As soon as you fly the first few metres of wingsurfing, you are faced with a problem: how do you turn around? In contrast to windsurfing, in wingfoiling you don't start with the tack, but first with the 180-degree turn to leeward - the jibe. We'll now tell you what's important here.
Wingfoil jibe: Simple practice with suitable material
If you want to practise your first manoeuvres when wingfoiling, you should not make a common mistake: Riding boards that are too small! Because one thing is certain: if you practise jibes, you will regularly end up in the creek. Although a small board is easy to control in the air, it makes life difficult for you when you take off and land again after every crash. As a result, your strength will be used up more quickly, you will make fewer jibes and therefore take longer to master the manoeuvre. Therefore, our tip: Practise with a board that has around 30 to 40 litres of excess volume, i.e. numerically more volume than your body weight. The bigger the board, the better you will be able to save the manoeuvre if you unintentionally drop off and have to finish the turn in a dip. Once you have mastered the wingfoil jibe, you will be ready to ride smaller boards too.
Those who have mastered the jibe are also ready to ride smaller boards
Loops or strapless?
Most boards offer the option of attaching foot straps to the deck. Whether you practise with or without straps is a matter of taste and not a question of right or wrong. With straps, you have direct contact with the board and have a little more control when cornering. On the other hand, straps can be a tripping hazard when changing feet. Uncontrolled falls also pose a small risk of injury if you unintentionally get caught in the strap. In other words: practise the wingfoil jibe the way you feel most comfortable and don't pay too much attention to the issue of loops.
In the following clip, we reveal all the tricks for learning the wingfoil jibe. There are also tips on the material, the grip technique and, last but not least, the typical mistakes when practising. Have fun!
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