setup basecamp on shore.

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Weather conditions were flawless and the beauty of the 20-minute sunrise ski ride far outweighed my imaginary frostbite. Birds, sea lions and the stunning Southern California coastline kept me company. Arriving at the spot, I grabbed Chris from shore, put out the rope and jumped on a fresh FFB 4'5, a design Chris and I have been experimenting and refining the past eight months. The waves were super glassy, long period from the south-west, and shoulder high to a little overhead on the sets. Duke arrived on his jet ski and picked up Bo and we got to business. I was riding strapped, and my goal was to get some boosting shots that really showed off the new board design. We worked the peak for about 30 minutes, whipping into peaks that aligned with Bo and the lighting. I had a handful of really fun waves and one pretty respectable air with a really unique backdrop. The peak started shifting so we followed it south and closer to shore where there was a refracting sandbar pushing out steep little righthand wedges. I was psyching because I've been dying to catch some shots of a backside 360 grab I've been working on and these were the waves for it. I got in the air several times working the rotation. Being that this was a photo shoot, I was prioritizing height over landing. I landed on my feet on several attempts but didn't ride-out. We did get the product image I was after though, so I'll take it. On one attempt I landed pretty hard and lost my board. I was swimming after it when Chris came in really hot on the ski to grab me with an urgent expression on his face and I knew what it meant. He had just spotted a Great White.

We retrieved my board and buzzed back north to the original peak to switch out new riders.

to rack up a bunch of waves and nail content. Next up was Jason.

Jason has some of the best style, precision and hair in all the sport.

Trevor and Jason foil with a very similar style, applying critical turns and economy of movement, each turn blends seamless to the next.

Not long after, Austin Keen, skim board world champ, showed up with his backflips and put on a show. Duke was carving waves like a sushi chef. The swell had dropped a touch when I got back in the water and at this point it was a free-for-all. Whips, proneing, party waves, double dips, we were all in the water having a blast, only exiting to swap out gear to be photographed... it was a workday after all. The waves slowly decreased in size, but this is foiling… it was still 2ft and firing.

Heading back was an unsolicited adventure in itself. We had driven the ski all day and had one bar of gas left. The low fuel alarm was already sounding before I even set off for the harbor. The shrill alarm goes off about every 4-5 minutes, perfectly timed to maintain a lump of anxiety in the center of my throat. I made a point of driving at what I imagined to be the most fuel-efficient speed. I had the choice of hugging the coastline and consuming more fuel but being closer to shore, or straight shotting it to the harbor with the risk of running empty a mile plus off the beach. The ocean conditions were so perfect I gambled on the straight shot being that there were so many boaters around I figured I could flag someone down. After five low fuel alarm cancelations, the fuel gauge read zero. I putted into the harbor on fumes with sunburn and a sense of relief.

It was time for Trevor to shred. I hit the beach for snacks and watched the action at the peak in front of basecamp. Trevor draws super smooth lines with a very backfooted surf style. It didn't take him long

We were blessed with an amazing day. The logistics played out perfectly, waves were on point, everyone ripped, no injuries, no shark attacks, Bo got some insane shots, it could not have gone better.

Can't wait for the next FFB reunion!

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SLINGSHOT PHANTASM 926 The Slingshot Phantasm 926 is a high aspect, full carbon freeride foil designed to optimize glide and pump. Wingfoilers, downwinders, and prone foilers looking for stability, straight line glide, and pump will enjoy what the 926 has to offer.

This foil was tested using a 4'6x19.5, 33L board, 3m wing, wind 2535mph. Rider 6'4, 170lb.

Right out of the gate the Phantasm 926 demonstrates outstanding stability and straight-line speed. The wide front wingspan and larger tailwing create a platform that practically rides itself. There is a noticeable increase in performance and efficiency with speed.

The faster this foil goes, the better it performs. This top end performance comes at the cost of a definitive stall/drop point at lower speed. This low-end stall point is common across almost all high aspect foil designs, which results in the initial take off requiring a bit more speed versus a lower aspect foil. The upwind capability was incredible, and it was apparent by how steep of an angle it will hold into the wind relative to other riders on the water.

The three-piece lower assembly (front wing, fuselage, and tailwing) is very simple and easy to assemble, and each connection point has a large mating surface area which improves the overall stiffness at the connections. These large mating surfaces continue through the mast/fuse connection which has an over-sized, three bolt connection vs. the standard two bolt connection. The pedestal is over-sized as well and has multiple holes which allows for maximum adjustability to fit almost any board and rider.

When the foil is assembled and connected to the board, the overall stiffness is outstanding. Through the use of a lightweight 12K high modulus carbon (high modulus = stiffer carbon) the long 92cm mast has very minimal twist. The large 926mm span front wing has next to no deflection in the wingtips, giving everything a very stiff and solid feel. This stiffness will translate into more efficient energy transfer between the rider and the foil and provide the rider more direct feedback from the foil.

During a downwind run the Phantasm eats up miles, gliding effortlessly through small chop, and screaming down large rollers. There is no noticeable cavitation at speed, in a straight line or carving.

Pumping and connecting bumps is easy due to the glide and efficiency of the high aspect design. Advanced riders will unlock even more performance and speed with a smaller tailwing, while beginner to intermediate riders will prefer the stability of the full size tail. The longer 92cm mast allows for plenty of forgiveness

DUOTONE SLICK As one of the most well established (and biggest) kite brands on the market, it was little surprise to see Duotone ‘on it’ when the wing scene landed. They hedged their bets on the ‘boom’ concept and went hard out on developing a range of wings with the boom at the core. For ‘Gen 1’ wings they were good, but they were out on something of a limb, with most other brands opting for the center strut and with the boom dividing opinion, but with a solid fanbase nonetheless. Duotone followed with the Unit, with an inflatable center strut, a lower profle and with more of a focus on waves. So now – with the two main bases covered – a third wing has arrived: the Slick. This has a ‘mini boom’ which runs roughly 2/3 the length of the chord of the wing before slotting into a pocket which sits on the end of a coned section which tapers out towards the trailing edge. So it’s a kind of hybrid inflatable/boom wing.

Yes, there is quite a lot of engineering that has gone into this.

Getting started and the Slick is a pump machine and you can generate a lot of power and forward propulsion to get going, as well as being able to quickly do three or four pumps if you hit a lull without having to fully sheet in and out – more like pumping the sail on a dinghy. The result of this excellent behavior at both top and bottom end meant that we found ourselves opting to take the 4.5 Slick on sessions where we would have previously taken a 5.5m or a 6.5m… It’s almost a one wing quiver if your budget is stretched.

Of course there will be those who don’t dig the boom, we liked it and found it gave a nice ‘locked in’ feeling, as well as being good for transitions as you have more to aim for but – of course – it adds a chunk of weight so for trailing the wing behind the Slick is not as nimble as others.

Aside from the boom, the expected Duotone construction materials are there and the Duotone inflation system (make sure you have the correct diameter hose for that) works well. The Slick is a boxier wing with a narrow span and tucked in tips and with the width of the leading edge carried through to the wingtips. For the boom you can choose between a ‘standard’ and a ‘carbon’ boom. We had the standard on test.

Getting the wing prepared is relatively straightforward – the boom sits in the strut pocket and is then attached into a second pocket and secured by a Velcro strap with two tabs. It feels solid. Our biggest gripe with the Slick was that if you are relatively lazy (which we are) and you leave the boom on the wing then roll it up, it does not fit completely in the bag with around 1/3 of it hanging out the end. A bigger, longer bag would – in our opinion – be a better option, with the provided bag being a good option for packing the wing down or traveling. But you don’t buy a wing for a bag and so…

For us though, any negatives were easily outweighed by the fact that the Slick simply feels like a different breed of super-rigid wings, and the versatility and responsiveness made winging slicker, easier, and more enjoyable… AH DUOTONE SLICK

On the water the Slick immediately felt different to pretty much every wing we have tested. There is only one word to truly capture the essence of the Slick and that is: rigid. It feels similar to a windsurf sail. This level of rigidity results in a massively tuned in experience where you can really tweak and adjust the wing and the power is truly ‘on/off’. It’s the first wing we have ridden that has zero flutter and – even horrifically overpowered (we had the 4.5m out in 40 knots) – the winging experience feels much more relaxed and in control without the flapping of a trailing edge.

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and room when handling larger, steeper faces, and does not feel draggy or slow.

Longer, flatter waves will suit the Phantasm as it likes to draw wide, sweeping carves out on the face. With some tailwing modifications the Phantasm could be tuned more towards a pocket surfer, however the stock configuration is geared towards fast open face carving.

The lift was smooth and even, riding almost neutral to slightly front foot weighted. Even on steeper drops, the Phantasm never felt like it wanted to over-foil or lift itself out of the water. A little bit of front foot pressure drove the foil down the face, providing a fun and fast drop. Wingtip breaches feel like a hot knife through butter, and re-entry is smooth as silk. Even when half of the front wing comes out of the water, the Phantasm re-enters and continues on without a huge drop in lift or cavitation.

SLINGSHOT PHANTASM 926

Overall the Phantasm 926 will best suit foilers of all disciplines desiring stability, straight line speed and easy pumping. Wingfoilers will also enjoy the benefit of the upwind performance and efficiency. This platform has plenty of potential for custom modifications to tailor the performance to match the rider's skill level and riding style. ST

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CLOUD IX WIND WING The Cloud IX Wind Wing is an all-round wing geared towards all levels of rider. With three strut handles, and one leading edge (LE) handle, the Cloud IX wing is intuitive and easily accessible to riders of all skill levels.

