Just a Vid of me having fun foiling in the waves. Trying to get others interested in giving it a try.
Super cool! Working on my jibes so I can fully take advantage of the waves and swells in Lake Michigan the way you are. I see you're using a Hot Sails Maui. What model are you using?
I just got the 2.8 and 3.8 MicroFreaks.
Select to expand quoteexcav8ter said..
Super cool! Working on my jibes so I can fully take advantage of the waves and swells in Lake Michigan the way you are. I see you're using a Hot Sails Maui. What model are you using?
I just got the 2.8 and 3.8 MicroFreaks.
Thanks, it is sooo much fun!
Having sailed on those GREAT Lakes I know you will have some awesome days. However I find it easier to carve (with the power on) both ways on the wave when the wind is angled about 90 degrees to the wave, like in Maui. And at my age easy is important
The HOT sail designer, who has a loft about 2 min from the beach, suggested the Free Style Pro sails for foiling as they are high aspect and light with a tight leach allowing for the smallest sail possible with the most power. They are not as "smooth" or twist off as nicely as a wave sail but I have grown to love them for what I am doing in the Swells and Waves.
Select to expand quoteHess said..excav8ter said..
Super cool! Working on my jibes so I can fully take advantage of the waves and swells in Lake Michigan the way you are. I see you're using a Hot Sails Maui. What model are you using?
I just got the 2.8 and 3.8 MicroFreaks.
Thanks, it is sooo much fun!
Having sailed on those GREAT Lakes I know you will have some awesome days. However I find it easier to carve (with the power on) both ways on the wave when the wind is angled about 90 degrees to the wave, like in Maui. And at my age easy is important
The HOT sail designer, who has a loft about 2 min from the beach, suggested the Free Style Pro sails for foiling as they are high aspect and light with a tight leach allowing for the smallest sail possible with the most power. They are not as "smooth" or twist off as nicely as a wave sail but I have grown to love them for what I am doing in the Swells and Waves.
I am not a great wind foiler by any means, but I'm making progress. I enjoy the feeling of being in the front strap and being able to leverage the board and rig while I'm in the waves. I should be more advanced by now, but I took last year off and only focused on wing foiling. I liked it, but it just isn't the same as windfoiling. Unfortunately, there is no one near me who windfoils. So I am the kook in a field of kiters and wingers. Hahaha.
Select to expand quoteexcav8ter said..Hess said..excav8ter said..
Super cool! Working on my jibes so I can fully take advantage of the waves and swells in Lake Michigan the way you are. I see you're using a Hot Sails Maui. What model are you using?
I just got the 2.8 and 3.8 MicroFreaks.
Thanks, it is sooo much fun!
Having sailed on those GREAT Lakes I know you will have some awesome days. However I find it easier to carve (with the power on) both ways on the wave when the wind is angled about 90 degrees to the wave, like in Maui. And at my age easy is important
The HOT sail designer, who has a loft about 2 min from the beach, suggested the Free Style Pro sails for foiling as they are high aspect and light with a tight leach allowing for the smallest sail possible with the most power. They are not as "smooth" or twist off as nicely as a wave sail but I have grown to love them for what I am doing in the Swells and Waves.
I am not a great wind foiler by any means, but I'm making progress. I enjoy the feeling of being in the front strap and being able to leverage the board and rig while I'm in the waves. I should be more advanced by now, but I took last year off and only focused on wing foiling. I liked it, but it just isn't the same as windfoiling. Unfortunately, there is no one near me who windfoils. So I am the kook in a field of kiters and wingers. Hahaha.
The guy in the above video is Casey Treichler. He builds WWF boards (Windsurf Wave Foil) under the Reef Warrior name. I'm hoping to learn to ride somewhat like him, but may end up using a front strap or possibly the half strap from Slingshot.
excav8ter,
The biggest challenge I had when making the jump to strapless was learning to carry the kit without the front straps. Bottom handles really help. You can also take the front straps off and replace them with nylon webbing stretched tight, this makes a handle that you can step on. It also gives you a foot placement indicator that you can feel.
Casey rides with EXTREMELY small sails using big front wings and the waves to get flying. If you are used to always being able to waterstart you will need some time to adjust to this style. All that said, I love this style! It's pure surfing but you don't have to paddle and you don't need amazing conditions.
