Wing Foiling

Riding a hydrofoil board while holding a handheld inflatable wing for power. It is the discipline the show returns to most — the hosts’ home discipline and the “keep it Generic” default (Ep 108). General framing: winging is the most accessible entry point to foiling.

• The hosts trace their own winging progression across the catalogue — early careers in Ep 3, low-volume “sinker” wing boards in Ep 14, home-spot sessions in Exmouth (Ep 14, Ep 115).
• Both learned around late 2020 (Ep 3): Liam first sent out by Steph Bridge on an F-One Swing; Freddie via an Andy Gratwick demo course on an Ozone Wasp. Shared lesson: don’t drop board volume / foil size too fast — buy for what you’re trying to achieve and keep a crossover period (a push-back on industry “willy-waving” over small boards).
• Strap philosophy: front-strap vs strapless is a recurring host disagreement; by 2026 Liam is moving toward strapless as parawing reduces his exposure to gnarly white-water sections (Ep 3, Ep 147).
• Recurring gear debates: Front Wings high vs mid aspect (Ep 7), Boards volume, and wing brands like Slingshot, F-One, Duotone and Ozone.
• Coaching perspective from Rob Claisse on kite & wing progression (Ep 20).

Ripple additions (batch 2, 2026-07-20)

• Keahi De Aboitiz (Ep 6) rates wing foiling as the discipline closest to tow foiling, prized for letting you catch a wave up to 30 seconds before it breaks; his go-to in lighter wind or lull conditions.
• Mike Raper (North, Ep 24) on North’s wing range: Nova (freeride, v3 2023 redesign), SF Surf (prone/wing-surf), HA/Swivel (high-aspect), MA (mid-aspect), Nova Light Wind (paired with a large hydrofoil for sub-white-capping conditions — hosts pushed back skeptically).
• Klaas Voget (Duotone, Ep 73) traces winging’s early adoption to a Tenerife dealer meeting (early 2019) where Duotone’s wing designer showed prototypes; the same trip produced the first Fanatic ‘Skywing’ wingboard.
• Dave Kalama (Ep 142): short ‘crossover’ boards aimed at pump-wingers hinder beginner progression; found winging felt like windsurfing (‘mowing the lawn’) and lost interest.