Right away the attention to detail is apparent in the over-sized expanding Dacron backpack. A large zipper pocket on the front gives ample storage for a leash, repair kit, and other smaller items, and a large expanding main pocket makes packing the wing after your session very easy – even if there is still a small amount of air remaining in the bladders. The wrist leash is very thin and lightweight, with a small amount of stretch to reduce shock loading on the rider. A simple Velcro wrist cuff offers a secure connection that remained closed throughout the entire session. This minimalist design keeps the overall wing lightweight and easy to use and, staying with the theme of simplicity and weight savings, the canopy does not have any windows. This 4.2m wing was tested using a 4'6x19.5 @ 33L board, 1250 foil, wind 30-40mph. Rider is 6'4 and 170lb. Overall flatwater conditions, small wave riding.

The balance between both the front and back hand, as well as in the neutral point made tacking very easy, and flatwater freestyle was a breeze. The wing was easy to throw around and was consistently easy to recover and get back under power. When passing the wing over head or through the window there was a natural roll that was very predictable which made blind maneuvers easy to execute knowing exactly where the wing wanted to go.

This wing is geared towards riders who want a smooth ride geared towards cruising waves, gliding downwind, or practicing some tacks.

Freestyle riders and jumpers may prefer a bit more stiffness in the wing, but for waves and all-round riding this is a classy and well thought out product from Cloud IX. ST

The Cloud IX Wind Wing's deep profile has significant low end pull that is very evenly balanced between the front and back hand. The wing was easy to ride with minimal rider fatigue after a one hour testing session. The ride is smooth and steady, accepting strong gusts without blowing the rider off the water. This is partially due to some give in the overall structure/airframe. The deeper profile wants to sit slightly further back in the window, which exchanges some upwind performance for straight line drive, and low end grunt. There is a definitive backwinding point if it is sailed too steep into the wind.

CLOUD IX WIND WING

This wing will perform best in powered, to slightly under-powered conditions. Riding this wing overpowered or over-sized will reduce some of the performance and it’s time to head in and pump up your smaller wing. During downwind gliding and wave riding the Cloud IX Wind Wing demonstrated 100% depower with slight rocking during stronger gusts. The LE handle is on the bottom third of the wing (strut side) versus being in the middle of the LE. This creates a bit more of a comfortable ride, at the cost of some handling. Flipping the wing is easier by handling the LE versus just using the handle.

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ENSIS ROCK N ROLL 5’2 Ensis is a brand that has sprung up from the cradle of the wing revolution from somewhere deep in the Swiss alps. Their team rider Balz (pronounced balls) Müller is an established freestyle windsurf pioneer, and has taken to the inflatable sail and foil like a duck to the proverbial water, placing high on the podium of the first few wingfoiling events that have taken place in the last couple of pandemic ravaged years. He’s inventing tricks on the fly and is making a great job of getting the Ensis brand noticed.

taking a hard, nose heavy landing well, which is a property that a board clearly influenced by Balz Müller’s style is bound to adopt. The slap of coming in hot is very much minimized compared to a flatter setup.

The ROCK n ROLL comes in a range of four sizes spanning 57 to 117 liters. We were given the 97 liter board which is their universal does-it-all design which sat at a comfortable seven litres over my bodyweight, maximizing its light wind potential. 5’2 is a short board to cram 97 liters into and it certainly looks and feels compact. It’s a carbon sandwich production with a brushed finish and has a general feeling of solidity in the hands and underfoot. A large carry handle in the underside is going to make negotiating a rocky beach or shorebreak a trouble-free experience. The EVA deck pad spans the board comprehensively and provides limpet like grip and a little cushioning on impact. A delightfully tailored board bag is available as a must have extra.

With the sport’s focus very much taking to the air of late, it’s inevitable we would have some freestyle-oriented designs appear, and that’s where the ROCK n ROLL is leaning. Even at 97 liters, realistically it’s a strap-focused board which is big enough for most to learn on from the ground up, and will provide the perfect platform to get your first pop and jumps. Most of all, the landings it provides will be as forgiving as possible, and the chances of getting bogged minimalized. The ROCK n ROLL is an orange lozenge of freestyle wing-propelled fun, and could be your pathway of least resistance to getting airborne in wingfoiling. RB

The generous number of foot strap inserts combined with the foil position on the tail-biased tracks provided enough tunability to get things set comfortably with a minimum of experimentation whilst fitting a couple of different cross brand foil systems. You can line up a two or three strap layout with ease. The standout hourglass outline shape is something that perhaps crosses over from the SUP market, with those four corners of bulge in the smoothly beveled rails creating four points of stability and that’s evident as soon as you get your weight over the board. Particularly noticeable in choppy water and in the roll axis, it has bags of stability even when almost static.

ENSIS ROCK N ROLL 5’2

The twin hull concaves and associated spine are quite pronounced and create an aggressive rocker particularly running into the nose.

This strikes a decent balance between relatively early planing and

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NAISH MATADOR S26 Well-known and long-established Hawaiian watersports goliath Naish were on board very early with the whole wing concept, bringing the first production model to market with the original 4m Wing-Surfer. They then succeeded with the S25 version with some large windows and a more comprehensive size range last year. For S26 the wing range splits into two discipline defined models, with the new Matador focusing on wave performance, available in sensibly chosen wave savvy sizes of 3, 4 and 5m.

tap does an admirable job of getting you in the right position on the wave with adequate speed before you decide to flag the wing. The relatively soft dihedral sweep in the wing keeps a lot of sail area exposed to the wind when riding, which no doubt contributes towards the Matador’s grunty per size nature.

Five short loop handles are placed in two groups over the length of the strut which are relatively stiff and a comfortable width for gripping. These are well placed, and we found the second front handle ideal for pumping up in lighter wind, really allowing you to have good clearance between the nose of your board and the wingtip, which is important for aggressive pumping in the lower echelons of the wind range. There are also some removable Y handles which loop on and off with some simple Dyneema connections, which prove useful for beginner and shorter people or those that prefer a few more handles for transfer. These also allow you to micro trim with your front hand if required. If you are more of a minimalist, they are quick to remove and will save further weight and packing space.

Inflation is handled with a single iSUP valve and high flow pipe to the strut making it quick and efficient to get up to pressure.

Out of the bag, you’re in for a visual treat with an all-new radial canopy seaming arrangement originating from the clew (or back end of the strut for the less nautically inclined). Windows have been minimized in comparison to the Wing-Surfer S26, with two arrow slit style PVC portholes located a little less than halfway along the strut. This is an obvious nod towards weight saving and balancing the weight further forward for flagging out the wing. There’s adequate vision to peek through and get some awareness of what’s around you without compromising overall weight. The turned in tips minimize the span and chance of catching the wing on the water and also make the wing really easy to pivot and switch directions on. This is noticeable when throwing the Matador into a 360 or duck jibe, producing a consistent and satisfying maneuver. Power delivery once flying is easy to turn on and off quickly with minimal angle adjustment, but remains progressive; the easy to initiate power on

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The thick leading edge and inherent stiffness that comes along with the extra structure, coupled with the deep profile, generate really good low end grunt for a 5m, making getting onto the foil a simple

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GAASTRA CROSS Gaastra were quick out of the blocks with their wing game, and – particularly as a brand with a rich heritage in windsurfing and kitesurfing – saw the potential of this ‘new’ sport from day one. They are onto the second incarnation of their wings now, with the Cross coming in as the all round / flat water companion to the more wave-focused Poison.

Out of the bag and the Cross feels solid and well-built. Canopy is triple ripstop and there are Kevlar bumpers running along the leading edge ensuring that you do not have to be too careful if using it on a shingle beach (or with your skateboard!). There are also reinforcements on the trailing edge to reduce flutter and increase the longevity of the wing. Pump is via a single inflation system where the end of the hose screws directly on – it’s quick and effective and you don’t need to freak out if you haven’t got the right nozzle with you…

There are four handles: one at the front and three further back, as well as two ‘cross struts’ giving you plenty of options for grabbing onto. This is a definite asset whether you are just starting out or are working on your first rotations: more handles = more chances of getting hold of your wing when you most need it!

The tips on the Cross are relatively ‘fat’ and we did catch them a couple of times when dropping down on the foil – although this is something that you tune into and raise the wing up accordingly. For transitions the Cross floats nicely for gybes and swings around smoothly, and for tacks you can snap it around quickly and it is not too twitchy.

Overall the Cross is a very competent wing. Power delivery was smooth and predictable across the board and the wing felt comfortable from everything from pump starts through to 20kts+. We felt that the Cross did everything ‘right’ and was the kind of wing that you could put your trust in and would see you from your first sketchy sessions through to some much more refined riding… AH

On the water and the Cross feels stiff and sturdy. We felt that the handles had the perfect balance of comfort and responsiveness, with a nice amount of cushioning but without feeling too distant from the movements of the wing. Handle placement was excellent, with the front handle well placed for depowering but without meaning you were taking too much energy through your back arm. The three handles at the back will suit pretty much all arm lengths as well as giving all you need for super windy or for downwind riding.

GAASTRA CROSS

We were genuinely impressed by the stiffness of the Cross, there was very little flutter even in stacked conditions and for a wing without any of the additional features that we are seeing appear on the market, its solidity was very impressive. Pumping the Cross provides a great spurt of power and, although we had the larger 5.2m on test, we found that we could get going in very little wind and then sheet in and have plenty of power on tap.

