Siri’s outdoor lab: I learn to wing foil in a week – almost

Also known as foiling, it’s supposedly like flying, floating silently over the water. What stops the metaphor being arbitrary or exaggerated is that the wing – the foils – are inspired by aeroplane wings. They allow you to lift off the surface of the water and float over lakes and seas. Sounds great to me. I’m in. I want to get in on the action!

As the water in Switzerland’s still cold and the wind’s very unstable, I look for foil courses in warmer climes. I find what I’m looking for at Mallorca Kiteboarding. Why here? I like the location in Pollensa Bay in the north of Mallorca because it promises wind and beginner-friendly conditions. The instructors are also certified and the centre has been around for many years, which is an indication of quality. The fact that it has links to various water sports associations is another plus for me.

So, let’s get started. After a spontaneous trip to the island, here I am on the mat at Mallorca Kiteboarding on a Monday morning. Mike Weber, the school’s co-founder, welcomes me. He’s spent almost his entire life on the water. An athlete with German roots, he grew up in a small town on the bay and was one of the first kite surfers on Mallorca. Unfortunately, we can’t go on the water that day due to a strong offshore wind from the coast out to sea. Not ideal conditions for a first session.

I cycle back to my accommodation with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I’m disappointed that the first day of my already limited course time won’t actually involve any contact with water. On the other hand, I’m impressed that the course managers put safety and their students’ progress first. Because these conditions would probably have made a lesson frustrating or even dangerous.

First take-off with the electric motor

The next morning, things are looking better: the wind has died down and sunlight is glistening on the water. This isn’t ideal for wind sports, but we’re going to have a go on an electric foil board today. These boards use a battery-powered motor to achieve the speed they need to leave the surface of the water and float on the wing. Like on an aeroplane wing, a difference in pressure is created between the top and bottom of the wing, resulting in lift.

eFoil boards aren’t currently permitted (content in German) in Switzerland. Here on Mallorca, you usually practice behind a speedboat first to get an initial feel for taking off. This is important so that you don’t have to deal with too many new elements at once when you take to the water with the wing and foil for the first time.

The eFoil board is ideal for learning: the electric motor allows me to fully concentrate on how it feels on the wing. First up, there’s a briefing on safety and the movement sequences when riding, falling and turning. Foiling isn’t without risk: colliding with the wing and its sharp carbon edges can lead to painful injuries. So, I need to wear a helmet, impact vest and long-sleeved wetsuit.

With this equipment and instruction, I feel safe. Using a remote control, I determine the thrust and achieve the necessary speed to hover. I can lift off quickly. Now it’s about shifting my weight from my front to my back foot and back again. Kind of like riding a skateboard on a pump track.

In any case, it’s important to quickly bring my weight back onto my front foot as soon as the board takes off so that it doesn’t shoot up into the sky like a rocket and throw me off. Fortunately, this only happens once and I notice that my many years of experience as a water sports athlete helps me with balance. From now on, it’s a matter of keeping the board level.

The feeling on the foil is unique: as soon as the board lifts out of the water, it goes quiet because there’s no longer any friction against the water. Speed increases, resistance decreases. I lift off. And I fly. Endorphins flood my system. So that’s the feeling that foilers are raving about on social media. I want more of it. Much more.

My lesson’s nearly over. My legs are tired because, despite the electric motor, my posture on the board and the constant balancing is unconsciously tiring at the beginning. I’m happy too. And I’m looking forward to more.

The following day, we move on to the next step. Although electric foiling was fun, my goal for this week is to foil using a wing and the wind. But first I’m getting onto a windsurfing board rather than a foil board.

Skills to avoid the walk of shame

Now I have to practise controlling the wing and gaining speed. The most important skill is riding at about 50 degrees upwind, so that I can tack – move forward in a zigzag course against the wind. It’s also important to learn to ride across the direction of the wind without losing altitude. Otherwise, I’ll have to swim or walk back with my equipment in shallow water or on the beach. This rookies’ walk is jokingly referred to as the walk of shame.

There’s no real shame in it. The opposite in fact. Anyone who’s learned to wing foil or do another wind sport will have done it at one time or another. Because if you don’t venture out of your comfort zone and risk making mistakes (without taking unnecessary risks), you won’t learn anything. Strictly speaking, the walk of shame is actually a badge of honour or a milestone on the way to success.

