Foil Slide

Sliding across the water's surface

No jumping, no foiling! When you slide, you plane across the water's surface with the foil, like a stone skipping across the water.

This works if you place the foil on the water surface at sufficient speed and the angle of attack of the foil is correct. As long as you have power in the wing, you can continue the foil slide. If you slow down too much, the foil will no longer carry you and will sink (stall).

How do you get into the foil slide? The front wing must rise above the water surface. This is achieved with a movement similar to a jump, except that you should not actually take off. Steer the foil in an upward movement, shift your weight backward, and jump as if you were only going to jump 5 centimeters high.

Turn the board slightly with the nose raised to windward and the windward rail slightly down. This will give you the correct angle of attack, as you primarily plane over the water on the windward side of the front wing. Instead of lifting off, your legs press the board onto the water. It takes a little practice to get used to the foil's response.

A smooth water surface and stronger wind in a small wing help you practice sliding. Make sure you land cleanly when the foil loses lift. This allows you to immediately get back into the air with the remaining speed.

You can also practice the slide with small jumps, where you jump very flat and try to let the foil slide a little on the water with a steeper angle of attack when landing.

Freestyle Foil Slide Level ★★★☆ Rider: Jürgen Schall Text: Jürgen Schall Photos/Videos: Jürgen Schall DE

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