Have you mastered the basics and want to get into freestyle winging? Then this is for you.
Choosing the right equipment is an important first step, and finding something that will suit your riding style is the key to making quick progress and lots of fun hours on the water. Start by asking yourself these two questions:
Are you a low-wind rider who likes cruising and carving tricks or are you looking to do a lot a hi-wind jumping? Are you just getting into freestyle wingfoiling or are you upgrading your setup to take your skills to the next level?
Your best bet for cruising tricks like upwind-downwind 360s, tack and jibe variations and light wind riding in general is a user-friendly, stable setup that makes flying and starting easy (you’ll be doing a lot of it!). Low stall speed is the key to control.
For jumping and spinning you’ll want something light, compact and fast. High top speed is the key to a better release and more air-time.
Foils
A medium size, medium aspect foil with a front wing around 1300-1500 (like the E-Type) is a great choice for cruising freestyle. What we’re looking for in this category is something that pops on foil easily, carries well at low speed and still keeps good top speeds.
For jumping you’ll want a high aspect foil with a front wing around 700-900 (like the Glider). This means sacrificing some of early foil potential and low speed carry but will help you get a better release and more air-time.
Alu or Carbon? Alu foils are great value and have the benefit of being very durable, while the new Monolithic masts are super light, fast and even provide some extra flotation to help your board pop on the foil.
Boards
Medium sized but still compact boards (like the 100 L WingBoard) are great for cruising tricks and light wind riding. The volume provides extra stability and makes starting easy since they don’t have to be water-started.
Smaller boards (like the 70-80 L WingBoards) are well suited for jumping. Boards in this category might need to be water-started (depending on your weight) but the low swing weight and compact size gives more control in the air and helps speed up the rotations in spin moves.
Wings
Even though you can easily get by with just one wing, you will definitely maximize your time and potential on the water with a designated light wind and strong wind option in your quiver. A 4/5 combo is a good choice for a 75kg rider running a 70 L WingBoard and a 1300 E-Type Foil.
A wing like the FreeWing AIR v2 will suit any rider’s needs, no matter if you’re cruising or jumping, and will deliver both the power and easy handling needed for freestyle riding, but the new FreeWing Nitro is a great upgrade for the performance-oriented rider who’s looking for extra power, a wider wind range and a super light feel.
Good luck on your freestyle journey, hope to see you on the water!
/ Erik
