There is something fun and simplistic about racing your mates and other riders on the water, pushing your gear and abilities to the absolute limits. With the DEFI WING currently taking place, speed while on the water is on a lot of riders' minds. We’re going to talk about how to go fast while wing foiling, setting speed records with Joshua Pretorius, and the chance to win a SCORE Limited Edition at the DEFI.
How to Go Fast
If your plan is to break wing and hydrofoil speed records, it becomes very gear-specific. But before worrying about equipment, you’re more than likely able to get a lot more speed from your current wing foiling setup.
Care - A well-maintained setup is a fast setup. Make sure to take proper care of your inflatable wings. Don’t store them wet or leave them in the sun. Regarding your foil, prevent scratches and nicks by using covers as much as possible, and learn to maintain and sand your foil by removing any imperfections.
Setup - The big thing to keep in mind when setting up your wing foiling gear is that stable and comfortable is fast. In general, having more leverage over your foil will allow you to get a lot more speed out of your existing setup. This means either moving your foil further back in the foil box or moving your footstraps forward on the board. With the wing, you want to make sure it is inflated to the maximum possible pressure specified on the wing; this gives a more rigid and responsive airframe.
Practice, practice, practice - Investing time and familiarising yourself with your wing and foils will enable you to comfortably increase your speed. You'll be surprised at how fast your current setup can go. Consider recording your speed using your phone or smartwatch so you can analyse the data to track your progress and identify areas for improvement.
Now, gear is important if you really want to go fast. ENSIS offers the SCORE Limited Edition, which has a reduced airframe diameter allowing for less air resistance. Always made from HOOKIPA, which allows you to inflate to high pressures.
Joshua Pretorius goes 37 knots at Namibia
On the topic of speed ENSIS rider Joshua Pretorius travelled to Luderitz, Namibia, where historically a lot of wind sports speed records have been set, with the goal of breaking 40 knots on the wing foil. While there, he achieved a top speed of 37 knots using the 3.5m SCORE Limited Edition.
Thanks to achieving these top speeds, Joshua Pretorius has been crowned as the winner of the Dunkerbeck Speed Challenge in the Wing Foiling discepline.
Win a SCORE Limited Edition at the DEFI
Those at the DEFI will have the opportunity to win a SCORE Limited Edition! How to enter? Simply answer the question and fill out this form:
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