Wakefoiling provides a vehicle for progression without the impact. Use these tips from two experts to get started.
In watersports, change through progression is a constant. Ever-improving technology, mind-blowing athletic advancements, and the search for the newest iteration of water gliding go on. Foiling is the newest big thing, providing a vehicle for progression without the impact.
If you’re interested in foiling behind a boat, then read this article. In it, wakeboarding legend and early foil adopter Jeff McKee and three-time Wakeskate World Champion—and the poster child for a Red Bull athlete—Brian Grubb offer five key areas you should focus on when getting started.
Prerequisites: Experience and Board Control
McKee shares: “I recommend that you have at least beginner experience in wakeboarding or wakesurfing. However, the preference would be intermediate experience so that you’re comfortable riding a board sideways behind the boat.”
The key here is balance. Because foiling introduces an extra layer of complexity (the lift of the foil), mastering basic board and body control is essential.
Start Slow: Rope and Speed Control
McKee opines that foiling is not like wakesurfing and advises starting slow. “A big mistake is to start with a wakesurf rope and a wakesurf wave, and let go of the rope and surf the foil the first day. That’s jumping too far ahead.”
Instead, keep a long rope in hand, start at the slowest speed possible, and gradually increase to around 11 to 13 mph. This will give you the time and stability to focus on controlling the foil without worrying about flying too soon. Treat the initial deepwater start like pulling up a child who has never wakeboarded before.
Positioning: Mastering the Stance
For beginners, foot position and weight distribution on the board are keys to control.
read more at boatingmag.com.