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process, which is important for a wave focused product where you want to be carrying as little wing as possible on the wave. What we weren’t expecting with these attributes is a decent level of upwind performance, where the Matador is impressive. When luffing the wing on a wave, it’s obvious the weight bias is towards the leading edge and it doesn’t drop out on you.

Peripherals-wise, Naish have provided a short coil leash with constricting cuff and buckle arrangement which velcros on reassuringly tightly. The bag is a small and simple tube affair with a drawstring top, single shoulder strap, and the smaller PVC windows mean it packs down to something far more compact than the previous Wing-Surfer Y25. They’ve also included some bungees and Velcro to attach your pump which is practical if your spot has a longer walk in.

NAISH MATADOR S26

The Matador is a true third generation product, and its clear intended direction for wave use is indicative of the quickly maturing discipline. Its predictable characteristics when flagged help open up more critical and aggressive turns on the wave without having to be conscious of the wing dropping, which is evident even with onshore conditions. The short and squat nature makes handling it as easy as it gets, and it definitely packs a punch power-wise per size. RB

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FLITEBOARD ULTRA Products stand out when they’re developed by teams with sophisticated, design-based approaches — it’s that simple — and the Fliteboard Ultra is one such piece of kit. When I had the opportunity to spend a weekend testing an Ultra shortly after its release, I could hardly wait. My prior experience with the Fliteboard Pro (see Issue 5) exceeded my expectations and gave me a glimpse of the future in high-performance e-foiling. Released amid a lineup-wide update dubbed the “Series 2,” the Ultra is an entirely new model that benefits from Fliteboard’s most recent hardware and software improvements. Major changes from Series 1 include an entirely new, radically designed set of wing options, the TrueGlide prop, and a redesigned throttle-arming process. Let’s dig in.

its spec sheet. In a rather perfect stroke of luck, my test spot for the Race wing turned out to be empty and glassy, with long stretches of clean water in which to give it a proper rip. As expected, this wing provides relatively low lift on takeoff, and requires a steady technique to get up and flying efficiently. After that, it’s truly as close to an unpowered foil as I’ve felt to date. Pitch reactivity, roll rate, and overall responsiveness — not to mention glide — are truly phenomenal. Paired with the thin, flexible Race 200 stabilizer, the combination is a mind-blowing ride. With the throttle pegged at setting 19, I managed nearly 48kph/29mph without breaking a sweat. The setup’s stability at speed was confidence inspiring, and I could hardly get enough while I zipped around standing and sitting for nearly 90 minutes. I could see myself exclusively taking out the Ultra with the Race wing — it’s just that good!

First up, Fliteboard’s 10 new wings on offer. As excited as I am about the Ultra board, these four wing families immediately had me dreaming of new speeds, riding styles, and opportunities to get creative on the water. Tested were the Flow 1100 and Race 700.

In brief, the 1100 is versatile, feeling stable when centered and responsive when pushed in a carve. It pairs rather magnificently with the Ultra, whose small size compliments this wing’s loose, fun feel.

The Flow 1100 definitely brings that surf style to more accessible speeds, making it an excellent entry point for riders looking to get creative. Paired with the Flow 245 stabilizer, this setup proved an excellent launch point for me to get familiarized with the Ultra. After day one on the Flow, I could hardly wait to move on to the Race 700, which had captured my imagination since first laying eyes on

Moving on to other noteworthy features, the TrueGlide prop is an exciting element. Granted, while I didn’t get to test it much due to a lack of sizable surf, I began to scratch the surface of what a free-spinning prop can offer. Broadly, this design allows the rider to let off the throttle when riding a wave, and have the prop automatically windmill in the stream. While the feeling of drag is still somewhat noticeable, it’s quite close to the sensation of surfing an unpowered foil, but with the benefit of powering back up on demand. I recommend watching Keahi de Aboitiz’s video in which he demos the TrueGlide prop in Hawaii. New for the Series 2 is a revised throttle arming system, which I particularly enjoyed after having lived with the Series 1

VAYU HI FLYR 5.0 The VAYU HI FLYR range is a very compact wing board designed to offer the best volume/size ratio for intermediate to advanced wing foilers. The heavy duty construction coupled with its compact outline and volume distribution gives an extra amount of buyoancy to take you out from the water as quick as possible and protect the boards against dings. It is delivered in five sizes, from 4'6 (40L) to 5’2 (100L) to cover a huge range of wind conditions.

This test was conducted on the 5.0 (85L) in open ocean conditions, waves from three to five feet and winds from 10 to 25 knots.

The VAYU HI FLYR comes in a standard EPS / fiberglass vaccumed epoxy construction with extra layers on the rails and boxes. The result is a compact and stiff board with a reasonable amount of weight and a solid outershell for extra durability. It is a CNC-shaped board with a flat tail rocker that decreases at 1/3 from the tail to a thin round nose and compact round outline with a round tail and round beveled rails. The deck has a deep constant concave that helps you position your feet. The volume distribution is really tail-centered to get you out of the water quickly and efficiently. On the bottom you’ll find a double concave from the nose all the way along the rockered camber, getting to a flat tail with soft beveled rails.

the water a little when getting up to speed, but once up on the foil and the HI FLYR provides a really balanced and controlled flight and the specific deck shape will help mentally organize your foot transitions. When breaching or landing your tricks, it will give you that extra back foot stability to get back in flight without losing balance, and the powerful amount of volume under the back foot will allow freestylers to bounce on the water during hard landings and quickly throw you back up onto the foil and flying.

So, the VAYU HI FLYR is a stable, compact performance foilboard with progressive (and airborne!) winging in mind that that will suit intermediate to advanced wingers very well indeed, and it is well tuned to ride in both flatwater and surf conditions. AB

The handling in the water is not as simple as it might seem for such a big board, with your kneeling position needing to be centered and your bodyweight pulled toward the tail to find that balance sweetspot. It’s not a board that’s ideally suitable for beginner wingfoilers, nor is it marketed as such. But if you are up and riding and want a board that’s going to take your riding up a notch, it’s got that in mind…

VAYU HI FLYR 5.0

Despite the handling skills it requires for a kneeling waterstart, this board is super stable when you’re up on your feet. The compact and wide shape coupled with the extra amount of volume will keep you on your feet in inconsistent winds and help you get up on the foil when the gusts show up, giving you some stable and mellow gliding until you really get flying.

Taking off is reasonably easy, although the rounded tail can suck at

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Pro. Now, rather than touching the control unit to the board deck in order to arm the throttle, a simple button tap and throttle squeeze are all that’s required. Especially with the small size and low volume of the Ultra, this makes getting up and going an easier, quicker process. These are just some of the features that make Fliteboard’s latest update so exciting.

The tested Ultra board was finished in a silver top coat and clear carbon underside. Fitting for the price tag, Ultra’s quality is second to none. It’s truly a functional work of art. The double concave through the bottom definitely does its job when touching down at speed.

For being so small, the Ultra skips off the surface beautifully, even when in a steep turn. Throughout my two days of testing, I never fell due to the board sticking to the surface. For those trying to pick between an Ultra and a Pro, the primary concern is that the Ultra may be “too small” for certain riders — and I think this is certainly true for absolute beginners, or for less than advanced riders pushing past 200lbs/90kg. In those cases, a Pro or Fliteboard would be a better choice to build experience on. For anyone else, I encourage considering an Ultra.

FLITEBOARD ULTRA

In all, the new Fliteboard Ultra is a wicked piece of kit. As a die-hard prone foil surfer that shaves ounces off his personal setups, I had high expectations when first hearing about this new foilboard. After spending numerous hours with it in a variety of conditions, I can safely say that those expectations were truly met… KVS

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RRD EVO WING As the wing world explodes so does the line up of wings on offer. The latest brand to bulk out their line up with a wing fitting more specific needs is RRD. EVO’s a suitable name as it reflects the evolution in this lightning-fast sport. The EVO is a super maneuverable wing designed for all round use and for maximum efficiency – it’s the wing that we have seen the RRD team on at GWA wing events and is marginally more focused on the flat water than the surf.

First impressions are good – a nice sized, solid duffle-style bag that you can easily get your wing in to even if the rain is hammering it down and your wing is covered in sand and weighs about 25kg. The orange colorway is striking and we thought it looked very impressive on the beach. The leash length is on the longer side, and is lightweight with a comfortable wrist cuff.

EVO sheeted in and out with some flutter, but was happy to be ridden overpowered but without flapping excessively. The leading edge shape means that you feel you have your arms a little closer to you than usual, which took a little adjusting too but we liked it as it made flagging the wing out super effective and you could keep the wing in its sweet spot comfortably when perfectly powered.

The central strut has a kink in it pulling the final third of the strut into the wing, with the remainder of the central strut sitting away from the canopy, thus providing increased leverage across the trailing edge. The leading edge has a distinct V to improve the responsiveness of the wing and the leading edge design has been reworked resulting in a weight saving of around 200g. Inflation is via two inflation valves, one on the leading edge, and one on the strut. Intuitively we inflated the LE to a higher pressure as we know that a stiffer strut equates to a more tuned in and responsive feeling on the water. We are surprised that this system is not seen on more wings!

For transitions the EVO showed some impressive characteristics, it really is a ‘whippy’ wing that you can swing around during tacks and gybes very directly and quickly without it behaving unexpectedly. Its ‘arrow’ like profile heads into the wind and out the other side without missing a beat, making this a great option for everything from first learning and mastering your transitions through to hardcore racing.

