Wingfoil riding technique: Starting on small boards - Wingfoil tutorial with Wesley Brito

Manuel Vogel

· 18.05.2023

In preparation, Wesley first grabs the wing's handleash and pulls it very close to the board. He then grips the board by the edges and presses it under his body. As always, the wing lies on the downwind side of the board (leeward)

The aim is to assume the correct standing position on the board before the wing is lifted and to place the front foot in the strap. The more direct the contact with the wing, the more stable this wobbly phase becomes. This is why Wesley is already gripping the front strap on the front tube. The wing now acts like a boom, which provides additional stability.

Before lifting the wing, Wesley keeps his body weight consistently low and aligns himself straight over the board. If you have not already done so, the front hand - seen in the direction of travel - now takes over the grip loop on the front tube.

The wing is lifted with the front hand...

...the free rear one immediately reaches under the wing to the first handle loop

8 Images

Photo: reemedia

Manoeuvres, jumping, freeriding - it's all much easier with small boards - if only it weren't for the launching. Wesley Brito, a wing pro from Cape Verde, shows you the tricks that make it easy to take off on small boards.

Just so there are no misunderstandings: Whether SUPing, windsurfing, kitesurfing or even wingfoiling: One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to use boards that are too small! Whether on an inland lake, on a river or on the coast, the wind is rarely constant, and while you can bob home on a wingboard with sufficient volume even at five knots, on boards that are too small you will quickly go underwater - and then inevitably swim home. If you are past the beginner stage, are confident on the foil and have mastered foiling gybes and tacking, you can gradually reduce the board size.

A rough rule of thumb for many wingsurfers is the formula "Body weight +/-10 = recommended board volume" tried and tested. If you live inland and often go out on the water at the lower wind limit, even as an experienced wingfoiler you should not necessarily travel with less volume than your body weight, but rather plan for a few litres more if in doubt.

So for whom do boards with significantly less volume than body weight make sense? First and foremost for very experienced wingfoilers who regularly encounter wind conditions of more than 15 to 18 knots. Safe pumping (HERE there's a tutorial) and Jibes should then be a matter of course. The advantages for jumping and freestyle moves are of course obvious - a small board weighs less and is simply more controlled and agile on the foot.

Starting on small boards - like a phoenix from the ashes

If you want to ride a board with less volume than your body weight, you need to know that it will take a dive when you stand up. The classic take-off technique on large boards - kneel on it, put the wing over your head and stand up - very quickly reaches its limits on small boards.

In the picture gallery above, we show you how you can still get started!

Start alternative: Standing up in Switch Stance

If you are travelling with only two straps on the board, you often don't switch your feet in manoeuvres, but surf in one direction in a normal stance and in a twisted position on the way back (switch stance). It is also possible to take off in switch stance, as Wesley Brito shows here.

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