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This trip to Maui I got into riding swells and small waves. I don't know what I am doing but I had soooo much fun sailing out to the break jibing on the wave/swell face (it's like hitting a trampoline) and then using the sail to help me carve turns on the swell.
During the trip I only took 15 minutes of video on a day with 3' to 6' waves and 20 to 30+mph gusty winds. I was on a 3.7 and my Moses 790 with a 85cm mast so I could not be as aggressive as when I am on the 101cm mast; but thought you would enjoy my POV when foiling. I sure did
Awesome WWF riding, looks like you were having a blast.
I think windfoiling in swell and waves has to be the ultimate sensation, a nice blend of speed, constant power and point wherever the heck you want to go 
Select to expand quoteHess said..
This trip to Maui I got into riding swells and small waves. I don't know what I am doing but I had soooo much fun sailing out to the break jibing on the wave/swell face (it's like hitting a trampoline) and then using the sail to help me carve turns on the swell.
During the trip I only took 15 minutes of video on a day with 3' to 6' waves and 20 to 30+mph gusty winds. I was on a 3.7 and my Moses 790 with a 85cm mast so I could not be as aggressive as when I am on the 101cm mast; but thought you would enjoy my POV when foiling. I sure did
Epic vid, thanks for posting 
18 till I die - yep 
Where do you normally sail?
Select to expand quoteazymuth said..Hess said..
This trip to Maui I got into riding swells and small waves. I don't know what I am doing but I had soooo much fun sailing out to the break jibing on the wave/swell face (it's like hitting a trampoline) and then using the sail to help me carve turns on the swell.
During the trip I only took 15 minutes of video on a day with 3' to 6' waves and 20 to 30+mph gusty winds. I was on a 3.7 and my Moses 790 with a 85cm mast so I could not be as aggressive as when I am on the 101cm mast; but thought you would enjoy my POV when foiling. I sure did
Epic vid, thanks for posting
18 till I die - yep
Where do you normally sail?
Azymuth, thanks, glad you liked it
I pretty much only foil in Maui. And until this trip I Windsurfed more than Windfoiled. So this trip I probably foiled more in two months than I had in the previous 2 years.
Most of the year I am in Canada playing ice hockey with some snowboarding and mountain biking mixed in; but last summer I probably got in a dozen foiling sessions in Southern Alberta.
I love it Hess! Carving and wave riding with out straps! You got some smooth flow going on! For some reason it makes me giggle to see that maple leaf board in Maui
Select to expand quoteutcminusfour said..
I love it Hess! Carving and wave riding with out straps! You got some smooth flow going on! For some reason it makes me giggle to see that maple leaf board in Maui
Thanks, like I said I don't know what I am doing but I am sure having fun. From my experience using straps I believe there are many things using straps help with, but for me riding without straps is just easier. And at my age its all about easy.
You would be surprised how many Canadian Windsurfers, even foilers there are in Maui. Heck even Ezzy grew up in Canada. Speaking of Ezzy he was riding some interesting foil sail prototypes and ripping up the waves on a windfoil.
Select to expand quoteutcminusfour said..
Is he riding really small boards these days?
Yes for sure, the last board I saw him on, he shaped him self, was probably around 80L and quite thick. So a very small profile. It was light on the inside so he uphauled it and was between his ankles and his knees.
He is also riding lower aspect foils now
Surprised nobody's brought up Casey Treichler the reef warrior from one off the Great Lakes,makes his own brand of boards and has his own ideas of strapless WWF also uses Go Foil which not a lot of people windfoil on.Always nice to see what others are trying in their local conditions.
Select to expand quoteutcminusfour said..
Look where the foil is.
Its well forward of the tail.
The top foil style dudes do seem to be moving the foil forward BUT this board also seems to have a long tail
I think it's more about getting the geometry as compact as possible. Makes the board more wing friendly as well.
Select to expand quoteGrantmac, I bet you are right but there may be more to it.