Overall the EVO is a solid addition to the RRD line up which is a solid wing for beginners and for wave riding but a clear step up for flat water lovers… AH

The EVO has three ‘large’ handles if you needed further proof that the ongoing debate around handle placement is yet to be resolved!

These are relatively skinny without excessive cushioning giving a nice, connected feel to the wing, but not offering much comfort for longer sessions. The EVO has well-placed windows which stretch along the leading edge and give a good degree of lateral visibility.

On the water and the low end credentials are impressive. We had the 4.5m on test and had been testing bigger 5m+ wings on the same day; we found that the EVO matched them for getting up and going.

Pumping the wing and it feels stiff for a boom-less wing and there is plenty there to get you up and riding. The wing likes to sit further forward in the window and it sails upwind confidently, particularly on the HA wing we were riding. Conditions were super gusty and the

RRD EVO WING

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TAKUMA KUJIRA HELIUM 1500 Takuma have a strong heritage in hydrofoiling and are producing some of the most innovative products on the market at the moment. The Helium series is a case in point. It is a more accessible hydrofoil with a lower aspect ratio and a slightly thicker profile, completing Takuma's foil range with four available sizes. It is sold as a complete foil only and can be upgraded with any other wings from the Kujira range. It comes as standard with a 75cm mast and 65cm fuselage. It is unique in its design with these unusual looking tubercules on the leading edge of the wings inspired by the Humpback whale's pectoral fins, combined with upturned winglets for the front wing and downturned tips for the stabilizer. It’s visually and hydrodynamically a unique design, channeling the water flow through the wing profile with an aim to reduce drag and offer a faster, more controllable, and sensitive hydrofoil.

The aluminum mast and top plate are mounted together with three standard M6 torx bolts and the mast foot is mounted on the fuselage in a similar fashion. The front wing and fuselage are mounted together with a proprietary system and another three torx bolts, removing any play in this key area. Mounting the foil on the board is fast thanks to the open threaded mounts of the baseplate, which has a board saver ABS pad.

It is extremely rigid, stiff and light compared to other aluminum foils on the market. The overall design is pure, and the unique shape of the wings makes it a unique and eye catching foil.

The Helium foil is pre-tuned and doesn’t need to be shimmed. Paddling out on it feels natural. The foil is light and as soon as you give it a little cadence it assists the balance of the board and naturally follows the movements of your body, stabilizing the board when paddling at speed. This is a plus when you are paddling in choppy conditions with current. Catching a wave feels smooth and the takeoff is comfortable. It lifts up and builds up speed gradually when your feet are on the board. Up and riding, the Helium has a gently graduated lift and is extremely stable at any elevation, deep or close to the surface. The foil is really stiff and any impulse is auto-stabilized giving you a highly comfortable and controlled pitch characteristic. It accelerates gently and gradually and glides effortlessly.

The carving control is responsive enough, and despite its lower aspect ratio, cruises at decent speeds. It slices through water very confidently

much like its higher aspect ratio cousins, and gives a super comfortable and enjoyable foiling experience. The overall tuning of the foil is surf-driven and a good surfer choosing the Helium will find their early foiling progression as easy as it gets.

Under a wing the Helium foil is incredible on how quick it will bring you out of the water.

It can handle surprisingly low speeds without stalling and will help beginners to intermediates with their progression. The extra amount of stability is really helpful when working on transitions, gybes and tacks. The speed range is quite impressive for the surface area and the Helium can take you fast enough for 90% of riders. Learning how to connect waves and dock starts with the Helium is entertaining. It is stable enough to forgive your positioning and timing mistakes, and fast enough to save your cardio. I could pump this thing for more than two minutes around the lake with plenty of control. One of the key features of the Helium is that its agility at pumping will take you from one wave to another.

The Kujira Helium 1500 is an ultra-accessible hydrofoil that will suit any beginner and intermediate level foiler in both wingfoiling and surf foiling disciplines. It works incredibly well in a wide range of conditions from small to medium waves and is a really well designed pumping machine. It is intuitive and predictable and will allow a lot of fun and accessibility to any foiler. In the surf it has enough lift to foil in a couple of feet of swell, and will be comfortable through until mellow shoulder high waves.. AB TAKUMA KUJIRA HELIUM 1500 GLIDE

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RIDE ENGINE VINAKA US based technical goods manufacturer Ride Engine initially specialized in kite harnesses, so it’s a natural progression for them to produce something for the now exponentially growing wing market and they are among the very first swathe of wing-specific unisex harness designs. The Vinaka is minimal and extremely lightweight at sub 500g. It’s made from closed cell materials and doesn’t take on any water, and is a soft and thin neoprene and ripstop affair. The closure consists of a Velcro belt similar to a kitesurf harness to hold it in position initially, followed by another Velcro stabilizing belt on a buckle that feeds back on itself and constricts to gain a snug fit. Finally, the spreader sits on top with a wide band of webbing feeding through another buckle. There’s a D ring each side, so if you favor a waist leash for your wing or board, both can be accommodated. Once installed there will be an air of familiarity to anyone coming from a kitesurf or windsurf background. In fact, you’ll barely notice you’re wearing it; you need to be mindful falling onto your board and wing, but the hook is quite rounded, so about as friendly as any steel appendage gets.

On the water, the sliding mini windsurf bar is simple enough to enter and exit the harness strap, also if you need to paddle back T EST E D

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prone on your board you can slide it to one side for more comfort and to minimize the risk of board damage. If you’re riding straps, and want to clamber upwind toe side, the bar will slide to your front hook and lower the center of pull. Another novelty is the ability to ride one handed whilst toe side, which opens your body more and makes things more comfortable. On heel side, your upwind riding is slightly improved. Where the benefits of the Vinaka are most applicable is perhaps when you use a grunty wing powered up and want to extend your session, or if you’re building up to more aerial tricks, it makes sense to have some time to relax your arms on the upwind leg, and then unhook before you perform your maneuver.

The Vinaka is directly compatible with the new Slingwing V3, which has an optional harness strap from the Ride Engine sister brand, but obviously will cross over to any wing with a harness line option. Part of the joy of wingfoiling in comparison to other wind sports is having less equipment, but the Vinaka does a very good job of being light, stealthy and minimal, and is a well-engineered worthy accessory for certain situations, riding styles and wing setups. RB

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ARMSTRONG A+ SYSTEM HA1125 / HA1250 / HS1550 V2 It’s undoubtedly been mentioned before, but New Zealand is a hot bed of hydrofoil development currently. Armstrong hail from Raglan, home of the fabled left-hander. Armie Armstrong is a characterful and approachable figurehead for the brand, with rich experience across a wide range of ocean sports. Add in his friend and business partner Rob Whittall who has a long history of design with Ozone paragliders and kites engineering their hydrofoils; it’s a formidable team.

things up a little, a few degrees at the back will make the foil more maneuverable and at the same time lower the amount of lift and increase the top end, so if you see some bigger waves or higher wind coming it’s well worth tinkering with. If you insist on loosening up the tail even more, they’ve drawn on an outline for cutting off the tips.

The HS (High Speed) 1550 V2 functions as a formidable allrounder for the aspirational rider, looking for a front wing with a decent level of low speed lift and wide comfortable speed range. For more mellow conditions surfing or wingfoiling, it’s going to deliver a fantastic balance of characteristics which provide a simultaneously sportive and reassuring ride. It’s been reworked in shape quite considerably from the V1 to give it more speed range and general performance. We were extremely impressed with its solid feeling in all situations and utter stealthy silence.

It’s a simple and efficient wing to pump, and will have you linking sections of swell effortlessly regardless of your choice of propulsion. In the turns, it has a characteristic surfy feeling which is really entertaining and will help you level up quickly. You can chuck it into a tight banking turn maintaining high levels of control. There’s an air of security about it, particularly noticeable in more challenging water states. In cleaner conditions this is even more amplified, and it literally feels on rails. It’s smaller sibling in the HS1250 takes a little more persuasion to lift but mirrors these characteristics well, and pushes the top end and maneuverability further. It crosses over comfortably with the HS1550 V2 for lighter riders or more amped conditions, and doesn’t require much adjustment in technique. Both these wings are true mid-aspect multi-disciplinarians for the crossover rider and will cover a ridiculously broad range of conditions.

The new A+ System has been designed to whittle out any play between the front wing and mast via some new fixings in the fuselage. This centers around a carbon wrapped titanium core running through the fuselage that locates itself in the mast with a hexagonal connection. If you’re familiar with the previous system, the main change for the A+ upgrade is some new barrel nuts with M6 bolts. One runs vertically through the front wing, and one horizontally. These new opposing fixing points make a great job of firming up that hexagonal front wing to fuselage mounting point, and compress any slack that may occur there after long-term use.

This is vital with the increased forces associated with larger wings, which is particularly important with the introduction of their all-new wide span HA1125 front wing, with the wingfoiling market exploding, and with increasingly high impact maneuvers becomong ‘de riguer’. It’s also worth knowing there is backwards compatibility with the previous system and a few home brew modifications can be carried out.

New tech aside, let’s examine the complete package. Just by glancing at the carry bags provided, it’s obvious from the outset that the Armstrong philosophy is unashamedly high-end and uncompromising, more than justifying the void in your bank balance. It’s probably one of the most complete, detailed, and practical set of covers and bag combination currently available. It’s all tailored perfectly, lightweight, and well-padded, and all packs into a semi-circular carry bag. Foil assembly is a straightforward process, and all fixings are titanium M6 Torx, and a high-quality T-handle Torx driver as well as a screwdriver are provided.

