Wing Surfing or Wing Foiling -how it works
Wing Surfing or Wing Foiling – this is how it worksA board, an umbrella and some wind – that’s all it takes to make the dream of flying over water or land come true. The novelty: reduced material, simple handling. For “wingen” you simply take the light umbrella, the so-called FreeWing, in your hand and the board accelerates under your feet. No rigging as in windsurfing and no lines as in kiting are required. This year, the FreeWingAir is conquering the market. With the expertise of the Airush Kites and Starboard design teams, this wing has been developed in seven different sizes for both light wind and high wind use. Downwinder, carving, easy gliding, all this is possible with this allrounder. Even on land in combination with a longboard or snowboard, the FreeWing awakens the spirit of play.
How winging works
How Winging WorksAs old as the sport of surfing is, it continues to spawn new disciplines and excite more and more people thanks to new developments and the industry’s playful spirit of innovation. Most recently SUP boards have shaken up the industry, then the foil boards and this year come special wing boards, for which the wing replaces the windsurfing sail or kite. Wings are differentiated according to the boards used in wingsurfing with fin and wingfoiling with foil instead of fin.The inflatable wing is very light and allows quite several hours of surfing sessions. It is controlled by the edge pressure on the board and by the alignment of the wing, so a good board feeling is a prerequisite for target-controlled gliding.
Advantages
Already at low wind from about 8 knots winging is possible. The material is reduced, light and handy, the Wing must only be inflated. With the light wing there is no risk of injury.
For who Wing Surfing?
Prior knowledge of any board sport helps in learning Wing Surfing and so this new discipline appeals to all water sports enthusiasts “on board”. Wing can also be used on land for longboarding or snowboarding. Experienced water sports enthusiasts will find Wing Foiling appealing with minimal water resistance.
Wingboards – Foil or Fin
Wingsurf boards are recommended for beginners. At best, they are versatile. Like the Starboard Wingboard models 4in1, which with the shape 10.4” x 32” are also ideally suited for stand-up paddling and even have a mast mount for windsurfing. A wide nose and tail provide stability, while the parallel rails positively influence the glide potential and speed. These multisport boards from Starboard come in different construction styles.
Starboard SUP windsurfing boards are also suitable for wingsurfing -as well as windsurfing and stand-up paddling. Many families use these boards as a “1-board solution” and now have one more option with the Wing. Thanks to the center fin, the height can be maintained and wingboarding can be learned. The removable mast mount is also very advantageous for winging.
Wingfoil Boards
Anyone who has gained experience with wingsurfing will want to fly high at some point: because wingsurfing is a special kind of flying experience. Instead of the fin, the boards have a foil, which lifts the board out of the water with enough buoyancy and lets the rider fly more than glide, almost weightless, without resistance.
The Wing
The FreeWingAirV2 is available in different sizes between 2 and 8 square meters. Surprising is the small pack size.Once assembled, the high stability becomes clear.This is ensured by the large struts, the inflated construction, which combines an excellent rigidity with low weight.Comfortable handles at different positions provide for plenty of feedback and agility.The large main windows increase safety and visibility.
Starboard FreeWing Air V2 – from 749€ in 3 available in 3 colors
Sizes in qm: 2 (for 27-50+ Knots), 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 (for 7-17 knots)
For every wing sold, Starboard plants a mangrove and collects 1.4 kg of plastic at the seashore. The Starboard Group not only operates CO2 and plastic-neutral, but even creates the positive balance.
More infos and how tos see https://www.star-board-wing.de/
Also a great series with Zane Schweitzer is the “ZERO TO HERO”.