No doubt that to a certain extent it's about compact geometry, he has been promoting that for years now and progressively reducing the distance from the foil to the sail. In this video he has the foil mast under his back foot and the sail mast just in front of his front feet. Just like he has been doing. That relationship is likely smaller but it is by an incremental amount. The difference here is that the foil is WAY forward of the tail and this is a BIG change comparatively.
There is a good chance that one day he decided to go wind foiling with the mast in the wing position and found something he liked.
My guess is he likes the way the board floats more level when he is in the straps and stopped. Most of the aerials that he doe's finish that way. The other advantage to this geometry is a reduced swing weight, it is easier to rotate the board when you are closer to the center of mass.
I think this all applies to duffers like me interested in the WWF style. That is why I tried the Shred Sled and why I still ride it albeit with a slight mod to the tail. Casey Treichler, the man who coined the term WWF has adopted this geometry since the beginning. Easier sloging, more efficient slogging and the ability to stand in the foiling position at slow speeds are good traits for everyone. Once a rider reaches an intermediate level and wants to crank turns and ride waves the swing weight reduction would be a good thing. For the crazy spins Balzs does, it's gotta help.
Eventually Balz will tell us, he has consistently shared his unique knowledge. Windsurfing is lucky to have him!
Short chubby boards with low aspect wings are the best thing for swell riding.
When I'm on a 4.5 or smaller there's always enough push in the sail when I have it off to the side to give me that little extra push when I'm carving on swells. I just come in hot and heavy on a broad reach and then put the sail down by my side with one arm and crave it up no different that when the Wingers have the wing over their head.
Ezzy taka sails that are half baton depower 100% and the wing I ride is the moses 790 on 111 mast which allows me to come to almost a complete stop and pivot and take off in the other direction without coming off the foil. I have just learned to manage the 790 in all conditions the rewards outweigh the cons. It's plenty fast when I need to make it fast.
As the Wingers are pumping to board like frantic monkeys I just kind of manipulate my sail off by the side and allow it to fill with some air and that pushes me along to the next swell without looking like some Jazzercise maniac.
On the next big day I'll shoot some video as I'm down in the Baja for the winter so when the winds get strong the rollers get big it's just not every day. I had my first big day couple days ago and I was shocked buy some of the rides I got so I'm looking forward to getting some film. But unfortunately I'm having to learn how to edit it on a tablet since I don't have a computer. Bear with me for a moment and I'll get something posted I'm just not on my home turf so it's a little more difficult.
I don't think people gave windfoiling a fair shake before they jumped ship. Yes I had to pay some serious due to get to where I'm at but it was well worth it. But not everybody wants to pay dues for reward I understand this and I also come from a place that is very windy very consistently for six months straight so I was able to progress fast and aggressively.
I think most people perceive windfoiling as a rigid boring type of foiling which is true when you're learning but once you gain control it's on windier the better.
Select to expand quoteGwarn said..
Short chubby boards with low aspect wings are the best thing for swell riding.
When I'm on a 4.5 or smaller there's always enough push in the sail when I have it off to the side to give me that little extra push when I'm carving on swells. I just come in hot and heavy on a broad reach and then put the sail down by my side with one arm and crave it up no different that when the Wingers have the wing over their head.
Ezzy taka sails that are half baton depower 100% and the wing I ride is the moses 790 on 111 mast which allows me to come to almost a complete stop and pivot and take off in the other direction without coming off the foil. I have just learned to manage the 790 in all conditions the rewards outweigh the cons. It's plenty fast when I need to make it fast.
As the Wingers are pumping to board like frantic monkeys I just kind of manipulate my sail off by the side and allow it to fill with some air and that pushes me along to the next swell without looking like some Jazzercise maniac.
On the next big day I'll shoot some video as I'm down in the Baja for the winter so when the winds get strong the rollers get big it's just not every day. I had my first big day couple days ago and I was shocked buy some of the rides I got so I'm looking forward to getting some film. But unfortunately I'm having to learn how to edit it on a tablet since I don't have a computer. Bear with me for a moment and I'll get something posted I'm just not on my home turf so it's a little more difficult.