You're near Casey right? That reef looks amazing, side shore winds and no shorebreak!
Select to expand quoteutcminusfour said..excav8ter said..Hess said..excav8ter said..
Super cool! Working on my jibes so I can fully take advantage of the waves and swells in Lake Michigan the way you are. I see you're using a Hot Sails Maui. What model are you using?
I just got the 2.8 and 3.8 MicroFreaks.
Thanks, it is sooo much fun!
Having sailed on those GREAT Lakes I know you will have some awesome days. However I find it easier to carve (with the power on) both ways on the wave when the wind is angled about 90 degrees to the wave, like in Maui. And at my age easy is important
The HOT sail designer, who has a loft about 2 min from the beach, suggested the Free Style Pro sails for foiling as they are high aspect and light with a tight leach allowing for the smallest sail possible with the most power. They are not as "smooth" or twist off as nicely as a wave sail but I have grown to love them for what I am doing in the Swells and Waves.
I am not a great wind foiler by any means, but I'm making progress. I enjoy the feeling of being in the front strap and being able to leverage the board and rig while I'm in the waves. I should be more advanced by now, but I took last year off and only focused on wing foiling. I liked it, but it just isn't the same as windfoiling. Unfortunately, there is no one near me who windfoils. So I am the kook in a field of kiters and wingers. Hahaha.
The guy in the above video is Casey Treichler. He builds WWF boards (Windsurf Wave Foil) under the Reef Warrior name. I'm hoping to learn to ride somewhat like him, but may end up using a front strap or possibly the half strap from Slingshot.
excav8ter,
The biggest challenge I had when making the jump to strapless was learning to carry the kit without the front straps. Bottom handles really help. You can also take the front straps off and replace them with nylon webbing stretched tight, this makes a handle that you can step on. It also gives you a foot placement indicator that you can feel.
Casey rides with EXTREMELY small sails using big front wings and the waves to get flying. If you are used to always being able to waterstart you will need some time to adjust to this style. All that said, I love this style! It's pure surfing but you don't have to paddle and you don't need amazing conditions.
You're near Casey right? That reef looks amazing, side shore winds and no shorebreak!
The handle in the bottom of the board is the only way to go, even with straps.
Riding with the sail flagged, like Casey, does give more of a pure surfing feel. I asked a great lakes windfoiler, who also Wing's, why not just wing as my maui winging friends who ride ground swell 90 degrees to the wind seem much less encumbered by the trailing wing than me with a flagged sail. The answer was with lighter on shore conditions on wind swell the wing keeps getting in the way while the sail is kept in position by the board. So he preferred windfoil wave riding in those conditions over wing wave riding. Kind of opened my eyes to how a flagged wing can be in the way depending on conditions.
For me I just love the feeling of carving with the added power of the sail, whether in a jibe or on flat water. Just the windsurfer in me. When I get to add the extra speed of coming down a swell on a foil with power I get from sail to the carve its just so much fun. It's not the pure surfing feel the many enjoy it just what I like. So on a ground swell 90 degrees to the wind when I am going downwind down the line I prefer to have enough wind to allow me to use the sail to help boost that heel side carve, which I have found means having enough wind to waterstart. I do notice Casey also carves using the sail power at times around 1:50
At the risk of boring everyone, one of these fun powered up heel side carves is captured from 3:52 to 3:56 of the CHEERS vid. At the start I have finished a toe side carve, on a wave that is close to head high, and am coming down the line sheeted in when I open the sail and sheet in to carve down the wave face 180 degrees to set up for another toe side carve. I don't have it all figured out but I am sure having fun.
Select to expand quoteHess said..utcminusfour said..excav8ter said..Hess said..excav8ter said..
Super cool! Working on my jibes so I can fully take advantage of the waves and swells in Lake Michigan the way you are. I see you're using a Hot Sails Maui. What model are you using?
I just got the 2.8 and 3.8 MicroFreaks.
Thanks, it is sooo much fun!