The front wing has a tapered connection onto the hexagonal fuselage; we had no issue sliding this on and off by hand using multiple wings whilst testing, but if it does decide to bind, a rubber mallet may be required to coax it free. Once assembled, the built foil is impressively lightweight. When attaching to the board, the mast foot has self-locating titanium washers to spread the load over the carbon. Ingeniously, these can be flipped 180 degrees to extend the position of the foil in the track box, a prime example of the high attention to detail present with every conceivable aspect of the system. We found the mast position liked to be a little further forward than with most foils, which aligns with Armstrong’s new Forward Geometry concept. If you are going to use a board from another brand, it’s worth considering where the track box sits in relation to the tail.

For the HA and HS wing series we were provided with the underslung HS232 tail which matches both. It comes with a plastic shim set to tune the angle. We had a good play around with this, and found the standard no shim setting will probably suit most people. If you want to spice

The HA1125 was in development for 18 months with Armstrong openly resistant to releasing a high aspect wing without seeing some clear benefits alongside the rest of their range. Visually, it looks like quite a radical design with an AR of over 9. Your visual preconceptions lead you to believe it may be a technical wing to ride and you assume it’s going to need some power to get going, be it wave or wing propelled, but it’s quite the opposite. Considering the relatively low surface area, the wide span means the initial lift is easy to achieve and nowhere near as choppy in the low end as some high-aspect foils of similar sizes. Its comfortable speed range is wide and remains very composed in the top end. Coming from the HS1250 or HS1550 V2, which many riders will, you need to be mindful about your pitch control initially, particularly in messy surf of choppy water states, but after an hour or so dialing in it felt extremely natural, and we could drop into some meaty waves with high levels of confidence. From an agility perspective, we were impressed; the relatively short 60cm fuselage means it’s easy enough to spin in the yaw axis and rail around on. Like most higher aspect foils, it lends itself to fast high glide carving turns rather than little surf snaps, although it’s surprising what’s achievable. This wing will tolerate a breached tip to a point as well. We found it coupled well with the taller 85cm mast particularly when wingfoiling, and probably for most has a leaning towards blasting around on flat water. But for the more skilled rider the wave application is undeniable, particularly when larger conditions require a wide speed range. It’s fast, efficient, and extremely glidey and when powering into the smallest chop with a hand wing, we were amazed at how much travel you could achieve. It’s a quiver topping high octane weapon, which is remarkably friendly.

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Armstrong have made some intelligent design decisions with the refinements in the A+ System and latest front wings, setting their performance, accessibility and manufacturing benchmark ever higher. Their no compromises design strategy shines through, and whilst it might seem a little coarse to mention price point, we can definitely confirm the product justifies itself on various levels. Richard Boughton

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FANATI C A L 3.0 M ASTS & FU SEL AGES

We were pretty taken with the high-tech video that Fanatic released of their new mast and fuselage range. So much so, we quickly hit up Fanatic’s Klaas Voget with some questions…

You’ve shaved a pretty impressive 20% of weight from your mast and fuselages. Where have these savings come from and have you sacrificed any strength to get the savings?

the thickness further and ultimately we ended up with fuselages with a highly reduced weight and a much nicer trim, giving a more playful behavior to the foil, but still matching the strength of the mast and the connections. The feel and power transfer is only as strong as its weakest link and on the Fanatic foils everything is matched for a strong overall system.

We’ve saved quite a lot of material in both masts and fuselages. If we look at the new masts, they are actually slightly thicker, but still have a lower drag through our new profile. We split the masts in segments and that again allowed us to reduce the wall thickness quite drastically without losing any of the stiffness we wanted for that direct feel, especially when using the larger wings.

How does the aluminum weigh up against the carbon in weight and flex?

As you’ve mentioned we’re saving almost 20% compared to our previous AL 2.0 masts and fuselages with the AL 3.0. With our soon to be launched Carbon masts and fuselages we’ll save another 20% and have slightly higher strength if you combine the values of bending and torsion. Of course, carbon always has a different feel to aluminum, with more response and spring.

On the fuselages we first looked at streamlining and took quite a lot of material off the shape. Then we reduced the distance from mast pocket to the front wing connection, which is the thickest part as it has to deal with all the torsion. This change gave us room to reduce

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That was a pretty slick launch video we saw that mixed up 3D and rider action. How instrumental have your riders been in R&D feedback?

Thanks – happy you like it! Our riders are key for our R&D. There’s a very theoretical part that we’re doing with a team of engineers calculating the forces, speeds, lift, drag etc of different profiles, outlines, layups or material thickness. Translating these numbers into feelings is the part where the riders are involved. Mostly we see the calculated numbers reflecting in the feeling we get on the water. Sometimes we’re overshooting in theory and have to take a step back in reality, but generally this scientific approach allows us to make huge steps with just a few protos.

The team riders are also essential for testing the strength and durability of the foils – the jumps and landings the riders give to the gear are heavy and the loads the foils and boards have to withstand are getting higher week after week. Since the team riders are leading that evolution, they are giving a good amount of punishment to the gear before we’re producing for the market.

What design have you used for the component joints, and how have you engineered them to minimize any play?

We have a pocket connection between mast and fuselage which was already solid on the AL 2.0, but we made it even deeper on the new AL 3.0, so the higher walls will allow even less play. Connected with two M8 Torx screws with helicoil inserts that take something like 1.2 tons of load each. Also the base plate has been further optimized and we saved some material where it wasn’t needed and reinforced the plate in key areas instead. The plate is glued and screwed, which doesn’t allow any movement between mast and plate. The fuselage to front wing connection has a wide mounting area for a very good load spread and connects the front wing with three M8 screws, giving an incredibly strong connection between wing and fuselage.

What range of fuselage sizes can we now expect from Fanatic? And how do they match to conditions and foiling sports?

For winging, prone and SUP foiling we have two fuselage options, a very stable and easy to ride 78cm, with the option to adjust the back wing, so you can position it further forward once you progress or enter the surf and want to have a more playful ride. For the more advanced riders we’re offering our playful 68cm fuselage, which is still easy and stable to ride, but gives you the free turning and drive you want from flatwater freestyle to anything in waves. For windsurfing we’re offering a 90cm, which is a streamlined and lighter version of the previous 90 windsurf fuselage.

The front wing mount is now the same on all three fuselages, which allows for use of the Aero, Aero High Aspect and Flow wings for all disciplines now. The Flow 1000 for example is a great addition for higher speeds when winging and the 1250 a nice and direct turning wing in the surf.

How hard is it to keep up to speed in such a rapidly evolving sport?

It’s a balance between constant R&D on one side and being able to deliver gear to the market on the other side. The industry is dealing with higher and higher lead times at the suppliers, shortage of materials, and problems at productions and shipping in general. We know it’s critical to be able to deliver currently, at the same time you cannot rush through certain steps of the R&D process. So even if you could potentially sell anything at the moment, we prefer to make sure our gear is fully developed and properly tested before we’re producing. That being said, the steps we’re making from one generation of products to the next are still pretty big currently, as the sport is still young and evolving quickly and as soon as we’re releasing something to the market, the R&D team is already busy with the next steps.

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RRD EVO WING

RRD recently released the latest addition to their wing family, the EVO. International Marketing and Team Manager Matteo Guazzoni walked us through the tech that sits in this new all-rounder from the Italian brand…

You’re marketing this as somewhat of a one-for-all wing. Is it really effective for all levels of wing rider?

Yes, it is! We have tested the EVO Wing a bit everywhere and with different level of riders. What we wanted was a light wing that was very accessible for novice riders. We did it by designing a new simplified leading edge using less panels and seams compared to our previous model, allowing us to save 200-300 grams of weight. We have also added three long handles to facilitate maneuvering the wing.

The EVO is definitely a step forward in freeriding and for expert freestylers. After the first tests, we also realized we had in our hands an extremely fast wing which was tracking crosswind and upwind at its best. That is why we define the EVO Wing as a real all-rounder.

How did you come up with the arrowhead outline and what are the benefits here?

Talk to us about the new strut handle design and its benefits for the rider…

The arrowhead outline has two main advantages. The front section of the leading edge cuts wind efficiently due to an improved aerodynamic, and the middle section is compact, resulting in less wingspan which gives a better feeling of control and also maneuverability.

Long handles are comfortable and more intuitive. By having three of them covering the entire hand placement area you don’t have to worry about where to position your hands, resulting in an improved accessibility for all levels of riding.

Why have you chosen a double inflation system?

Have you dabbled with wings over 6.5m? And if so, did they have any benefit in the low end?

We have designed the EVO Wing by separating the leading edge and central strut areas. The double inflating system optimizes the inflating pressure in the leading edge and strut. So for example, the central strut can be inflated at a higher pressure due to its smaller dimension compared to the leading edge. The result is an overall optimized rigidity of the whole structure. In addition, the deflating process is quicker by far compared to a standard system.

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We are testing new prototypes and of course also looking into bigger sizes than the 6.5. By increasing the surface area you reach a limit in the wingspan you can use if you don’t want the tips to touch the water, therefore you need to work on different outlines and shapes.

Overall it looks like a 6.5m size is enough to fly in literally 6-8 knots of wind if you use a more generous foil size.

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ARMSTRONG FG BOARD SERIES

Things don’t slow down much over at Armstrong HQ, and with the release of their new ‘Forward Geometry’ board range, it’s clear Armie and the team have remained busy throughout New Zealand’s wintertime. We got in touch to find out all about the new boards…

Hey Armie, so firstly could you please talk us through the FG in your FG board range?

