How about foot hooks for winging instead of straps?

[omg]

Just wondering if foot hooks would work well for winging, anyone tried? I am a bit nervous about damaging my foot when crashing esp. if the one foot stays in the strap and the other doesn't. Although I am riding kitefoil and surfboards strapless, I think for big foil wings the straps (or foot hooks) would give much better leverage hence the question.

Thanks

[slingshotucf]

Due to the size of the board and foil, I wouldn't go with hooks. I see hooks get ripped out all the time on kite surf and foil boards so with the bigger board, that would just happen quicker. You'll get better leverage for sure, I like straps for that reason but foot hooks are like can openers for the deck.

[Peter_Frank]

True slingshotucf, the very principle of a foot hook, is unfortunately the perfect crowbar principle, for ripping any insert (or deck) out

Peter

[Dwight]

You don’t need ANY straps unless you are jumping.

[omg]

Thanks guys.

Perhaps I don’t need but I think you agree that you get much better leverage for quicker turns with straps, right? Bigger foils equals more leverge needed to turn the board quick. I don’t have any problema with Moses 633 on kitefoil but w1100 is a different animal on a wingboard?

[fluidity]

Horst demoed something recently,
I'm thinking all you need though is a controlled length of velcro joining the halves. Too much pressure and it opens. Or magnetic joiners for the halves.

[Dontsink]

I started wingfoiling without footstraps, put the front ones on after five sessions and liked it a lot better.

Then i started prone foiling so i took the straps out...it felt like starting all over again, straps make consistent foot position a no brainer and they allow for push,pull and lever control inputs.
Take them out and feel lost and wobbly... ,you can only push now.

Dave Kalama says he tries to SUPfoil without straps on occasion because otherwise you become enslaved to them.

I will eventually put them back, but i want to get comfortable wingfoiling without first.

[slowboat]

Agree that there is too much torque on hooks for winging.

I was strongly against straps when kitefoiling but I think winging is very different and straps are clearly beneficial. 1. With winging, the foil and board are bigger than with kiting so straps make a bigger difference. 2. Pumping is much more important. No one will ever convince me you can pump as well without straps as you can with straps, especially the lifting part of the pump.

Learn to wing without straps but plan on using them as you gain some skills.

[Dwight]

It’s the same argument as footstraps on your surfboard. Once you surf with them, you become a strap cripple and really struggle to go back to the freedom of strapless.

More leverage just to make a turn, nonsense. You press down to turn and use foot stagger. Strapped, you lose foot stagger.

[Peter_Frank]

It’s the same argument as footstraps on your surfboard. Once you surf with them, you become a strap cripple and really struggle to go back to the freedom of strapless.

More leverage just to make a turn, nonsense. You press down to turn and use foot stagger. Strapped, you lose foot stagger.

Ha haa, disagree hugely...

Personal preferences only, nothing but that.

Some like the freedom of strapless, just like some of us like it on hydrofoils.

In particular on foils you dont need straps if not jumping, as it is buttersmooth because of the very principle, nothing bangs on the board.
On the other hand, on a foil you DONT turn pushing the rails, so you can really make a lot more aggresive turning with straps.
Apart from jumping of course.
Especially on wingfoils which are bigger, and wings higher span, so they turn quite bad - turning can really be amplified with straps.

On surfboards there are big differences to foiling, you use the edges for turning, meaning you can do a lot with a staggered stance.
Works great when smooth conditions.

But in real world conditions in most places, you got loads of chop, and here you can really benefit from straps, going powered on choppy wavefaces, more control, more fun.
Apart from way higher aerials, or super aggressive flat cutbacks if you want, I could say the exact opposite - way more freedom having straps, more options.

Not saying one is better than the other, just personal preference, OR choice on a given day.
Eventhough very few can change like that, but some can.

I foil strapless almost solely, both kite and wing (okay, not windfoiling), but can definitely see big advantages with straps, apart from jumping.

Peter