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FEEDBACK: SIRUS 156

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21 june 2024 0

Following his victorious participation in the Pumpfoil discipline during the King of The Bay competition held in Poland, Piotr shares how this new event went down and how he geared up for it.

From May 30th to June 2nd, the picturesque town of Rewa, Poland, played host to the highly anticipated inaugural edition of the King of the Bay event. This exhilarating four-day spectacle drew over 250 participants, who showcased their skills across five thrilling disciplines: kitesurfing, windsurfing, wingfoil, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), and the rapidly growing sport of pump foiling.

In the pump foiling challenge, sixteen talented athletes took center stage, showcasing their remarkable skills and techniques in a fierce battle with Piotr Szymiec taking first place. Here’s his feedback.

Pump foiler: Piotr with a Kluber 80, HM72 mast, Sirus 156 front wing and Sirus stab.

The pumpfoil contest format

“My name is Piotr, and recently I’ve managed to win the pumpfoil category in the King of the Bay competition. The event lasted for 4 days, all of which we, as the Polish Pumpfoil Association, spent teaching the competing kitesurfers and wingfoilers how to pumpfoil, using mostly GONG gear. During one of the days, a pump foiling competition was held. It was a 4-round knockout format, like in football after the group stage. Two riders competing against each other at the same time, on the same racecourse, with the winner advancing further. We stared on two adjustable starting docks next to each other as soon as we heard the referee’s whistle, and the first one at the finish line of the square-shaped course was announced as the winner of the heat.”

Racing on the Sirus 156

“I think that using the Sirus 156/45 setup with the HM72 and Kluber 80 really helped me win. The gliding style, lift and fuselage length increased my control of the foil’s angle of attack while I was pumping as hard as I could, which made accelerating and then keeping the speed much easier and more effective. My strength training and relatively high weight (coming from kitefoil racing in the national team) also gives me more speed, but I know that a smaller Sirus will be even faster, so I’ve already preordered my 116. Long distance pumping is still what amazes me the most, but the 45-50 second race format is more accessible and makes for a much better show. Fortunately, the Sirus performs great in both of these disciplines.”

GONG wishes to congratulate Piotr and all the participants for their performance and the Polskie Stowarzyszenie Pumpfoil association for putting a very entertaining pumpfoil contest together. More events are on the radar for the fast growing pump foiling community in Poland. Stay tuned.

2025