Keeping Busy and Foiling Fit During Winter

Or: How Not to Become a Professional Sofa Athlete

During winter, daylight disappears. Temperatures drop. And somehow your motivation quietly packs its bags and leaves with the summer.

For many foilers, winter brings a dangerous thought: maybe I’ll just skip a few sessions. That’s how it starts. One missed session turns into two. Suddenly you’re checking wind forecasts from the comfort of a heated room, fully dressed in excuses.

If you’re properly infected with the foiling bug, you basically have three options. Hibernate. Embrace the cold. Or chase summer in the opposite hemisphere. Most of us end up doing a slightly confused combination of all three.

The truth is, wind and water sports people are not wired to sit still. We might complain about the temperature. We might stare at the forecast as if it personally offended us. But eventually, we find a way to move.

The most obvious solution is also the simplest. Just go anyway.

Our team rider Eva did exactly that. While most people were still “thinking about” a winter pumpfoil session, she put on a dry suit, geared up properly, and sent it. That’s really the secret to cold water sessions. Preparation beats motivation every time. When you’re warm and properly equipped, the cold becomes background noise. The hardest part is not the session. It’s stepping out the door.

And if the water freezes? Well, winter has its own version of lemonade. When it snows, go play in the snow.

Martin took his ENSIS ROGER out during a snowy, windy day and turned what most would call miserable conditions into something playful. Different surface. Same wind. Same grin.

Christiaan, our team manager, decided that frozen lakes are not a limitation but an opportunity. Ice skating at Silvaplana with the ROGER is not something you see every day, but it works. Ice is nearly frictionless, which means you need surprisingly little wind to get moving. It looks slightly absurd, but that’s half the fun. Of course, Christiaan also managed to squeeze in a trip to Egypt. He believes in balance. Cold adventures at home, warm wind somewhere else.

Then there’s Balz Müller. If he ever stopped moving completely, we suspect he might spontaneously combust from stored energy. Winter for Balz is not a time to slow down. It is pumpfoil sessions when possible, skating when the ground allows it, balance board sessions at home, and turning playgrounds into improvised training grounds. It’s not just about fitness. Foiling is balance, timing, coordination. If you keep those sharp through winter, spring does not feel like starting from zero.

That’s really the trick. You don’t need to train like a professional athlete. You just need to keep moving. Say yes to sessions that feel slightly uncomfortable. Stay curious. Stay playful. Winter is not the enemy. It is simply a different playground.

And if none of that works? Book the ticket. Chase the sun. We understand.