junebug wrote: ↑Tue May 21, 2019 2:41 pmronnie wrote: ↑Tue May 21, 2019 11:50 am
Foiling didn't really catch on at the start. Only when it became more efficient and practical did it start to really grow.
The wings look inefficient and awkward now, but they have room to become more efficient and handle better - and riders will become more skilled, switch stance etc.
I don’t think foiling caught on because it became more efficient and practical. I think it caught on because the big boys like LF, SS, Naish, etc. started making aluminum setups designed for beginners and priced them relatively cheaply.
IMHO, the wings will never catch on. It’s not a problem with the equipment design. It’s a problem with the equipment concept. Why use a wing when a kite is so much more versatile? This feels like a step back, and my prediction is that the brands pushing it will drop it in short order.
I’ve been wrong before and I will be wrong again but I just don’t see hoards of recreational SUPers buying this thing so they can putter around in chop on windy days.drsurf wrote: ↑Tue May 21, 2019 3:46 pmI don't think some on this forum have realised how big SUP is in many places. There would be 50 times more SUPs than kitesurfers and windsurfers combined on the East Coast of Australia. Anyone can SUP so people buy them so the whole family can use the board. There are even SUPs for hire here that can carry half a dozen or more people standing at the same time Super SUPs! In our small coastal area we even have a SUP warehouse. Man they are everywhere.
Moving a SUP requires a paddle and paddling can be slow and tedious especially if there's wind. This is where the Wing-Surfer comes in, don't paddle, let the wind do the work. I think the nature of the Wing-Surfer appeals to SUP owners as an easier way to move the board, and when the concept is relatively new, it has a cool factor as well. I think a lot of the Wing-Surfers will ultimately be sold to people who will never use them for foiling, just moving the SUP and maybe catching some small waves. Setting up a Wing-Surfer is also easy, not much pumping, no lines, safe and portable.
Now this may not sound exciting to members of this forum but I don't think we are where the money is. Ordinary folk with a SUP are far more numerous and they'll think the concept is fantastic and buy Wing-Surfers as fast as they can be made until the market is saturated. There will no doubt be a lot of marketing buzz around these "revolutionary" wind wings and there will be mass produced wind wings being sold in department/sports/outdoor stores and online for much less than they are currently.
So you may not want one, but your girlfriend/partner might...
I assume next spring this wing will be shelved next to $99 SUP at Costco, priced accordingly. Then, I'm going to buy one. To use on a skateboard for crappy wind days.
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