Does Winging Ever Trump Kiting? (6 Scenarios To Consider) Inland Riding 

Love your videos bro! I've been windsurfing and kiteboarding for about 35 years and I learned how to wing on a traditional SUP in about 30 minutes and was up on an Armstrong foil in another 30 minutes. Now granted, this was at Real in perfect conditions with an instructor on a Jetski but who's judging. lol 20 years ago, it took me about 6-8 to become only lightly proficient at flying a kite on the land and in the water before I ever actually got up on a board. Since I've been kite foiling for over 2 years, the wing foiling came natural but I still think there is less going on and less to manage with a wing vs. a kite. My big motivation to get into wing foiling is the water accessibility in otherwise unlaunchabe spots and inland lakes with cruddy wind.

I’ve been surfing, skim boarding, skateboarding for a while. Never thought of any wind sports. One day while surfing I met a kite boarder who happens to be my neighbor. He had me so hyped on kiteboarding I went to take a lesson. I think the beach was too crowded. I felt really uncomfortable with that huge kite that was attached to me and more powerful than me. I will probably try again someday but at that moment I just felt like it wasn’t something I wanted to pursue. But, I was so hyped in wind sports I went and bought some wing gear. I love it! Depending on conditions I use the wing with my skimboard, skateboard, SUP and foil. Can’t compare it to kiteboarding but for now I’m loving the wing.

I love your video's, you crack me up. I started winging pretty much right at the start of 2020 after 20 years of kiting but with zero foil experience. I was one of the first on my coastline in the UK so I had nobody to teach me so it was a hard learning curve. 18 months on and it is literally the most amazing thing I have ever done. I can't forget the sheer amount of joy that kiting has given me but have to say I've not kited now for about a year. Winging is awesome.

I would add a criteria for winging is do you want a truly depowered wave only surf ride. This is why many of us in the great lakes region are pursuing it. PS my back problems have disappeared since winging - so true of what you say- whole body core like exercise.

Awesome vid. Having a great time winging in Chicago in Lake Michigan and on inland lakes in Wisconsin. Finally met a couple other wingers (all going through a middle age crisis with disposable incomes and flexible schedules). Glad that you talk about the financial issues and accessibility that this sport needs to overcome to grow.

You forgot to mention the endless pleasure when you pass Windsurfers struggling to plane or Kitesurfers with their Kites droped down waiting to relunch. After a fall it is just a few seconds until you are set again to get going😁

In many ways, the wing is comparable to a windsurf sail. You are understanding what I was trying to explain to my friends why I kept my windsurf gear after starting to kite.

Thanks for this great video. Fully agree with you. This sports really starts being popular here on swiss lakes. I rarely kiteboard on my local lake due to sketchy starting/landing spots and winds. But I am now enjoying my first wingfoil rides and my time on water increased A LOT. That was the main driver to try wingfoiling. I will still keep kiteboarding on holidays though, as I am addicted to airs 🙂.

Can be difficult convincing kiters to get into winging, i hear a lot of them say “that doesn’t look fun”..but they are heavily invested in kiting, and don’t want to dedicate the time it takes to learn the new sport. It’s a pretty good workout, and it can kick your butt when the winds are light. I didn’t think I would ever be able to do it in the waves, and just did a big downwinder here in Hatteras w/ Dimitri and friends.

I must kite again... some time... Love the big air component. but I kited 5 years, still have all my kite gear and yet the last 8 months all but one session has been winging !!?? I do it for the flexibility in wind directions and launch spots, for knowing I can wing in more wind variation than I'd need 3 kites for, for the safety in the high winds, for the workout in the light winds and for the feeling of something new. Oh.. and for me- The challenge in designing and the fun in riding my own foils and board! I'm the only competent kiter in my area who has made the switch. Do I care if others change? Their decisions. I'm just happy with a great new sport and I'm definitely not alone in the feeling!

Nice one. I'm a liter but plan to try winging later this year. Deffo room for both in my world.

After getting competent on the wing, I'm mostly back on the kite, but I'm trying to go racing and my "winter home" has great (but relatively light most of the time) tradewinds. I think the kite is more exciting, but the wing is "easier" (where easier is partly things like accessibility and lack of intimidation from too much power, not physically easier). With the wing, I kinda got to the point where I could ride it pretty well and was thinking, "Ok, now what?" It is a lot of fun in waves that are no fun on a surfboard, though.

in my case, budget and wind restrictions are the main reasons I have never tried winging. Kitesurfing is amazing due to its flexibility. Just change the board and is a completely new sport, however, in order to start winging, we must invest not only on a new foil board setup but also in a new "propulsion system". Moreover, I'm now in love with hydrofoil. Just by changing the board it has opened a new sport for me and extended my time on water for those light wind days that I'd stay at home ;)

Great video!

