Foiling has quite simply taken over my free time for a few months now. The sensation of lift, speed, hovering above the wave, turning with the slightest twitch of a foot and riding across a wave so slopey that in real terms you wouldn’t give it a second glance has completely captivated me. The new skills won in hard-fought battles have given me such rewards, riding on never ending waves with such velocity in the most pathetic conditions, that to me the foil is king and long live its continued development.
Make no mistake foiling isn’t for everyone. In fact its not for most people, it’s tricky to learn, it’s terrifying in waves much bigger than knee high when you first start and the board and foil will come back and bite you in ways you couldn’t dream of when you first try and tame it. So why has your local hotshot SUP surfer got one in his van and why has it taken over his time when he’s only going along a bit in a straight line on a waist high wave? The reason is, it’s addictive; both in taming the flying board and the mindblowing sensation you get on the even the weakest wave. So if you’re nearly ready to part with a good £2k plus to make the most of lacklustre conditions, then the foil is for you.
Is it really for me?
You’ll need to be pretty handy on a wave SUP (be brutal in your self-assessment) and you’ll need to be comfortable riding a board with volume around 20-40 litres in excess of your body weight in kilograms to demonstrate balance potential. You’ll need set aside some time to master it, you may get up first time on the board but you won’t be getting sustained flights till your 4-5 sessions in at best. You also need to have balls of steel and be able to learn from your mistakes quickly, and to be able to get back on the horse once it’s bucked you off.
What can I expect the first time?
If you can get hold of your best mate and their boat you’ll find the first steps a bit easier when it comes to getting up on the foil, sorting out your stance, seeing how light and responsive the feel is once you’re flying. If you’re riding on a wave, expect to have to take the wave a bit later (this is more frightening) and for the board to take off as soon as you lean back. And once on the wave and up on the foil everything you know about surfing is wrong.
Esta historia es de la edición Early Summer 2019 de SUP International.
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Esta historia es de la edición Early Summer 2019 de SUP International.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Turning Points
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THE CLOSE OUT- TREV'S GREAT BIRTHDAY ADVENTURE
I have had my fair share of great birthdays, usually coinciding with a national holiday in a country that I’m visiting. But this one was a bit different.
Paddle Science #18 - The Body Fortress. Boosting Immunity
At this time of year, the rate of infection for colds and flu normally tends to slow down as we enter warmer, springtime months. However, if you’ve been anywhere at all in the world recently, then there’s one word you can’t escape at the moment: Coronavirus. Infection rates, mortality rates and prognostic data are changing daily at the moment. As a new virus none of us have previously been exposed to it, meaning that currently, we have no immunity to it. It’s only through being infected by a virus that our bodies are able to make the right antibodies to not only enable us to recover but to also help protect us from any recurrent and future infection from it. If you’re keen to stay well and keep getting out on your SUP board this spring, then focussing on boosting your immune system is a positive step to take.
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Polar Bear
In 2019, the Polar Bear showed the world his teeth. After a fourth place in the toughest SUP race in the world, the Red Bull Heavy Water, the now 19-year old Christian Anderson became World Champion in November in the Technical Race at the ISA World Championships in El Salvador. He also won the U-18 title on the Euro Tour with an 11th place overall. What’s behind the young Dane's rise to power?
SHADENFREUDE
TEST REPORTS
Desire Lines
We were on the outskirts of Helsinki, scouting a new destination for our sup camps. Just 45 minutes’ drive from the city, the untouched nature of the Nuuksio National Park stretched out before us. Mirror-smooth lakes, wild herbs and an impressive fauna waiting to be explored over on board or on foot via the many desire lines made by the land mammals.
Magical. Mystical. Epic.
Alexandra is a club ambassador and SUP racer for Bray Lake; relatively new to the SUP scene she completed her first race season in 2019. She participated in her first international event, the Gla Gla, 2020, and placed 1st Brit, 8th lady and 81st overall, out of a mass start of 637 paddlers. Here she shares the highlights of her first Gla Gla experience.
Green Medicine
As a keen outdoorsman and busy GP, Paul Sampson has come pretty close to attaining the mercurial work-balance. When not busy with his patients, he can be found hiking, climbing, paddle boarding, wild swimming… anything that gets him outside soaking up the great outdoors and reconnecting with nature in the beautiful South of Cornwall.
Depth Charge
Many of us have are staying away from the beach for a while, some are confined to our homes, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still train for the surf. If you try the following for just one week you’ll see results, never mind three months…
