3 tips to progress | WING FOILING

Today we share 3 tips to progress wing foiling. Share yours with us!
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Gwen Le Tutour
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Damien LeRoy
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www.damienleroy.com
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[@dr.andrewbarnett8298]

Let's not forget that this video, telling us NOT to keep buying new stuff, comes from two guys who have a retail wing foil business selling gear! That honesty resonates through all your teaching videos. Thanks for everything you do and have done for me personally and the sport.

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@fabioloretti]

@@DamienLeroyKZbin That's so true, every time I get new gear it's like I go backwards a few steps, which obviously prevents me from going forward. The shiny toy is awesome but we seem to secretly wish that it will make us better when more often than not it does the opposite.

[@mec322]

First Season: 1 board (+20L), 1 Wing (5.4m), I foil (Sab 1100 /2200cm2) Never having to make a rigging decision was refreshing. Took it out in: 5-10 g15, 10-20+, 15-30+. Various surfaces from almost mirror to 3' washing machine chopped. Great, another day I'll rig up my kit! Learned a little more each and every time. There are no losses either, just lessons to be learned. Learned to deal with under-powered and over-powered. Returned and rewatched YT vids/forum disc. Shared/asked/explained with other local riders. Started my wife, who learns slightly differently, but has passed my in some respects (she pretty much only changes wing sizes). Starting yr4 and plenty of progression to be accomplished yet! I have progressed down in foil sizes, 3 Wings (3/4.5/6m), and now weaving in a compact neutral buoyancy board. BUT, I keep coming back to the +20L when working on new skills/water's cold/wind marginal w/shutdown risk. S-turning and jibing all day without switching feet or coming off foil is easy, why limit yourself, get wet! As I just had hit 66, I came across a meme "Be Brave Enough to Suck at something New", embrace your inner kook and enjoy the humble pie, the payoff is well worth it!

[@hirthproductions988]

Gents, some good tips you provided. The tip about getting gear you like and sticking with it resonates with me. I see many people get caught up chasing the latest gear and never spend enough time to really get dialed in on what they had before switching. One additional tip I would add is to ride gear that is easy to get up on foil for the given conditions. If it takes you a long time and lots of effort to get on foil you are less likely to want to push the limits or try that new move which might cause you to fall and have to battle with getting back up on foil. Gear that is easy to get up on foil can also give more time on foil per session which equals more progression.

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Yes that’s a great tip! Thanks for sharing!

[@laurentdelageneste8100]

Excellent tips (as usual...) 🤙 My favs are the first two. I started wingfoiling a year and a half ago and I am pretty slow to learn (I am just barely managing the jibes and switch stance rides with a few second of free fly here and there and lots of crashes!). I was tempted to buy a new front wing this year (just because everyone around me was buying new gear...) but I managed to impose myself a strict rule: no new gear until you get your jibes boths ways, learn to switch feet and are able to ride stably in switch in all conditions with your actual gear... that should quenche my GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) for a while...😁 For the second tip, riding in easy conditions (namely on flat water) has really allowed me to relax, focus on the glide of thefoil and get some muscle memory for transitions which then makes it way easier to manage in tougher conditions. As for the last, we are a nice tribe of wing foilers at my home spot (Le Havre, France) ranging from beginers to international pro level foilers (Tom and Marius Auber in particular) and everyone is always willing to share !

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thank you for sharing! We appreciate you!

[@ArinGhend]

Great video as usual! One exception to the first rule would maybe be, make sure you bought the right gear in the first place. I was struggling for a year before buying a bigger board and got foiling on session 1 with the new board. Now I'll be riding on my ageing, battered wing until I can jibe or it completely breaks apart. First time riding in easy conditions since I started yesterday… big wing, big board barely waves, less than 15kts … all the pumping but also calm flights and same as in kiting… flat water = all the progression ❤ I have already made plans to keep my big learner board to get my friends hooked and drag them into spending every windy day at the beach 😂 While I feel like our local wing dinger community is different from the kite gang it is a more deliberate, less competitive and decelerated vibe which I absolutely love, especially since most of the guys I met after moving to winging have been windsurfing together for 20+ years and are nothing but excited to see each other excel at this new sport they got into. (So much local spot knowledge, hand drawn maps, reef diagrams etc. it is pure amazing!)

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thank you for sharing!

[@PaulJohnSimeone-pr7uj]

Love these guys. Always a positive message. Very true about sharing knowledge. I started last year and everyone I have met who does the sport is unbelievably helpful. I have gotten so much from speaking to other coolers at the different spots I go to. No chance I’m getting my wife out there though!

[@user-om2nm2pz9k]

I agree that you have to put in a lot of time to get better. But here comes the next thing. I practice so much and many different types of jumps, but eventually the board can't handle it anymore. My board has already cracked up several times due to landing on the water. Fortunately I can make it myself, but it would be nice if there were durable boards that can withstand the many practices 🙂

[@Bryan-Wouzel]

Thanks guys! Great tips and I'll throw in my experience to share with others! Tip 1. Stick with your gear: As Gwen said, once I found gear I liked, I really stuck with it and it made a HUGE difference. I was actually going to quit winging cause I was so stuck. I spent 1 month doing demos (which is brutal BTW) but finally found the right foil for my style and I stuck with it. A year later I'm more stoked than ever! Tip 2. Put in the time and slow down: I put in about 160 sessions over the last year in winds from 5-55 knots. So, my "put in the time" was 100% nailed. For the slow down, I have to admit, I think I learned far more about winging when it was 8-9 knots than I ever did when it was 40+ Lots of people just want to "rage on huge swell!!!!" which is super fun for sure. However... I learned so much more about how to pump the foil, pump the wing, feel the wind, and read ripples on the water when I was riding light wind. I was also far more confident trying new maneuvers when I was slightly underpowered. Way less scary and way easier to avoid damaging gear! Tip 3. Teaching: I was a guide for every imaginable outdoor adventure activity for over ten years and have an M.S. in Experiential Education. I get so stoked sharing tips and seeing friends progress. Learning something new myself is always just a timeline, I know it will come. However, helping a friend or acquaintance through a sticky situation and seeing that look in their eye when they pull through, that's often times even more satisfying than learning something new myself!