I don't think people gave windfoiling a fair shake before they jumped ship. Yes I had to pay some serious due to get to where I'm at but it was well worth it. But not everybody wants to pay dues for reward I understand this and I also come from a place that is very windy very consistently for six months straight so I was able to progress fast and aggressively.
I think most people perceive windfoiling as a rigid boring type of foiling which is true when you're learning but once you gain control it's on windier the better.
Hey Garwn, some video would be awesome.
I would like to understand the wind direction vs wave direction you are riding on. I experimented with 3 swell riding "styles" on this trip
1) Downwinding with the sail flagged/depowered, much of the time the clew is pointing forward
2) Wave riding with the wind 90 degree to the wave which is what I was trying to do in the video.
3) Downwinding using the sail to power through the carves, more like what Ayzumth does in some his vids.
Although all are really cool I slightly preferred #2 because I could jibe going straight into the wave face going out and when riding the wave I found the wind/wave angle made it easier to use the sail to help power the carve (both top and bottom) to add to the speed you get from the wave. And the wave face is a long line rather than the more disjointed waves you usually get on a downwinder.
Select to expand quoteGwarn said..
Short chubby boards with low aspect wings are the best thing for swell riding.
When I'm on a 4.5 or smaller there's always enough push in the sail when I have it off to the side to give me that little extra push when I'm carving on swells. I just come in hot and heavy on a broad reach and then put the sail down by my side with one arm and crave it up no different that when the Wingers have the wing over their head.
Ezzy taka sails that are half baton depower 100% and the wing I ride is the moses 790 on 111 mast which allows me to come to almost a complete stop and pivot and take off in the other direction without coming off the foil. I have just learned to manage the 790 in all conditions the rewards outweigh the cons. It's plenty fast when I need to make it fast.
As the Wingers are pumping to board like frantic monkeys I just kind of manipulate my sail off by the side and allow it to fill with some air and that pushes me along to the next swell without looking like some Jazzercise maniac.
On the next big day I'll shoot some video as I'm down in the Baja for the winter so when the winds get strong the rollers get big it's just not every day. I had my first big day couple days ago and I was shocked buy some of the rides I got so I'm looking forward to getting some film. But unfortunately I'm having to learn how to edit it on a tablet since I don't have a computer. Bear with me for a moment and I'll get something posted I'm just not on my home turf so it's a little more difficult.
I don't think people gave windfoiling a fair shake before they jumped ship. Yes I had to pay some serious due to get to where I'm at but it was well worth it. But not everybody wants to pay dues for reward I understand this and I also come from a place that is very windy very consistently for six months straight so I was able to progress fast and aggressively.
I think most people perceive windfoiling as a rigid boring type of foiling which is true when you're learning but once you gain control it's on windier the better.
I can vouch for Gwarn's speed. Only time I pass him is when he is in the water. Never seem him doing jazzercise either
Select to expand quoteutcminusfour said..
Eventually Balz will tell us, he has consistently shared his unique knowledge. Windsurfing is lucky to have him!
No waiting necessary
Thanks Paducah! I watched that a few times when it came out. Watching it again did shed some more light for me. This time I retained him saying that they are moving the mast forward to soften the landings. That still does not fully explain to me why he has so much board behind the foil. The board could be chopped right aft of the back strap but its not.
Select to expand quotePaducah said..utcminusfour said..
Eventually Balz will tell us, he has consistently shared his unique knowledge. Windsurfing is lucky to have him!
No waiting necessary
What Balz says about the how having the mast base, riders feet and foil as close as possible makes perfect sense for windfoil freestyle. I am thinking spreading things out allows for more leverage on windfoil Race gear.
Wondering what is best for WWF and if it might even be different for the different WWF "styles" I listed above?
I think compact makes sense but I use sail power to help bring the nose around on a toe side turn and I am not sure if it would be diminished if the distance between the foil and mast base was reduced? But having everything really compact makes sense to me on a straight downwinder with the sail flagger. Then in Azymuth's high wind vid I noticed he has the mast track all the way forward.
Maybe it is just individual preference and doesn't matter as long as your having fun. Again I don't know what I am doing just know its fun
