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Barbara Kendall is excited about fast growing sports that have added foils and wings, and with it a new dimension, to surfing, windsurfing and standup paddleboarding.
Last week when she was out at Manly foiling on her surfboard, there were around 30 others doing the same thing.
The medal winning Olympic board sailor says it feels like when she first learned to windsurf, in the 1980s.
“I’m living through the evolution of a sport again and it’s really exciting,” Kendall says. “I don’t have any windsurfing gear left now, just surfboards.”
She and her family, who live in Stanmore Bay, first added a foil to the bottom of a standup paddleboard three years ago.
“We spent that Christmas towing each other around with a dinghy, learning how to foil,” she says.
The sensation of lifting above the water was addictive. A year later, the family added a blow up kite that you could hold onto, so they no longer had be towed.
“We were hooked and last year we had to spend more money so all of us can do it at the same time,” Kendall says.
Rapid growth in the sport has meant new equipment comes on stream fast. There is now gear for different water and wind conditions by a wide range of companies.
For Kendall, a big feature of the sport is how accessible it has become – children aged 12-16 are giving it a go, as are men and women in their 60s.
Good balance and agility are key, she says – kids pick it up very fast.
Windfoiling (on a windsurfer – see definitions below) will feature at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Kendall says that holding the wing, as opposed to having a sail fixed to the board, makes a big difference.
“You have more flexibility as to how fast you want to go, or you can drop it and surf the waves without the wing in the way.”
She says Whangaparāoa is a mecca for these sports – “there’s always a spot that works, whatever the wind direction”.
Foiled again
Foils come on a range of boards, and each has a different name. All involve holding a separate wing, or sail. • Added to a surfboard, it’s called prone foiling. • On a windsurfer, it’s called windfoiling. This gives the fastest ride with bigger sails. • Standup paddleboarding with foils is called wingfoiling.
Why wing foil?
Wing foiling (foiling on a shortened standup paddleboard) has several advantages over other water sports such as kiteboarding or windsurfing. • Wing foiling can be enjoyed in a wider range of conditions. • If something goes wrong, you can lie on your board and paddle back to shore. • If you don’t like the situation or a strong wind gust hits you, you are not strapped in, so you can just let go of the wind wing. • Setup is fast, and you can launch practically anywhere. Kiteboarders need a large flat, safe launch area. • It’s relatively low impact compared with kiteboarding or windsurfing, as the foil cuts through any chop and gives you the feeling of flying. • The gear easily fits in most cars, so roof racks are not required. The boards are generally in the 5-6ft range.