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Amazing! Thanks for sharing!

[@andresfrugone8655]

You guys are the best! Thank you very much for your great tips. Keep doing what you do!

[@dilnozaerkaboyeva6397]

Great tips!! ❤ I agree! When you really focus on enjoying the journey more than destination, everything changes!! 😍

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thank you we appreciate you! Thank you for your help the other day you are the best!

[@Schlittern07]

Love the guys! 🤙

[@robmayhew3633]

Great advice (again). Seems like real, long term progress happens when you stick to the setup you've become competent on just a bit longer than you think you need to. It's hard to stick with something especially if slower than you know you can ride and truly dial it in. Last couple weeks I've tried this and realize it's easier to work on technique when you know 100% what your gear will do in all kinds of different conditions.

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

We appreciate you! Thank you for sharing.

[@ZIRTUBE]

You guys are Legends👍🏼

[@alisonestrop8404]

such great advice as always yes we get excited about the next new shiny thing!

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thank you!

[@nd0586]

Another tip that really helped me progress - every time you fall off, spend 30 seconds working out what went wrong before you jump back on your board. If you don't know where you went wrong you won't be able to correct it!

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Great tip! Thank you for sharing.

[@piafes]

Hundred percent on that one it wasn’t till I stopped for a minute to figure out why I kept falling that I was able to correct it

[@romainjourdan]

You nailed it. Very good tips 👌🏼

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Glad we could help!

[@user-vs3sj3le3s]

Fair point about the obsession to buy new gear. However, you need to feel for yourself when the time has come for a change. I made major riding progress and found new winging-joy after switching from my first board (95 liter) down to a 75 liter board. Such a difference, now the 95 liter feels bulky as a tank to me. In my opinion, the same is true for wings and foils. Stepping up in equipment quality and performance will contribute to your riding level.

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thank you for sharing!

[@NeuralEngin33r]

I’m on my third board and second foil, and I’ve only gone winging 12 times 😂😂😂😂

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

@@NeuralEngin33r :)

[@kshred3043]

Same experience for me going from 95 to 75 litre. Went back to the 95 litre one time and was surprised to find iit much harder to ride in 20 knot + tide style chop/wind swell conditions, ie: because it got pushed around by the chop and simply wasn't as responsive to rider corrective input. OTOH, the added stability of the 95 litre board made it *much* easier to go from kneeling to standing - waves sometimes wash me off the 75 litre in those same conditions - and foot switch.

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

@@kshred3043 Thank you for sharing.

[@piafes]

Excellent advice! I was switching around gear and wondered why I was regressing. I thought I was getting stupider.

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thank you for sharing!

[@sbs7396]

Wow you are so damn right❤

[@larrycollar1322]

AFTER I just bought a new downwind board from Wing Foil Pro Center you tell me this. Thanks a lot. Just kidding. Hopefully I will be using this new purchase on the days I wouldn’t even consider going out because the wind will be too light. That hasn’t happened yet but I’m still looking forward to doing it.

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Haha, thanks Larry!

[@MichaDassler]

Thanks

[@antcramp]

Sick thumbnail 🤙

[@NirHL]

Great tips! I think the last thing you were trying to say is "Pay it Forward"

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Always! 100%

[@martinomovies]

Is Damo getting taller? Good tip on the gear. Titouan Galea was doing double back flips 3 years ago on V1 gear.

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Damo is for sure not taller! We were on a hill and Gwen was on the downside! :)

[@cacawachi]

Great tips. You are right. I would say take your time and do not try to do everything evverytime

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thank you for sharing!

[@thorstenpausch8056]

100% ❤

[@bennis123]

Wingfoil is the only sport where I dont feel the need to get good. I know how to jibe and tack, and now I just want to have as much fun as possible in waves. It's only about the feeling for me. I really don't think the more technical freestyle stuff will attract many to the sport.

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Yes that’s so true, just cruising around, riding waves, etc…. is so fun! Add some friends to the mix and then you are living your best life! 🤩

[@bennis123]

@@DamienLeroyKZbin Exactly! It's powder skiing, but summer and water instead of winter and snow.

[@utensile868]

Damien, Gwen! You're riding a Vision and a Mantis in this video. I have old V2 Ozone Wasp 4 meter and 5 meter wings, and I'm considering ONE of those Cabrinha wings as my new 6 meter wing. Which one should I get: Vision or Mantis? About me: I'm still a novice after 29 sessions. I am on foil, but only in one direction, so I can't stay upwind, and I still do the walk of shame. But this is my summer--both ways, jibing, I can feel it!

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

We like the Mantis better in smaller sizes, but for 6m and up we prefer the Vision because of the added dihedral compared to the Mantis: wingfoilprocenter.com/products/cabrinha-04-vision?variant=47669177483568

[@asaintx]

As they say in Hood River, it is the "walk of progress!" Not the walk of shame. 😅

[@utensile868]

@@asaintxI like that!

[@utensile868]

@@DamienLeroyKZbinGreat! Ordered. Thank you.

[@AndriiPovkh]

Hi, do I need foot straps on a board for wing foiling?

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

It’s better to learn without footstrap, maybe add later when you are ready to jump 😁

[@dennissamui]

Thankyou the wing buddhas, wish you lived where I wing in Thaialnd

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

We appreciate you!