Who was involved with developing the concept?

I have worked on this with our top team riders, the Armstrong design team and business partner Rob Whittall for a long time now with many iterations of prototypes and production samples over the last few years. Bevan Gooch was pushing the boundaries with tiny tow boards made by Biggie Smithers. We wanted to bring that feel to the full board range. Riding and talking with the America’s Cup sailing teams, it became clearer that waterline length at take-off was critical.

To reduce the swing weight of any board length the answer was clear – move the foil forward in the board.

Everyone in foiling has generally been trying to make the boards as short possible to reduce swing weight but as you improve the issue then becomes that you also want to get going with the smallest foil possible. Looking closely at the foiling yachts in the America’s Cup it became obvious that putting the foil closer to the center of gravity would reduce leverage on the entire system. The closer to the center of the board’s balance point, the less leveraged swing weight, and everything becomes lighter, more efficient and more reactive.

That means you can use a slightly longer board with enough waterline length to get you going but feels way smaller and more nimble to ride. Combined with increased nose rocker, the flatter faster rear, straighter chines and rails, the FG system produces a board that takes off incredibly early and feels smaller and more fun to ride.

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How does shifting the balance point of the board affect how the boards ride? Is it just in the pitch axis or does it alter more attributes?

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Simply put, it makes a bigger board feel smaller and more reactive.

There is also a key component of trimming your tail size and pitch to move the mast forward of the feet for maximum reactivity that advanced riders can use to really loosen up a foil/board combo.

The boards across the range look like they all have concave decks.

What performance benefits does this bring and how did you factor in the decks draining on take-off?

The deep deck recess comes partly from race SUP design to increase effective board volume with a little forward speed – and more importantly it puts your feet closer to the foil as board thickness has a massive effect on direct feel from the foil.

Talk us through what you’re using throughout the range, materials wise. Do the smaller boards have lighter weights of laminate or does it carry through?

In actual fact, the smaller boards are more heavily reinforced as they are more likely to take a beating from jumps and high wind situations. We use the highest quality materials available with carefully optimized fiber orientations – we pioneered a unique but complex carbon reinforced dual carbon stringer system that now holds our custom A+ carbon foil tracks. Full 120g Innegra double rail wrapped over the foam core is then wrapped with a PVC sandwich deck and full board double carbon wrapped rails to complete the strong but light build we are after. The lightweight sanded white paint finish protects the carbon from the sun… simple.

Who shapes during the prototyping process? And can you tell us where final manufacturing takes place?

I shape the boards with critical input from NZ master board builder Biggie Smithers at Sirocco, who does all our prototype board lamination. All our prototypes are made at Biggie’s Sirocco workshop in Taranaki NZ, where he has made custom hand shaped sandwich boards for decades. Our process takes time, as we thoroughly test every board shape to understand what the variations bring, before making the next version. Generally I will make a board file and we CNC a blank in NZ that we then tune by hand and input any adjustments back into the computer – this repeats as necessary to eventually get to the shape we like. We have recently set up our own board manufacturing facility in Asia specifically for the FG Boards so we can have better control over production quality, as the devil is in the details…

Tell us about your new carbon mast track system, we’ve not seen anything like this before.

Our new high strength 320mm long custom A+ System carbon foil tracks were developed because we found that no matter how we reinforced plastic boxes they simply were not strong enough for the loads foils can generate – especially in decent surf or jumping. We optimized the track length to give ample adjustment while still fitting into the rocker of most boards, as I like bottom rocker. With the extra length you can set the foil rearwards to lock in the ride a bit in bigger waves or storm conditions if desired.

Are foils from other brands compatible with this system?

Yes, most will be as the new carbon A+ foil tracks are long so there is a lot of room to adjust the foil. Some brands at stock setting will require the foil to be set max rearwards on the A+ tracks. In our view, the point is as you improve, trim your tail flatter (or use a smaller one) to unlock the potential of any foil and move it further forward relative to your feet. Setting up the forward geometry of your foil system so your rear foot pushes from behind the mast top gives you more control (more leverage) over the foil and you can redirect to put it where you need to with a flick of the ankles.

Finally, what has the feedback been like from your team riders?

Everyone is stoked with the new wing boards. Regardless of where they are mounting the foil, the new hull shape allows smaller foils to be used, with extended rear planing surface, ultra clean water release, and straighter chine lines combining for very early planing and take-off of all board sizes. The recessed deck bringing you closer to the foil means these boards have amazing feel and ride response.

We have also significantly increased the size range of the boards, so there is almost something for everyone now.

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OCEAN RODEO GLIDE HL-SERIES

Those of you who also like to kiteboard may well have heard of the new ‘ALUULA’ material, a composite cloth that appeared in the airframe of Ocean Rodeo’s kite fleet, and offered tantalizing amounts of weight-saving, stiffness, strength and the resulting performance benefits that improvements in those areas subsequently bring. So it was only a matter of time before the brand moved this tech into the world of wings. We caught up with CEO Richard Myerscough to find out more about the ALUULA blessed Glide wing...

So we understand this new wing utilizes the ALUULA material that’s been used to good effect on your kite range. What can you tell us about it, and what does the HL stand for?

What benefits does this have over the traditional Dacron that is more commonly used?

HL is an acronym for Hybrid Light, and the HL-Series of wings combines traditional woven materials such as polyester Dacron and Ripstop, with futuristic composite materials made by ALUULA. The ALUULA material is placed strategically in locations where improved stiffness/flex and reduced weight enhances the wing’s performance.

It’s pretty groundbreaking stuff and we’re stoked to be the first doing it!

Dacron is still the industry standard for inflatable kites, and this has been the case for 20 years. For the last few years, wing designers have used the same materials and techniques that are used to build inflatable kites. To be strong and stiff enough for an inflatable airframe, Dacron needs to be produced at about 160 grams per square meter.

Much below this, the weave becomes soft and the seams can’t withstand the inflation pressures needed to make a wing stiff. ALUULA is a composite material that uses space-age fibers, woven into a core which is then treated with a fusion process. The end result is ultra light,

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strong and stiff composite materials that have opened up a wealth of opportunities for both wing and kite designers. We are able to cut wing weights in half versus Dacron framed wings, with improved airframe flex. The next few years will be very exciting in both the wing and kite markets thanks to ALUULA. Why did you decide to fuse traditional Dacron and ALUULA material in the wing?

ALUULA is very expensive to produce versus Dacron. A full leading edge from ALUULA uses a lot of material, so we did our best to highlight the Dacron leading edge with ALUULA in key locations. The strut is made entirely of 82gsm ALUULA, replacing the 160gsm Dacron. The added strength of ALUULA also allowed us to reduce the diameter of the strut for additional weight savings. The ALUULA strut can be pumped to 12psi, making for a very stiff, light strut and fantastic control of the wing. Reducing weight on the strut is key for effective chop and swell riding when dropping one hand. The less weight there is on the trailing edge of the wing, the better the ride.

How do you feel the flex in a wing relates to performance? Does controlled flex have a positive or negative effect in your experience?

Flex is very important on wings. Currently the flex tool kit for designers consists of material properties, tube diameters/tapers, and wing geometry. The ability to use a higher or lower psi to achieve a design outcome is also a major design tool. The best wing in the world under inflated will not perform as designed, so as we move forward, materials that can withstand more psi, like ALUULA, gives designers an exciting new tool.

What other distinguishing features are found on the Glide HL-Series?

We have our new Matrix full length carbon handle system coming this fall that fits all Ocean Rodeo wings via our handle attachment system, and the rider can then switch between soft and hard handles. The Slit windows are minimalist, but effective. Because the current window material is relatively heavy, we try to minimize its use while keeping adequate vision for the rider. Then we have no zippers on the leading edge for bladder installment. With the large diameter of the wing, LE zippers are a major fail point due to the high pressure that’s exerted on the zipper. Instead, our bladders install via the wing tip openings.

It’s as easy as using the zipper and there’s less chance of damaging a bladder on the zipper teeth during install. We removed all the zippers from our kites two years ago with great success, so this is a proven technique to improve durability, and reduce some weight too.

Where has this been tested and who’s been out there riding it?

Our wing program was developed over the Covid shutdown, and we are very fortunate to own a waterfront facility in the windiest location in Victoria in British Columbia, so we were able to continue both wing and kite R&D uninterrupted through those challenging Covid times.

We have a solid roster of designers and engineers on the design team that all contributed to the wing development. Ross Harrington, Liam McClein, Reece Myerscough and myself all had our hand in the design project. Then Hood River Gorge wingers and designers Peter Wright and John Bellacera contributed with some brilliant features for our new Matrix carbon bar. We also worked closely with the ALUULA design team to get the right composites for the wings.

External feedback is coming from a range of riders, from our local Victoria crew who are really pushing it in our cold water conditions all year, to our pro riders like Mathis Ghio from Marseille in France and Carla Herrera Oria from Tarifa, Spain. We are really excited to support both Mathis and Carla as they push the limits of the sport on these wings.

You’re a brand with a strong heritage of innovation. Anything else bubbling away in the background you can let us in on?

We’re really very excited about our new Matrix handle. It will fit all our wings made since day one, and will be a standard offering into the future, and it’s so nice to use a solid one-piece handle. Then of course we have our full ALUULA A-Series Glide wings following soon too, and they’re going to cause quite a stir just like our A-Series kites did!

Like most brands we design well into the future: “lots coming” is an understatement...

