Photo: Sam Wai Chan
My enthusiasm for wingfoiling is based on my enthusiasm for surfing and my fascination for all types of surfing – even if my skills are very limited.
When surfing, I feel a special connection to the sea: reading the waves, waiting in the lineup, the moment a set rolls in and the waves continue to build, paddling for the wave I've chosen – and then that feeling of happiness, coupled with a slight adrenaline rush, when the wave carries you along, you build up speed and are carried by pure energy.
Photo: Silvio Hesse
Wingfoiling gives me a very similar feeling – yet it's somewhat different. I don't need the perfect swell or an empty lineup to experience this flow. Unlike surfers, wingfoilers aren't as dependent on finding the exact spot to catch a wave, allowing them to spread out better across the spot. With foiling, I can also surf waves far out at sea. If it's too crowded, I just go a bit further or take the next wave – no long waits and less competition for waves. For me, this means more time on the wave. And the feeling is similarly magical when the foil catches the wave, you feel the wave's energy, are lifted and accelerated by it – it's truly indescribable.
Replacing surfing with wingfoiling? Theoretically possible, because it evokes similar emotions in me – a mix of connection with the sea, euphoria, an adrenaline rush, escape and freedom. But for me, wingfoiling is more of a complement to surfing than a replacement.
With a surfboard in the break, the wave still feels more direct to me. Without a wing, I'm potentially freer in my movement. And the thrill is also somewhat different – because when surfing, I'm closer to the part of the wave where its energy is released when it breaks, and because there's a greater chance of getting properly tumbled in a wipeout. While I've experienced that with a foilboard too, I'm usually further away from the impact zone than with a surfboard. However, more experienced foilers can also foil the waves – similar to surfing – where they break, delivering an incredible performance.
Why is it a complement? Because it opens up new possibilities for me on the wave when surfing is barely or not possible – mainly for 4 reasons: swell, break, wind, and crowds. When surfing, I need a certain quality of swell, break, and ideally no, little, or offshore wind to keep the waves open. Too strong a wind can flatten them and make them unusable. Wingfoiling, however, needs wind, and even the choppy waves of a small wind swell are foilable and don't even have to break. If I have moderate wind that doesn't completely destroy the waves, and the lineup is full, I simply go further out and foil the swell before it reaches the surf zone. I usually leave that to the surfers – also because my skills in the break aren't (yet) sufficient to avoid hindering or even endangering anyone.
Photos: Silvio Hesse
But foiling waves is just one of many possibilities you have with wingfoiling. One of the most important points for me is that, when I'm landlocked, I don't even have to go to the coast to get some surf feeling. It's already waiting for me on the lake around the corner, even with little wind.
And the way to experience it is incredibly versatile. You can not only surf waves like in surfing, you can dynamically fly over the water while carving, jibing, tacking, jumping, or simply gliding comfortably over the water and even sitting down and enjoying the ride seated. Or you can speed across the lake, the lagoon, or the sea. Anything is possible.
For me, wingfoiling isn't a substitute for surfing, but rather a way to experience the surf feeling even when I'm landlocked or the conditions at the spot aren't suitable for surfing. It comes very close to surfing, but it's still not the same. Both surfing and wingfoiling give me magical moments. With wingfoiling, these are often more accessible to me, and I can experience them more often – almost anywhere there's a slightly deeper body of water with a bit of wind. That's why it won't let me go – and has become an important part of my life, alongside my passion for surfing.
This feeling of life is also no longer just reflected on the water, but also on land – for example, in the way I live and reside.