Having sailed on those GREAT Lakes I know you will have some awesome days. However I find it easier to carve (with the power on) both ways on the wave when the wind is angled about 90 degrees to the wave, like in Maui. And at my age easy is important
The HOT sail designer, who has a loft about 2 min from the beach, suggested the Free Style Pro sails for foiling as they are high aspect and light with a tight leach allowing for the smallest sail possible with the most power. They are not as "smooth" or twist off as nicely as a wave sail but I have grown to love them for what I am doing in the Swells and Waves.
I am not a great wind foiler by any means, but I'm making progress. I enjoy the feeling of being in the front strap and being able to leverage the board and rig while I'm in the waves. I should be more advanced by now, but I took last year off and only focused on wing foiling. I liked it, but it just isn't the same as windfoiling. Unfortunately, there is no one near me who windfoils. So I am the kook in a field of kiters and wingers. Hahaha.
The guy in the above video is Casey Treichler. He builds WWF boards (Windsurf Wave Foil) under the Reef Warrior name. I'm hoping to learn to ride somewhat like him, but may end up using a front strap or possibly the half strap from Slingshot.
excav8ter,
The biggest challenge I had when making the jump to strapless was learning to carry the kit without the front straps. Bottom handles really help. You can also take the front straps off and replace them with nylon webbing stretched tight, this makes a handle that you can step on. It also gives you a foot placement indicator that you can feel.
Casey rides with EXTREMELY small sails using big front wings and the waves to get flying. If you are used to always being able to waterstart you will need some time to adjust to this style. All that said, I love this style! It's pure surfing but you don't have to paddle and you don't need amazing conditions.
You're near Casey right? That reef looks amazing, side shore winds and no shorebreak!
The handle in the bottom of the board is the only way to go, even with straps.
Riding with the sail flagged, like Casey, does give more of a pure surfing feel. I asked a great lakes windfoiler, who also Wing's, why not just wing as my maui winging friends who ride ground swell 90 degrees to the wind seem much less encumbered by the trailing wing than me with a flagged sail. The answer was with lighter on shore conditions on wind swell the wing keeps getting in the way while the sail is kept in position by the board. So he preferred windfoil wave riding in those conditions over wing wave riding. Kind of opened my eyes to how a flagged wing can be in the way depending on conditions.
For me I just love the feeling of carving with the added power of the sail, whether in a jibe or on flat water. Just the windsurfer in me. When I get to add the extra speed of coming down a swell on a foil with power I get from sail to the carve its just so much fun. It's not the pure surfing feel the many enjoy it just what I like. So on a ground swell 90 degrees to the wind when I am going downwind down the line I prefer to have enough wind to allow me to use the sail to help boost that heel side carve, which I have found means having enough wind to waterstart. I do notice Casey also carves using the sail power at times around 1:50
At the risk of boring everyone, one of these fun powered up heel side carves is captured from 3:52 to 3:56 of the CHEERS vid. At the start I have finished a toe side carve, on a wave that is close to head high, and am coming down the line sheeted in when I open the sail and sheet in to carve down the wave face 180 degrees to set up for another toe side carve. I don't have it all figured out but I am sure having fun.
It's clear you're having fun bud and I am stoked for you! Thank you so much for sharing it, I know how much time it takes putting videos together.
The only folks fit to comment in detail on your techniques or equipment are people who windfoil at a high level on reef breaks in the trade winds. That's not me so forgive me if I have overspoken.
The time stamps you gave helped me understand how and when you use the sail on your powered heelside carve. I understand what you are talking about now. I use that technique regularly in my wave sailing and it's also how to get the nose through the wind doing foil tacks and UW 360's.
What you do and where you do it are AMAZING! Please keep it coming!
Select to expand quoteHess said..For me I just love the feeling of carving with the added power of the sail, whether in a jibe or on flat water. Just the windsurfer in me. When I get to add the extra speed of coming down a swell on a foil with power I get from sail to the carve its just so much fun. It's not the pure surfing feel the many enjoy it just what I like.
Agree 100% - we have proper sail power so why not use it to power carve on waves or fast downwind s-turning on windswells.
IMHO downwinding ocean windswells it's most fun using equivalent size sails to fin wavesailors
Select to expand quoteutcminusfour said..excav8ter said..Hess said..excav8ter said..
Super cool! Working on my jibes so I can fully take advantage of the waves and swells in Lake Michigan the way you are. I see you're using a Hot Sails Maui. What model are you using?