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ELEVEIGHT WFS V2

Primarily a kite brand, but Eleveight are making serious moves into the wing world as they drop the second and improved version of their WFS wing. We got in touch with Marketing Director Robert Bratz to hear more...

Is this wing more at home in the surf or on flatwater?

You’ve moved into the wing realm from a pure kiting background, as have many other brands. What are the main crossover benefits that you bring to the WFS V2 from all that kite knowledge?

The new WFS echoes the excitement for this new sport and takes beginners through to experts with its unique versatility suited to all riding styles and levels. In other words, it is a classic freeride wing which performs well in flat water and in the surf.

In a new sport, the stages of development are very progressive, and shapes and materials change very quickly. That is a great challenge for the developers and is synonymous for all brands. In our case, however, we can already say that our many years of experience in water sports and kite product development were very helpful. Peter Stiewe, our founder and product designer, has been developing high performance water sports products for over 25 years and is an enthusiastic wingsurfer himself. As a long-time kite and board developer, he naturally has extensive knowledge of materials, shapes and aerodynamic flight behaviour.

Who’s been out there putting in the testing hours?

Our test team is totally hooked on wingfoiling. Phil Martin, one of the founders of Eleveight, has a small team in the South of France. These guys are the driving force of new ideas, and they spend countless hours in the water. Some of our kite team riders, like Arthur Guillebert, are also part of the testing crew. These young guys are pushing the limits and put our gear on a “real” test bench.

And I guess a lot of your kite team riders have added winging to their repertoire too?

How long has the prototyping process taken for the WFS V2?

Yes for sure. Our established test team also has a proven long-term track record in kite foiling and their gained knowledge was very helpful for the development of our new hydrofoil and board range. Another positive factor is our close and long-standing relationship with our suppliers. In the case of our wingfoil range, we can rely on their expertise and ensure that quality and performance are at the highest level.

The development process goes far back to the beginning of 2019. We had a clear vision about the performance parameters and target market for this new sport. Right from the start, we relied on a rigid wing bar concept, because we believe that the holding forces can be much better controlled. At Eleveight we say “Development Never Stops”, and we’ve already received the first prototypes for our V3 version. The sport is progressing quickly and so are we…

What are the main distinguishing features of the WFS V2?

Are you going ‘all in’ now on foiling? What else can we expect to see from you?

The main feature is our CS Wing Bar, which is the perfect cockpit for a comfortable and direct ride. The intuitive hand position limits fatigue and extends your session time. The bar also offers greater stability and better power control for foiling in all conditions. Furthermore, the WFS has a high volume leading edge that supplies a stiff frame and optimum canopy tension, yet the whole construction is extremely light and ultra-durable thanks to the use of superior materials. We also paid special attention to the downwind drift. We wanted a wing which rides waves with single, or even no handed, control.

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I think this year’s line-up clearly shows our passion and commitment for this exciting new sport. Apart from our WFS wing, we are also offering a whole range of foil boards. The Evolve is a dedicated board range for wing foilers and features four sizes with a compact shape and a light carbon construction. We power the Evolve with our HXS Hydrofoils. The HXS is available in five sizes and covers a wide range of riding styles and conditions.

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A K D U R A B L E SUP P LY CO

TRACER , TREK AND PL ASMA FOILS

The team at AK dived into the burgeoning foil world with some very respectable foils which we covered in our earlier issues. Now, they’ve just released a new and matured range of high, medium and low aspect modular foils: the Plasma, Tracer and Trek. All benefit from the learning that’s taken place as the sport developed, and Product Development Engineer Dave Kay has been at the forefront of that… We asked him more about the new range.

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It’s great to see the AK foil range spread into three distinct wing shapes, give us an overview of their features and size ranges.

The range starts with the Trek, a lower aspect ratio set of wings designed for ease of use and predictable handling. These come in sizes from 1000 through to 2000sqcm sizes covering kiting, surfing and winging across a range of rider weights. The step up from there is the Tracer, a mid-aspect ratio with narrow, turned down wing tips; these wings have more glide and faster handling suitable for more demanding riders. These come in 850 through to 1900sqcm sizes, again covering all foil sports and rider sizes well. And finally the Plasma range is designed specifically for pumping performance. 1000, 1300 and 1600sqcm sizes cover all rider sizes.

What have you learnt in the intervening period of time since you released the original AK foil range which has carried you quite nicely up until now?

The biggest thing we have learnt is the range of different applications our foils are used under and having to completely relook how we approach the problem. In the past we would look at the designs from a ‘per sport’ perspective – designing foils for kiting, foils for surfing and, say, foils for pumping. But in reality our 1300 AK Surf foil became one of our most popular kiting foils and then the growth of winging had demands for larger easy to use wings. The new range is now designed and built around performance characteristics, with a much wider range of sizes available in each of the three categories.

This now allows much closer matching of rider size to foil sport per category. What really ties this concept together is the modular system of masts, fuselages and stabilizers.

Which materials have you used for each component and why?

All the wings feature a lightweight foam core. The Trek has a glass composite construction as these lower aspect wings are naturally stiffer than their high aspect cousins. The Tracer and Plasma are carbon composite for the stiffness required of these wider wings. The rear wings are all solid composite cores with carbon shells, and the fuselages are built from aluminum. The modular system is completed with both Aluminum and Carbon masts which we have in a range of sizes Tell us about the moustache stabilizers. What’s the tech behind the excellent name?

The moustache stabilizers have a combined anhedral/dihedral design which gives a great deal of yaw stability to the foil setup, and the name is just the perfect description of the shape!

We hear that Zane Schweitzer had a lot of input in the Plasma foil?

Yes, Zane was the main driving force and test rider for the Plasma range. The Plasma has been the hardest foil product for us so far to engineer into production – the increased loads on the wing and connection systems have been the most difficult to overcome. From the rider’s point of view the wide wing span leads to a different turning technique compared to lower aspect ratio wings, and you need to be prepared for the major increase in speed, especially in the small 1000 size.

What benefits does the Carbon version of the Plasma bring?

The Carbon mast comes with a significant weight reduction compared to the Aluminium mast/top plate combo.

Where’s the majority of testing been taking place?

We have team and test riders in Cape Town, Maui, France and Thailand – and it was a team effort to get everything tested and sorted!

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N A ISH MATA D O R

Naish reveal a stablemate to their popular flagship wing model, the Wing-Surfer. It’s called the Matador, it’s probably the coolest name for a wing we’ve heard yet, and we wanted to know more. So we got in touch with Mr Robby Naish himself…

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Matador. Love the name. What’s the thinking behind it, Robby?

The Matador name was the suggestion of one of our Naish USA sales team members who is an avid kite and wingfoiler. We usually throw names of new products around the whole company and let everyone chime in. The process can be hilarious and sometimes painstaking, but this time we really hit the nail on the head. Matador perfectly describes the look and feel of flagging the wing while riding a swell or wave, which is what this wing was specifically designed to do really well.

What type of rider is the Matador primarily pitched toward?

The Matador is appealing to riders who want more punch and power from their wing. It provides great “sheet in and go” power, which stays locked forward so that the wing does not get overly back handed. It is designed so that the rider can choose the smallest possible wing for the prevailing wind conditions. It pulls to windward really well and then flags behind you for foiling the bumps, swells or waves with incredible balance and predictability. The end result is a wing that works well overall, is great when ridden underpowered and that heavier riders looking for power and stability find very appealing.

In terms of design, what are the key differences between the Wing-Surfer and the Matador?

The Matador has a thicker leading edge diameter and strut in comparison to a similar sized Wing-Surfer. This makes the overall wing stiffer. It also has a deeper draft with the shape locked further forward than on the Wing-Surfer. The result is a more powerful, punchier wing with great get-up-and-go but with a more limited range on the upper end compared to the Wing-Surfer. The Matador has more dihedral across the leading edge as well, which makes it flag extremely well without tip drop. It also has smaller scuff reinforcements and a much smaller window which is designed to really only be used when going to windward and looking over the strut, whereas the Wing-Surfer window provides clear visibility on all points of sail. From a feel standpoint, the Wing-Surfer is a more all-round wing that “breaths” and twists as loads on the canopy increase. As a result, it has a large range and great top speed. The Matador provides more power and a stiffer overall structure. Even its handles are stiffer, making it feel more solid and allowing you to ride on a small wing for the prevailing wind. Lighter riders and women tend to prefer the Wing-Surfer so far, while larger riders and those specifically focused on riding swells and waves really like the Matador.

What do you feel are the key attributes for a wave-focused hand wing?

Good balance, light weight, and a neutral feel especially when being flagged. You want the wing to follow you effortlessly and pretty much disappear from thought while you are flagging. You do not want a wing that is constantly trying to drop its wingtips or flip upside down behind you as many tend to do. In order to focus on foiling the wave, you want a wing that has the power and stability to get you going while riding the smallest size that you can get away with.

Tell us the thought process behind the removable Y-handles?

With the Y-handles, some people swear by them and use them all the time and others never touch them. Our removable Y-handles let you configure how you like going with the lightest weight possible with no Y, taking one Y handle and bridging the gap between front and rear handles for a transition handle for those that like to have one, or go with the Y-Handles in place for those that like to have them. It makes the wing tuneable to personal preference.

Finally Robby, who fed into the design process for the Matador?