I was debating to add wing to the water sports quiver. And you sold it 😂💪

Another great video mate.

Youre going to need to let us know who makes that swaggy shirt, brother. No lie. I mean the salmon polo.

Great review! I just have to laugh at the naysayers who won’t give up. Reminds me of the video Gunnar Biniasch did explaining why he was winging so much instead of kitefoiling. Awkward looking? Flat water boring? Just look at the what the pro’s can do now,….and how smooth some of them have gotten. There are dozens of flat water freestyle moves getting invented every month. The bigger thing I notice; you were frequently “apologizing” for having to settle for flat water riding like it’s an inferior form of winging. I get the whole “it’s all about wave riding” because it’s been that way forever! But those perfect Maui type conditions are rarely found in most coastal locations. It’s more like blown out onshore winds with a nasty shorebreak to hammer at you. There is plenty for us mere flat water mortals to aspire to. Me; 62, windsurfed for 20 years, then twintip kited for 18 yrs, then kitefoiled for 2 yrs, and now wing foiled for 1 1/2 yrs. Cheers! and keep up the great work😀

Nice video again, fully agree!

Great Overview OKK, as someone who KiteFoil's, Wingfoil's, Windfoil's you covered most of the bases. My wife who would never Kite now is WingSUPing and who knows maybe WingFoil next. I think the direction for maunfactures should be for beginners - Large boards that you can walk around on and stand on to get Wing in the air (not kneel launch) and 'indestructable' foils on short masts

Wingings good if the winds crap. I get bored of it much quicker than a kite session with a surfboard though. I would take winging over twin tip kiting though, big air bores me pretty quick too. If I was inland, I would move, nothings going to be that great.

Can you address the physical strain on the shoulder tendons wing vs kite. Old torn rotator issues have kept me with kites

Yeah mate. Yeah.

Lake advantage is only if you are unlucky and not live by the sea... Other reasons are minor. The only real good use case is wave riding. But even there the kite surf foiling with a Peak trumps the wing. There might be a feeling of freedom not using an harness as well

Great vid! How would winging affect a guy (age 70) who has chronic lower back issues treated weekly by TENS and scraping (fascia release)?

I windsurf and kitesurf. I don't use foil in either sports. I kite surf when the wind is from 12 up to 20 knots and I windsurf when the wind is above 20. I believe that if you do two wind related water sports there isn't a need to learn a third one. I really can't see the point of wingsurf. I also think that visually it looks very awkward compared to kitesurf and windsurf.

Another great video, thanks for that good work. I am thinking in buying a wing, but I live near the sea, normally between 8 to 11 knots, 10% days is between 11 to 14 knots, never more. I kitefoil 3 years ago with Soul 12m whith winds down 10 knots, and with O Rodeo Roam AA 10m when winds are up 10 knots. Do you think winging in this conditions is possible and fun? THaks.

I hear a lot of arguments in favor of wingfoiling, it's convenient, less dangerous and easier (than for example kitefoiling), and now a new one, ‘a better workout’. I find these arguments so little convincing. For me the important factor is the feeling, and I think the feeling of kitefoiling is on a whole different level. I have to say, I never tried wing foiling, and I probably never will. It just looks too awkward to me.

The biggest issue that stops me from winging is the price. For the same price I can buy complete set of kiteboarding equipment: kite, bar, twintip and harness. Wings are ridiculously overpriced. Couple of years ago I have bought an inflatable windsurfung sail for my SUP, made by North, for the same 4sqm size the price of it was only a half of the price of 4sqm wing, while being far too niche than wings right now. Winging would solve quite a lot of my issues regarding inland riding as well, I'd be able to ride the local lakes instead of driving 150km (100 or so miles) to the closest kite-able lake. On the other hand with the winds that required for wingfoiling I'd rather be kiting, and invest money into other sports when wind is not blowing.

At my kite beach, wingers can always get out in lighter wind than me (learning) kite foiling

Financial hurdles are the biggest challenge. Next challenge is wife challenge. Try to convince her you need to spend $2000 for more kiting gear. It's a tough economy now. I guess I'll just virtual wing it.

I'm undecided whether to get the flysurfer hybrid or invest into winging gear.. i like kiting with jumps and all but I'm actually a surfer and i find it annoying to be on a wave with a kite that i have to actively loop etc for it to not fall from the sky.

Fear limits progression, for an advance kiter u an go solo almost in every situation safely. Low wind, worse case..swim in.. end of story

Wing dings are like mopeds and fat chicks. They are super fun to ride but you don’t want your friends to see you with them...