TECHNO AFS 800 WINDFOIL 100% CARBON

Tez, you are an experienced freeride foiler. Could you tell us what freeride foiling is about and what you enjoy the most about it?

Tez: For most people, freeride windfoiling will be about making use of light wind (sub-18 knots) and flying back and forth. Gybes will then be the move of choice I think. This is a good thing and definitely the main area industry bods should be focusing on rather than pouring all energy into high performance ends of the spectrum - foilstyle and racing (although these niches do need due attention as well). 

There are two main reasons I like windfoiling. Flying back and forth in 12 knots of wind, effortlessly, with the sun beating down and nobody else on the water is pretty much picture postcard perfect. This was my scene most days this summer with the UK experiencing Mediterranean like conditions. It was like this for about 7 weeks!

The other reason is I can be on much smaller sails than most others. If it's 25-30 knots then great. But for everything below that threshold being able to use your small sails when all other riders are still on big rigs is just bliss. Why restle with anything bigger when you don't need to...?

What level do you need to be able to start freeride windfoiling?

Tez: I don't think there's a level that we can categorically say is when you should start foiling. In one of your previous articles about a light wind spot in Brazil, Marcello was explaining how he takes beginner windsurfers and transitions them to foiling as soon as they've cracked the sport's fundamentals. And why not? After all, learning to foil is no harder than learning to plane using a harness and footstraps.

In fact, due to there being no real necessity to use footstraps and harnesses foiling for progressing riders could end up being easier. For most sailors looking at foiling they'll already be planing comfortably. Some maybe going round corners whilst others will be aiming to crack that elusive carve gybe.