I am still spearheading the design team for the wings, but take input from riders within the Naish group both here on Maui and around the world and combine that with our engineers Brian Dennis, Nils Rosenblad, Jeff Urfer and Michi Schweiger to come up with what you finally see in production. Our guys in Australia are always providing very good feedback as well as those in the Gorge and in Europe. Here on Maui, we have some of our opinion leaders that literally wing every single day and with varying weights and styles. They also really contribute a lot in terms of balancing things out.

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SKEETER TICHNOR Photo: Eric Egstrom

Skeeter Tichnor came to our attention as someone who truly exudes the foil stoke, lives it every day, and therefore was the perfect first subject for our new slot, where we tip our hat to those out there around the world who have committed themselves to a life happily devoted to the foil, and who help inspire others to do the same…

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Hey Skeeter. So when did you first pick up a foil, and how was that initial session?

In April of 2017 I borrowed my boyfriend Buck's setup. At that time he had a Naish foil and a SUP foil board that Marlon Lewis had loaned him. I was definitely intimidated by all the early reports of injuries, so I approached that first session with a lot of caution. Despite my fears it was love at first flight. I just could not believe the sensation of gliding even for just a second. I was in the middle of teaching a 200hour yoga teacher training and all I could think about was when I was going to be able to try and foil again.

So that was the first gear you rode… what are you riding now?

After riding that Naish foil for a couple sessions I got on the waiting list for the then coveted GoFoil Kai wing. Alex Aguera was kind enough to loan me a Kai wing until my foil arrived. I had a tuttle box put into my Kazuma SUP board and I was now ready to fly whenever my teaching schedule allowed. I rode GoFoil for about a year and a half, and then I met Ivan and Nathan Van Vuuren around that time when they were visiting Maui, and I was super impressed by Nathan's riding on the Signature Foils original Albatross 175. A few months later I met Kane DeWilde and he was riding Signature foils, and I was sold on learning to be like Nathan and Kane. Kind of a lofty ambition, but I had nothing to lose.

My first experience riding Signature foils was on the Stealth 175. The Stealth 175 is still one of my favorite foils, but lately I’ve been really into the Signature mid-aspect Game Changer 900 with a 11" blunt custom stab from Kane. Sometimes I ride the high-aspect Albatross 165 for super small surf or if I want extra glide downwinding. Overall, I prefer the mid-aspect wings for their turning and pumping combination. Watching Kai and Ridge Lenny and the Spencer brothers on KT foil boards made me want to try them. Keith Taboul (KT) is such an amazing human being and great board shaper. I love all my KT boards. I have had three KT SUP foil boards and about 10 KT prone boards and they all were perfect. Every board is better than the last, more perfectly dialed in to my needs.

So you’re a yoga teacher too. Any crossover benefits here?

Absolutely! At 61 years old I feel really strong, flexible and have pretty good balance and surprisingly good cardio endurance. Yoga helps you move energy in your body, mind and spirit. I credit my 30 plus years of yoga and Feldenkrais practice for my good health. Yoga is much more than just a physical practice, it really helps you learn how to align your highest intentions with your actions. I credit yoga philosophy for teaching me how to live my best life and how to guide others to do the same. The yoga philosophy I teach is very similar to the teachings of Aloha Spirit. As foiling is gaining in popularity the value of sharing the ocean with others and honoring the Aloha Spirit may be one of the greatest gifts foiling offers us. The joy people receive from foiling seems to lift them up to a more elevated way of interacting with the world. All puns aside, it is true.

Is it hard to balance your career with a clear passion for foiling too?

Luckily I can work my yoga teaching around my foiling. Kind of kidding but I do try. I schedule the hours of teaching around having some mornings for glassy prone surfing and some afternoons for the wing sessions and double sessions whenever I can.

You’re a multi-disciplinary foiler, which came first for you, the wing, SUP or prone?

I learned to SUP foil first and about six months later started prone foiling. For a while I did both, but started to prefer prone foiling. The winging came last. In the beginning the wingfoiling seemed clumsy with the big boards. After I learned to jibe, I switched to using a prone board for winging and the whole world of winging came alive.

The ability to use the wing to get out to the surf, and then to ride a wave with the wing luffing behind really feels like dancing. Winging on your prone board saves money too!

If you could only pick one discipline, which would be your preference?

That is a terrible sounding dilemma! I guess I would choose prone foiling as I do love its simplicity and glassy waves, but one of the beauties of foiling is how windy and bumpy conditions can be almost

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as fun as glassy conditions, and once you learn to pump out, you can pump out past the surf line-up and score rollers. As foiling is starting to get more crowded on the surf breaks, the options of downwinding and winging are becoming more appealing to get away from the crowds. I am really happy I do not have to choose.

Have you converted anyone to foiling who might otherwise never have tried it?

Lots of people tell me they started foiling because they saw me gliding and pumping around on Maui having a great time. In the beginning I was keen to convert everyone. A few friends got seriously injured trying to learn on their own in less than optimal conditions.

After those injuries, I stopped trying to convert anyone and just let the beauty and joy of the sport speak for itself.

Finally, and this might be the only opportunity we ever have to ask this question: downwinders or downward dogs?

How about a downwinder sandwiched between a warm-up downdog and a cool down downdog followed by a second round?!

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HOOKED IN

Much like pro surfers with prone foiling, a lot of pro kiters are also finding that having a wing in their arsenal means a huge increase in water time when conditions might not be kite-optimal. Pro kiteboarder Annelous Lammerts talks about her journey into winging, and offers some tips for those starting out…

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The first time I tried foiling with a kite was in 2016 and I’ve been addicted to the feeling of flying ever since. I’ve been completely absorbed by spending as many hours on the water as possible, and kite foiling probably tripled my sessions. I would always have my foil with me, so instead of waiting on the beach for enough wind for freestyle, I would be cruising and having a good time.

In 2018 I saw footage from prone foilers and straight away I wanted to give that a try too. I’ve never surfed much, even though I always wanted to get into it. I used to work in a kite shop where we made the deal that I could go kitesurfing every windy day, sometimes for an hour, sometimes three. I barely missed a windy day. That meant I made a lot of progression in a short time, but also that I had to work on the days with surf so my colleagues could enjoy the waves. A couple of years ago, after never going on a trip without my kite gear, I decided to take 10 days to learn how to surf. It was amazing and I loved it as much as I expected. Then in the summer of 2019 I had the chance to borrow a prone foil set-up and gave it a go. Not being a very experienced surfer, getting up and going in small and not very powerful waves was a challenge. But once I stood up, I immediately loved this feeling and managed to ride the longest waves of my life.

Around that same time the first wings came around. A lot of people around me were skeptical about this new sport, but I just knew I wanted to try it out and see for myself. Seeing videos of people towing themselves into waves made me think that using a wing in certain conditions would make a lot of sense. But before getting myself into conditions like that, I first had to learn how to ride…

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Learning something new is always a challenge and not knowing much about this new sport made it a bit harder. At the end of 2019 I borrowed a wing setup. I had no idea how to fly it. I remember trying, but not holding it correctly and having the tips touch the water all the time. I was drifting downwind really fast and was already making a plan on how to get out at the next beach! But after 30 minutes of struggling I finally managed to fly the wing, and in no time at all I foiled back upwind, completely exhausted from this workout, but also full of energy with the feeling of winging for the first time.

With the right tips, you can learn how to wingfoil really fast. It’s nothing like kiteboarding where you need a three-day course to be able to do it alone safely. I still recommend that people who don’t have much experience with water sports take a lesson to speed up the learning curve and not make unnecessary mistakes or break their gear. But people that have a lot of experience in other water sports can learn it really fast, and being a “noob” again is really fun! It had been a while since I’d started a new sport from the beginning and the progression is always the fastest when you start out. Two tips from me if you start wingfoiling – always use a board leash and double check your wing leash. First of all, it’s really hard to keep up with a foil board since it drifts downwind faster than you can swim, and secondly, I have seen quite a few wings flying over my local spot, including mine once.

I eventually got my own wing, the Cabrinha Crosswing 4m and decided to give it a try with my prone foil board, the 2020 Autopilot 5’2.

The board has quite a big surface which made it surprisingly easy to waterstart. I did end up swimming back from a lot of sessions when the wind dropped, mostly because I was pushing my low-end a lot.

Now, only a year later, the boards have changed so much and even small boards have a lot of volume which means a great low-end. After a few sessions on flatwater I finally went for a session in the waves.

This was in the beginning of 2020, and I was stuck at home because of Covid. Luckily the beaches in the Netherlands never closed, and even though it was freezing, we could still enjoy being outside, spending time on the water. I wasn’t doing much kiting, since my feet would freeze in my boots and using gloves makes freestyle almost impossible. But it was the perfect time to continue learning how to wing.

The Netherlands is really windy, and it’s the perfect place for wingfoiling, and being stuck at home definitely played a role in me getting so into wingfoiling. The current and the waves made the water starts quite hard, but practice has made perfect. I remember towing myself into my first waves with the wing, the feeling was incredible. These “waves” weren’t much more than wind swell, but I could never ride them before. You can’t paddle into them, can’t surf them with a kite, but a whole new world opened with the wing.

Since then I’ve chased this feeling, and not always successfully. Getting completely worked in the shorebreak or putting a foil through my wing have been part of the journey. But the amazing downwinders, the acceleration you get from foiling down a big face, catching minute-long rides, and riding bigger waves than I could ever paddle into keeps me coming back for more…

TO P Coming in hot...

MIDDLE Someone's having a good time in the warm waters of Sicily...

B OT TO M And still having a good time, but this time in the not-so-warm Netherlands. Photo: Marcel Berrevo 198

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