Riding Backwinded

Pushing the wing against the wind

Riding backwinded means standing on the board and pushing the wing against the wind. To put it simply, you are not pulled by the Wing as in the normal riding position, but pushed by the wing. You lean against the wing and use the power to continue foiling. If you are confident in it, you can ride as long as you like in this position.

To get into the backwind position, you can either tack or jibe. The wing is not positioned neutrally over the head, instead it is pushed into the upwind position halfway through the turn.

The easiest way to get into this position is to initiate a jibe. The most difficult part is bringing the wing into the backwinded position after initiating the jibe. The wing must be held high enough so that the lower wing tip does not tip into the water. This is particularly problematic for smaller riders if the wing has a large wingspan.

The wing is held back so that the front tube is diagonally in the direction of travel (upper wing tip further forward than the lower one). Simply hold the back hand higher than the front hand. This makes it easy to control the power in the wing.

With the front arm extended, you can control the power in the wing with the rear arm: press = accelerate, pull = release power. The power in the wing is used for propulsion, so that you can foil a long distance straight ahead while standing backwinded.

In the Duotone Wing Academy video integrated above, Stefan Spiessberger demonstrates riding backwinded. The trick is also called lee ride. Foiling in a backwind position is good practice for further tricks.

Freestyle Riding backwinded Level ★★★☆ Rider: Stefan Spiessberger Text: Jürgen Schall Photos/Videos: Duotone DE

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