I just got the 2.8 and 3.8 MicroFreaks.
Thanks, it is sooo much fun!
Having sailed on those GREAT Lakes I know you will have some awesome days. However I find it easier to carve (with the power on) both ways on the wave when the wind is angled about 90 degrees to the wave, like in Maui. And at my age easy is important
The HOT sail designer, who has a loft about 2 min from the beach, suggested the Free Style Pro sails for foiling as they are high aspect and light with a tight leach allowing for the smallest sail possible with the most power. They are not as "smooth" or twist off as nicely as a wave sail but I have grown to love them for what I am doing in the Swells and Waves.
I am not a great wind foiler by any means, but I'm making progress. I enjoy the feeling of being in the front strap and being able to leverage the board and rig while I'm in the waves. I should be more advanced by now, but I took last year off and only focused on wing foiling. I liked it, but it just isn't the same as windfoiling. Unfortunately, there is no one near me who windfoils. So I am the kook in a field of kiters and wingers. Hahaha.
The guy in the above video is Casey Treichler. He builds WWF boards (Windsurf Wave Foil) under the Reef Warrior name. I'm hoping to learn to ride somewhat like him, but may end up using a front strap or possibly the half strap from Slingshot.
excav8ter,
The biggest challenge I had when making the jump to strapless was learning to carry the kit without the front straps. Bottom handles really help. You can also take the front straps off and replace them with nylon webbing stretched tight, this makes a handle that you can step on. It also gives you a foot placement indicator that you can feel.
Casey rides with EXTREMELY small sails using big front wings and the waves to get flying. If you are used to always being able to waterstart you will need some time to adjust to this style. All that said, I love this style! It's pure surfing but you don't have to paddle and you don't need amazing conditions.
You're near Casey right? That reef looks amazing, side shore winds and no shorebreak!
Unfortunately Casey and I are about 8 hours apart. He's near Buffalo New York and I am near Holland Michigan. Casey incorporates a handle in his Reef Warrior boards, so I am stoked about that.
Hoping for a trip to ride where Casey does at least once this year. Actually going there to pick up my Reef Warrior "Project Goose X" this weekend, but there's no wind in the forecast.
Select to expand quoteutcminusfour said..Hess said..utcminusfour said..excav8ter said..Hess said..excav8ter said..
Super cool! Working on my jibes so I can fully take advantage of the waves and swells in Lake Michigan the way you are. I see you're using a Hot Sails Maui. What model are you using?
I just got the 2.8 and 3.8 MicroFreaks.
Thanks, it is sooo much fun!
Having sailed on those GREAT Lakes I know you will have some awesome days. However I find it easier to carve (with the power on) both ways on the wave when the wind is angled about 90 degrees to the wave, like in Maui. And at my age easy is important
The HOT sail designer, who has a loft about 2 min from the beach, suggested the Free Style Pro sails for foiling as they are high aspect and light with a tight leach allowing for the smallest sail possible with the most power. They are not as "smooth" or twist off as nicely as a wave sail but I have grown to love them for what I am doing in the Swells and Waves.
I am not a great wind foiler by any means, but I'm making progress. I enjoy the feeling of being in the front strap and being able to leverage the board and rig while I'm in the waves. I should be more advanced by now, but I took last year off and only focused on wing foiling. I liked it, but it just isn't the same as windfoiling. Unfortunately, there is no one near me who windfoils. So I am the kook in a field of kiters and wingers. Hahaha.
The guy in the above video is Casey Treichler. He builds WWF boards (Windsurf Wave Foil) under the Reef Warrior name. I'm hoping to learn to ride somewhat like him, but may end up using a front strap or possibly the half strap from Slingshot.
excav8ter,
The biggest challenge I had when making the jump to strapless was learning to carry the kit without the front straps. Bottom handles really help. You can also take the front straps off and replace them with nylon webbing stretched tight, this makes a handle that you can step on. It also gives you a foot placement indicator that you can feel.
Casey rides with EXTREMELY small sails using big front wings and the waves to get flying. If you are used to always being able to waterstart you will need some time to adjust to this style. All that said, I love this style! It's pure surfing but you don't have to paddle and you don't need amazing conditions.
You're near Casey right? That reef looks amazing, side shore winds and no shorebreak!