I’d already practised handling the wing at Honu Sup (website in German) on Lake Thun, so I was spared overly long runs.

After about two hours, I managed to move back and forth and jibe – turn with the wind. I can also stick to the course that’s been laid out reasonably well. Now is when I’d be ready for the next step: sailing with a wing. But the wind has gone. That’s it for today.

The wind keeps us waiting

The wind continues to be uncooperative on the next two days. Every now and then, a light breeze raises my hopes. And again and again, the wind drops. I spend hours in front of the water sports centre on the north coast of Mallorca, my gaze transfixed on the sea. I try – completely irrationally – to manifest waves and little whitecaps through intense staring. But nothing happens.

Like me, a group of other water sports enthusiasts have also booked wing foiling or kitesurfing courses. We sit there like a bunch of nervous chickens. As soon as a bit of wind appears on the horizon through a dark stripe on the water, we squeeze into our wetsuits, get our equipment together and inflate our wings and kites. But by the time we’re standing in knee-deep water, the short spell of wind is already over. And the waiting begins again.

That’s how it is with outdoor sports: the forces of wind, sun, water and precipitation are part of the experience and have the final say. Which is actually great, because waiting teaches attention, mindfulness and patience. Nothing can be forced in outdoor sports, and that’s a big part of the appeal for me.

Finally: it’s time to spread my wing

Things aren’t looking good on the last morning of my trip either. While I wait, the co-founder of the water sports school, Mike, assembles my equipment. As I’m a beginner, he chooses a wing with a relatively short mast so that I won’t get very far out of the water. This allows me to get used to the feeling of flying at a lower altitude. The front part of the wing, on the other hand, has a large span, which is supposed to give me stability and make take-off easier.

Mike selects the wing for sailing based on my height, weight and the expected wind strength.

For me, it’s definitely an advantage to be able to try out the right material for me and assess my current ability at a training centre. Especially to start with, I hope to make quick progress and, when I outgrow the material, I won’t need to invest again.

The fact that there’s suitable equipment for a variety of conditions and requirements shows how much the sport has developed in recent years. Mike sees this high level of interest in his water sports centre every day. «The demand is definitely there and we now have more registrations for wing foil courses than for windsurfing courses,» he says. And this is despite the fact that interest in windsurfing has reportedly increased again in recent years.

As we chat, the wind has reached the bay. Now it’s time to pump up the wing, screw on the foil and get into the water. Woohoo! What I’ve already learned is paying off. I can stand up safely and fly over the water with the wing, and I can twist and turn as I please.

With each hundred metres flying over the water, I gain confidence – it’s fun anyway. But the wind quickly dies down again. It’s a shame. Unfortunately, it’s not enough to cover a long distance on the wing and experience the feeling of flying again like on the eFoil. I didn’t quite achieve my goal of learning to wing foil in a few days. With two more days of wind instead of calm, I would’ve almost certainly succeeded. Of course, even then I’d still be far from achieving the jumps and acrobatic tricks that real professionals do. But I’ve taken the first step.

Not quite mission accomplished, but I want more

This taste of foiling whetted my appetite. I’m really hungry for more fun with hydrofoils, wings and wind on the water. I’m now back home in Switzerland. A wing is already waiting in the hallway for good wind conditions; a board with foil has been ordered.

In principle, it’s certainly possible to learn to wing foil to the point where you can ride safely and get on the board. If you’d like to try out wing foiling yourself or you can already float safely over the water, this equipment in our range might be of interest to you:

Kites

Ensis Wing SCORE Rigid Handle

Stand up paddle board

Ensis ROCK'N'ROLL AIR COMBO

5'1"

1

Surfing accessories

Slingshot Blaster V1 4.4m

1

Kites

Ensis Wing SCORE Rigid Handle

Stand up paddle board

Ensis ROCK'N'ROLL AIR COMBO

5'1"

1

Surfing accessories

Slingshot Blaster V1 4.4m

1

After my course, I understand even more about what makes this trend sport so attractive. It requires balance, paying attention to the wind and waves and a certain amount of basic athleticism. But it offers a feeling of flying and weightlessness on the water that I’ve never experienced before. This is the beginning of a journey with a new water sport that certainly still has some exciting chapters in store. Stay tuned.

In Siri’s outdoor lab, I test out new trends, ingenious hacks and outdoor and sports equipment in real conditions. Follow me for more instalments of outdoor microadventures and how to get the best out of them.