AXIS FOIL

Axis Launches New Wing Models For Spitfire Foiling

Imagine a dedicated surf foiling wing, that lets you foil waves like a surfer would. If you’re anything like us, you’ve been dreaming of an effortless turning wing, that inspires confidence when dropping in, that has a gentle, predictable easy lift up onto foil. A foil that not only handles breaches but encourages them. No wave is the same, sometimes you need a turn of speed, and on another you need to slow right down but stay on foil. A wing you can just forget about and get on with the business of enjoying yourself. Of course, that wing has to be capable of pumping you back out to do it all again and again. The wait is over, meet the AXIS Spitfire.

You’ll recognise it by its distinctive elliptical outline, straight median line and lack of aggressive turndown through the tips. Moderate chord lengths, that taper smoothly from the centre to the tips, encourage smooth, predictable but precise turning. Reduced foil thickness for enhanced top end to compliment the greater chords providing easy low end. Many of these attributes are shared by the ARTPRO Range of wings, and in fact much of what we learned in the development of that line fed into the Spitfire’s make-up.

Through the development process, we put the Spitfire through its paces. The smaller sizes are fast with explosive turning. The larger sizes are great for smaller spots and larger riders. The Spitfires are versatile front wings, able to ride waves or flat water across prone, SUP, winging, wake, downwind, lake pumping and kite foiling disciplines. They do it all.

Fiona Wylde Wins 2023 Gorge Wingfoil Race

Freewing

Steve Gates, the owner of Big Winds, and the Head Coach on the Big Winds JET Team, organized and planned this race. The idea was to always combine a downwind race on the world-famous Viento Downwind Run with a course race.

Professional paddlers from every corner of the globe descended on Hood River for more than just a weekend of racing, they came here for an experience.

Fast forward to the Gorge Paddle Challenge in 2023, times have changed, and the event has morphed, and now includes a kids clinic hosted by Wylde Wind and Water, and also wingfoil racing in both a donwwinder and technical course race formats.

Fiona race the FreeWing PRO 5m Wing together with Starboard 4’7 Take Off. Here’s the talented waterwomen’s reccap form the wingfoil event at the 2023 Gorge Paddle Challenge:

¨Since Wing Foiling has exploded, naturally the Gorge Paddle Challenge adapted to include Wing Foiling, with both a downwind and course race division. I wasn’t able to compete in the downwind race on saturday because of the SUP race, but I could compete in the course race! We raced three windward-leeward course races which consisted of three laps each race. The first start was a bit chaotic, but afterwards everybody settled in and we understood the system. I am super pleased with the way I sailed and ended up winning all three Wing Foil Course Races and the Wing Foil Pro Course race title¨.

Tell us how you started in the world of Stand up Paddle.

Desde pequeño, mi pasión era el Surf, aunque, viviendo en el Mediterráneo, solo podía practicarlo esporádicamente, cuando había olas. Por suerte, desde pequeño pude hacer viajes con mi familia al norte y a Cádiz. Recuerdo que con 7 años, viajamos a San Sebastián, y viendo a los surferos en “La Zurriola”, le dije a mi madre que, de mayor, quería ser surfista. Así que con 8 años empecé a hacer surf, y lo compaginaba con el fútbol. Estuve 8 años jugando de portero en el equipo de fútbol de mi pueblo. Además de hacer surf, también practicaba el SUP en las actividades deportivas del club.

A los 12 años empecé a competir en la prueba del Circuito mediterráneo que se celebraba en mi club. A los 14 años, tras competir en esta prueba, que me fue bien, me motivé y me planteé dejar el fútbol, ya que mi pasión, desde pequeño, era el mar. Se lo planteé a mis padres, y me apoyaron en la decisión. Así que dejé el fútbol, y me centré en iniciarme en el SUP, y disfrutar del Surf cuando pudiera.

Entonces inicié mi trayectoria en el Stan up Paddle, con Daniel Parres como entrenador, que me apoyó y me formó, desde el inicio, en este deporte. Formé parte del equipo del Club deportivo Parres, desde el año 2019 hasta finales del año 2021. A partir de enero de 2022, continué mi trayectoria deportiva en el Stan up Paddle, con el equipo OR Training.

Why do you think you got so hooked on Stan up Paddle instead of another sport?

Because it is a sea sport, which is my passion. When I started with Daniel Parres, I picked up the technique easily, and I liked the atmosphere of this sport, both in training and in competitions. It was a very healthy environment, and very different from football, and I was getting more and more hooked.

I began to compete in the “Sevilla Sup Festival” and in the events of the Mediterranean Circuit, and I was motivated. With my current coach, Óscar Ruiz, I have also learned to manage results, when things were not going well for me, to learn from mistakes and to take advantage of my potential.

It is also a sport, in which I have developed a good physical condition, with effort and perseverance, and it has given me a lifestyle that I am very happy with. Since the beginning, I have made very good friends. The environment that surrounds Stand Up Paddle, both in and out of the water, has motivated me a lot to continue and evolve day by day.

How do you see this year in terms of competitions and objectives? Which are?

This year 2023, I have competed in different Eurotour events, in the Mediterranean Circuit event that was held in May at “Campello surf club”, and in the Spanish long distance Championship, in Melilla. I am very proud of the result I obtained in the Spanish LD Championship, since, once again, after my result in 2022, I was in first position. This was my main objective in the first part of the season.

In the second part of the season, the next main competitions are the European Championship and the World Championship, although I am waiting to find out if I will be able to have a place to com pete in them. The next competitions are the Spanish Beach Race Championship, the Spanish SUP Waves Championship, the World Cup in Thailand, the Span ish Sprints Championship and some events on the Mediterranean Circuit.

My goal is to continue training hard, giving the best of myself, to be able to be selected for the European Championship, ISA and obtain the best results in all upcoming competitions.

You do different modalities such as Race and SUP waves. How do you complement them at the training level?

Most of the training is focused on the Race. Only on the days that we have waves in the Mediterranean, I replace the Race with the SUP Surf and the surfboard. Surfing helps me a lot to improve my level in SUP Waves.

We know that the OR training family supports you in this process of sports growth. What is it like to train with them?

Well, since I joined the OR Training family, these have been the best years of my sports career, since Óscar helps me and is by my side every day. In addition, we enjoy our trips, both to Fuerteventura and Somo, to train the whole team together, and when we travel to the championships.

It is a team that is very professional, but it is also very familiar. In addition to motivating ourselves, training hard and evolving day by day in sports, they teach us to have very positive attitudes and habits in life. I recommend it to everybody.

If I remember correctly, you are the Spanish long distance champion and the Spanish champion in sup waves. How has the path towards those goals been?

Training very hard, with a lot of effort and perseverance, and with the support of my coach Óscar Ruiz who helped me to trust myself since I set this objective as a priority for the season.

Next year you take the big leap to the elite category, how do you face it?

The truth is that very well, with a great desire to be there. I know that the training will increase in intensity, but I am very motivated to give the best of myself in this new stage.

Thanks to...

I want to thank all of you who support me, my parents, and my family. I also want to thank the support of the companies that have trusted me this season, making it possible for all of us to dedicate ourselves to Stand up Paddle: Campello Surf Club, Starboard Sup, Natural Distribution and Club Náutico de El Campello.