The handle in the bottom of the board is the only way to go, even with straps.
Riding with the sail flagged, like Casey, does give more of a pure surfing feel. I asked a great lakes windfoiler, who also Wing's, why not just wing as my maui winging friends who ride ground swell 90 degrees to the wind seem much less encumbered by the trailing wing than me with a flagged sail. The answer was with lighter on shore conditions on wind swell the wing keeps getting in the way while the sail is kept in position by the board. So he preferred windfoil wave riding in those conditions over wing wave riding. Kind of opened my eyes to how a flagged wing can be in the way depending on conditions.
For me I just love the feeling of carving with the added power of the sail, whether in a jibe or on flat water. Just the windsurfer in me. When I get to add the extra speed of coming down a swell on a foil with power I get from sail to the carve its just so much fun. It's not the pure surfing feel the many enjoy it just what I like. So on a ground swell 90 degrees to the wind when I am going downwind down the line I prefer to have enough wind to allow me to use the sail to help boost that heel side carve, which I have found means having enough wind to waterstart. I do notice Casey also carves using the sail power at times around 1:50
At the risk of boring everyone, one of these fun powered up heel side carves is captured from 3:52 to 3:56 of the CHEERS vid. At the start I have finished a toe side carve, on a wave that is close to head high, and am coming down the line sheeted in when I open the sail and sheet in to carve down the wave face 180 degrees to set up for another toe side carve. I don't have it all figured out but I am sure having fun.
It's clear you're having fun bud and I am stoked for you! Thank you so much for sharing it, I know how much time it takes putting videos together.
The only folks fit to comment in detail on your techniques or equipment are people who windfoil at a high level on reef breaks in the trade winds. That's not me so forgive me if I have overspoken.
The time stamps you gave helped me understand how and when you use the sail on your powered heelside carve. I understand what you are talking about now. I use that technique regularly in my wave sailing and it's also how to get the nose through the wind doing foil tacks and UW 360's.
What you do and where you do it are AMAZING! Please keep it coming!
Thanks
However I don't think what I am doing in the swell is anything special but it is sooo much fun! I make the video's hoping to get more people to try windfoiling and windfoiling on swells. Mostly for selfish reasons as I want pro's and manufactures to develop equipment to make it even easier and more fun. We as still at the early stages of the sport. Unfortunately I believe WWF is under appreciated.
I truly believe 3 things.
1) If you know how to windsurf learning to Windfoil, with the right equipment and instructions, is the quickest way to get flying on a foil. This is just based on my experience with most windsurfers getting on a foil for 100 m in the first session. Compared to Kitefoiling, Wingfoiling, SUP foiling, Prone Foiling, pump foiling I have never witnessed the same. Even folks that have not done any type of water sports advance quickly compared to the other disciplines (about the same as winging) because the board is so big compared to the other disciplines. The transitions may be trickier to learn than other disciplines, that don't have to switch their feet, but my friends and I picked up jibing quickly once we got rid of the straps.
2) All the disciplines have their own pros and cons but are still foiling and are more the same than different. Again if you are a windsurfer that likes sheeting in to power through a jibe or sheeting in when snapping an off the lip then windfoiling offers something no other discipline can match. Simply sheeting in and carving back and forth or sheeting in and jibing on flat water is so much fun on a foil. When you add the power of even small swells its just gets better and better.
3)The reasons I hear most that windsurfers rather try other disciplines are:
The equipment is to big to store and get in the water, true it has the biggest boards making it more difficult to get in the water but who doesn't like a little more volume when learning or drifting home rather than swimming. And my new 15lb board with a handle is no harder than a windsurfer to get in the water. But this is a fair "off water" fact and limits some from getting into windfoiling.
Windfoiling is dangerous, but I am not sure where this comes from, as all disciplines have risks even Windsurfing its self can be dangerous. However once you get into breaking waves I really like being able to waterstart quickly and not have the equipment tethered to me. And being able to up haul and drift back in has saved me form having to swim back several times.
I just like seeing everyone safely having fun and to me easy helps with fun. However IMHO at the spots I go to, windfoiling seems to have a bit of a bad rap. However I can't blame newbies for looking at other disciplines when they see Hess windfoiling and all the young beautiful people Winging or SUPfoiling or .....
