www.sailingworld.com/story/racing/rise-of-wing-sailing/

MidAtlanticFoil said..
Yeah, I like the sailing aspect of the article. That's one of the things that I love about winging. I was thinking it really is the most compact efficient sailing setup out there. I had been wanting to learn to sail before winging came around and when it did, i was able to teach myself. I knew absolutely zero about point of sail etc. With a surfers background, I knew swell periods, angles, storms, wind directions, etc, but never applied any of that towards wind powered sailing.

I have enjoyed reading the various conversations about surfers crossing over to wind sports for the first time. For me it was kiting, but that requires much more investment of time and money (lessons are mandatory), its prohibitive for many. WInging is so much easier to get into, seems to be tempting some surfers that otherwise never would -- fun to see them frothing out on experiencing wind power. It really is pretty rad to feel that transfer of energy through you into the board. Add in wave energy too and the combo is over-the-top.

Seems inevitable that I'll have get a wing at some stage. I think it's better for the kids (6 and 8)

It's absolutely gone nuts here every time I hit the water with the wing there is new faces . Broadwater , rivers and lakes. Guys boosting huge airs , guys ripping in waves and downwinding it's opened up a whole new world of foiling . We chase boats and free ride the wake or boost off it. Downwind in the ocean then come in through the seaway through the Broadwater or start in reverse . Also downwinding in the Broadwater and rivers and tacking back . My prone board and ding board live in my Ute with the wing and a few foils. So no matter what the conditions I'm on the water foiling. On shore days at at some point breaks that get totally blown out with no one surfing now become a wingding Mecca tacking our and free riding the waves back in. Sold all my kite gear a year ago and my paddle just collects dust .

paul.j said..
All i keep thinking about is who is going to be the governing body for this sport, ISA, ICF, world sailing or some new foil governing body. Who will take it to the Olympics? haha. Someone will want to rule it and even though to me its a 100% a sailing sport i am sure the others will think they own it.

The fight over SUP was bad and that was just ISA and ICF so this should be really fun

Tack race upwind the drop the wing and Downwind race to the finish sounds pretty fun to me.

GWA already going at it (www.globalwingsportsassociation.org/) - pretty sure someone else will come up with a grouping that will claim better ownership.

I'm actually surprised how freestyley this sport has developed so far, very few comps, peeps just stoked to learn to foil and crack the odd jibe...

Racing will become an arms race where the smallest foil wins so that will limit the fun very quickly, freestyle is pretty cool but someone will chop themselves to smithereens soon enough and that leaves wave-riding which so far has been quite limited due to most shipwrecks leading to equipment lacerations - so maybe we'll just be freeriding after all!