I'm excited to add wing foil instruction to what I enjoy teaching at the Launch Pad windsurfing academy. Len is an accomplished windsurfer who I taught to windfoil over the last two years. He wanted to windfoil again but I suggested he try winging this time. He made a funny face about that idea!
I set him up with my big Duotone Echo 6.0m wing. And the Fanatic Stingray 140l board with the 99cm foil and 24 inch mast. That big stable platform is the easiest kit to wing on.
Since the wind was from the west, I had the choice of launching from the point or taking the little boat upwind into a calmer bay across the way. We decided to take the boat and I set him off. He was great at gettting up on the board and flying the wing like we practised on land.
So it wasn't surprising that he got going on the foil in both directions on his first tries. He lost some ground downwind and then figured out slogging upwind. And quickly he realized that pumping the foil, doing a little skateboard "ollie" with his feet would get him going and then he could foil upwind even more effectively. No rescue required.
Here is the video of Len's session with a few of his runs:
That wasn't the end of the day though. My nephew and niece went out on the Invitation sailboat and I followed on my 5.0 Duotone Slick wing and 125l Fanatic Sky foilboard. What fun in the harbour - with Len wing foiling back to the dock. He then went out for a windfoil with the 4.8 Idol sail and Techno with the 76 cm foil.
I did my first ever jumps on the wingfoil which was also exciting. More photos and details about that at my personal blog https://windsurfing-en-provence.blogspot.com/2022/09/super-friday-foil-session.html
That will be the last lesson for the year. The weather turned cold and rainy and I've taken the simulator off the point. Looking forward to more teaching at the Launch Pad in 2023.
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