Author Topic: Racing -- how long before professionals with specialized equipment take over?  (Read 2370 times)

deja vu

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I don't think it will take long before there is a professional racing discipline for winging with specialized equipment and money events.  I'm not sure if this is good or bad for the overall sport -- bound to happen I guess.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGBYliUzuU0
« Last Edit: June 06, 2021, 05:57:32 PM by deja vu »

VB_Foil

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One of the race winners was on a Mike’s Lab. No surprise there! Would that be considered specialty gear? Wing was a wasp v2.

I’ve floated the idea of a race with my local wing crew. My idea is a beer chugging relay or something. Out around an upwind buoy, return to starting point where a beer is waiting on a pole above the water, chug beer and repeat x number of times  ;D
I’m a 5’9” 65kg rider:

Boards:
   4' 27L Armstrong FG Wing/Surf
   4’5” 34L Armstrong FG Wing/Surf
   4'11" 60L Armstrong Wing/Sup
  
  

Foils: Armstrong HA525, HS625, HA725, HA925, HS1050, HA1125, HS1250, HA1325
Wings: BRM 2M & 3M, FreeWing Nitro 4M, OR 5M & 7M Glide

surfcowboy

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It’ll happen, but one of our LA crew was in it and said it was low key and fun. I’ll bet it’ll still have a rec class even if it does get serious.

For those of you who remember when Chuck Patterson and other big dudes won races, it appears this time the 120 pounders didn’t even wait a couple of years. Apparently there were kids in the SF race who killed it. So while you’re buying that expensive custom gear also buy puberty delaying drugs for your kids so they can be champions.


peterp

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It's imminent. - In all the other sports; windsurfing, kiting, SUP - the carbon dollar quickly takes over.

Unfortunately, wing-foiling will require sub-1000sqcm wings which will be way to twitchy for the average guy to use.

We had a handful of fun races where the guys were on anything from 1000-2000sqcm, and the minute the guy on the 1000 started nailing his jibes, it was game over....

surfcowboy

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Yeah, I’d imagine foil classes will be needed for recreational racing

Dontsink

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Foil surface alone would favour the big guys.
Maybe :
Foil Surface/RiderWeight=Wing loading class

jondrums

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so many people - so few wings with windows.  Seems like windows would be pretty helpful for racing.
And another vote here thinking that heavier folks should have a distinct advantage in top speed - just like windsurfing.  Will we see weight belts?

clay

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I signed up for Paddlefest for the novelty and to have a go at a cleared lineup with fellow suppers.  And after a couple years the novelty wore off and being confined to a time slot also grew thin.  The last one I didn't register and I got there 2 days early and had more fun doing the non-event free foil sessions with the famous foil rippers.

I played golf for a minute and played in an organized charity scramble event, that was fun and everyone in our foursome was working toward the same shared goal and everyone hit at least one good shot that helped out team.

I like the gathering of folks, much prefer cooperative or expression session events.
Aloha, I welcome and appreciate all responses of positivity and good feeling.

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