Watch out because wherever you go on Maui these days wind freaks are talking about the Wings, the Foils, the this the that and everything in between! This summer it seemed as though 8 out of 10 windsurfers on Maui learned how to Wing Foil. With the Covid restrictions for travel in place, Kanaha seemed empty and if you didn’t know any better, you would have thought 10 windsurfers out there was crowded! The wind was cranking all summer and I think the windsurfers may have gotten a little bored or just curious? A lot of them decided to try something new!!!! And good for them….. The Kahului Harbor turned into the happening place to go-
There were families bringing their kids, their dogs and cats and it looked like a crowded day at Lake Garda! Gusty winds shifting all over the flat water made for a very safe and easy place to learn this new sport. As a windsurfer, the best way to learn to foil is on your windsurfer- since you already know how to windsurf getting used to how the foil works is pretty easy. The ONE thing you have to know and remember is there are at least 4 KNIVES that are riding underneath you- so BE CAREFUL.
For those that have never been on a foil before, the wing offers some help to hold your balance. Once you do get up and on the foil, the world changes. You are hovering around a couple feet above the water. It is silent and a very free feeling. You can go as fast or slow as you want. It is easy to shoot upwind, downwind and back and forth. Flat water blasting has not been this fun in a long time! The coolest thing about it all though was seeing all the kids learning how to do it. I’m talking about 10 year olds getting out there and figuring out a new sport for them. Not just 1 or 2 kids, 10 or 20 kids are out there doing it and getting good quickly and this is just Maui! I know the Gorge has kids doing it and it is attracting the youth into a wind powered sport which is great to see!
Is WingFoiling going to replace windsurfing? NO, is it a great option and something FUN and exciting to Learn? YES- In my experience it makes blasting around flat water with light/ fluky winds a lot more fun, all with no strings attached! Another bonus is the equipment is easy to set up, bring your wind and your pump and let her rip. 4 screws mount the foil in to the board and off you go. Super easy and it all fits in your car!
Check out this video of Ben Proffitt on Windsurfing.TV as he gives a pretty funny intro to how this all works!