One of the big advantages of wing foiling is that you don’t necessarily need a wave or chop to jump. With the right technique and a little bit of willpower, wing foil jumping is not that complicated, and will allow you to discover another dimension of the sport.
Please note in the preamble that caution is required. For your first jumps, protect yourself with a helmet and an impact vest. You are not safe or exempt from a bad landing or a sudden fall. Let’s not forget that we practice extreme and risky sports.
Wing foil jumping
1) Once your feet are firmly planted in the straps, pick up Speed, crosswind, by pulling on your back hand. Your wing will now be in a vertical position, i.e., windscreen.
2) Before jumping, put pressure on the board and the foil. Go upwind slightly with your wing fully sheeted.
3) Apply pressure on your front foot and bend your legs. The nose of your Board will point towards the water and your foil will sink into the water. Beware it is all about dosage and balance, if you put too much weight on the front your Board will touch the water, slowing you down which can unbalance you and cause you to fall.
4) Transfer your weight on the back leg just before you give your impulse, and lift your foil out of the water. This weight transfer from front to back will load the foil even more, increasing the intensity of the pop you will give your Board to take off.
During the wing foil jump
5) Once in the air, keep the wing fully tucked in. At the same time, your wing will move naturally above your head. This will amplify the lift phenomenon and allow you to soften the landing. Remember to keep your wing well-trimmed to avoid falling back with all your weight and breaking everything, or even injuring yourself.
6) The biggest mistake at this point would be to drop everything. Dropping everything means not being in control. Several reasons, the first one for your own safety, dropping the board in the air and falling back on it is far from being a figure of speech… The second one is for your equipment. Your wing could end up impaled on the foil for example. So, you don’t drop anything but you control its descent.
7) If you come from windsurfing, avoid leaning your body backwards. Keep your weight more above the board. If you start leaning back, you will be constantly on your reaB end when you land.
8) As you come down, your eyes should be on your chosen landing area and downwind, tilting the nose of the board slightly towards the water. This will allow a smooth landing.
The landing of the wing foil jump
9) When the foil touches the water, start to cushion the fall by bending at the knees again. Your body will act as a shock absorber.
10) Don’t forget that your foil can be up to 100cm long, so make sure you have enough bottom 😉
11) The success of your landing will depend on your attitude in the air. If you are leaning too far back you will land on your back. If you are too much on the front, the Board will dive at the nose. You risk injuring yourself and breaking the material.
12) With practice, you will eventually be able to land while staying as much as possible above your Board, or at least touching the water lightly before getting back on your feet. Any flat landings will put a lot of pressure on the foil and prevent you from relaunching properly and cleanly.
13) Be sure to start small, practice, don’t bite off more than you can chew, and enjoy yourself.
Advisors: the Team GONG-GALAXY.
Wing foiler : Moritz, team rider GONG, en Neutra, Lemon FSP Pro et set-up Fluid.
