A Year (Windsurfing) en Provence: Wingfoil coaching session with Dasher

Sunday, March 24, 2024

Wingfoil coaching session with Dasher

Over 30 years ago Charles Dasher helped me get better at jibing. He gave Jen and me instruction in Aruba out of Sailboard Vacations back when that was THE hotspot to have a windsurfing vacation. He took one look at my windsurfing jibe and said “what are you doing with your hands - it’s boom boom boom boom.” And it worked - my jibes instantly got better - like in this video from back then.

So I was very excited to reconnect with Dasher in Bonaire where he is now teaching the 4 year new sport of wing foiling. I wanted some foiling tips but also wanted to learn how he is teaching wing foiling so I can get better as a teacher too.

We had a Sunday 8am morning session where we talked gear and he was excited to help me understand the best and most current ways to teach students to foil. He has a great wing simulator that I’m going to copy!

Dasher with his wing simulator

Against his advice and because I wanted to try different gear I took out a Vayu Fly 5.2 110L board with 1000 CM high aspect foil. I really couldn’t get going even with a 6m wing. I did finally get it going but it wasn’t going to be the right equipment for learning. Looking at the board back on the beach it had a bottom shaped like an upside down spoon - definitely the wrong shape for getting going. Amazing how board design has developed in just a few years.

Struggling to get going on the wrong gear!

Dasher luckily had some BBtalking headsets so we could communicate. They work very well and Jen got a headset too so she could hear while being on shore and taking a few photos! I went back to shore and got the 97 L Tabou board from yesterday with a 1750 foil so that I would be able to get up virtually every run. That way I would be able to work on jibes and tacks.

I have to note that I’m spoiled by having most of Georgian Bay to myself and forgot to look over my shoulder on one of my first jibes and nearly ran into Frank. Luckily Dasher on the BBtalking headset alerted me to the pending collision and Frank wasn’t upset. But a good learning moment for me.

Enjoying my time on the water!

Dasher was patient and had already noticed from the pictures posted a few days ago that I have a major issue with my jibes in that I don’t turn my hand over when I’m entering. He suggested going into the jibe underhanded. Boom! He fixed my wingfoil jibe just as he fixed my windsurfing jibe over 30 years ago. Amazing coaching!

A nice little Dasher improved underhanded jibe!

We then started working on tacks and my first couple were actually pretty good with his next tip to give a little back hand tap out on the wing as you go upwind into the tack. Andy Brandt would call it sail chi as you tap with the back hand so that flips over your head and you don’t need to reach across as much with the front hand. A couple of those went well and then I took a break on the sandbar and watched him do a whole bunch of tricks.

One of my favourites things of his to practice I’d already seen two days ago. Dasher stands in a SUP stance with his legs very close together to feel the very subtle control and that is also a great practice for eventually riding switch stance. Switchstance toeside is a goal I still need to learn. He also had a great tip on initiating a foot switch, which is to bring that back foot on the centreline - toes pointed forward so that you’re much more balanced on the foil for your eventual hop or dual foot switch.

We continued on the water with me, trying a few more tricks, including one where you go into jibe like a duck jibe but then bringing the wing back over your head and that will eventually lead to better 360s. Pleased to actually get one of those. Curious to see whether it’s on Dasher’s video?

BBtalking headsets work very well for treaching

As the session was ending I was getting sloppy on my tacks and overthinking it. I did eventually get a couple more nice jibes and slogged back up to the beach. We wound up talking a lot more about the wingfoil coaching techniques and my excitement for teaching,

Part of the coaching session and back to shore

A few failed tacks and then some nice jibes at the end

I’ll be posting similar information on my www.LaunchPadWindsurfAcademy.ca page when I start gearing up for the teaching season in Canada.

Lunch at Jibe City

My mom’s license plate from years ago

The scene at the Hangout Bar

In the afternoon, after a nice visit to Jibe City for lunch, I went out for another hour on the same gear and sailed much farther out. I got a lot of jibes in a row and felt great about that session.

Lots of fun sailing upwind on the wing foil

Lots of nice jibes in the 1st 3rd of the session!

Hands are now officially done!

My fingers now have 3 exposed blisters and I think it is time to take a longer break from 6 straight days on the water in Bonaire. On our way back to the hotel we drove the long way around the island and took some photos.