More Wing Skiing

I wasn’t really expecting to go wings skiing in the harbour again. But while I was down getting water, the southeast wind was so strong that I decided to try not give it a try.

I had fun skiing straight down the hill from the front stairs and had enough momentum to get all the way across the bay. Had a couple more runs back-and-forth. Two kilometres in total. Max speed 31 km/h

Highlight was definitely having enough speed to get almost all the way back up the hill to the stairs. Thanks Michelle for the photos and video.

First wind sport day of 2025

It was supposed to be a day of taking the old shed siding to the dump by Skidoo. But the weather was so windy and snowy and thus slushy that I couldn’t go.

I got my wing pump from the Launch Pad and waited until the blizzard was over. My 4 year old 6m Duotone Echo wing was ready along with my 25 year old Blizzard skiis.

Sadly the wind was dropping off as the skies cleared a bit. I got a nice bit of momentum coming down the luge track from the balcony but soon the slush was slowing me down.

I did 1.1km heading out to Bill and Christine’s and back. By then I was done with the gusty wind in the Harbour. I really only got going when I caught a gust in fresh snow near a previously packed down Skidoo track.

An hour later we got our building permit for the new place out on the island. Next year I’ll be rigged and ready to take advantage of the conditions whenever it is windy!

I had fun

My GPS trail on a summer satellite image

Webcam capture

iWindsurf with some misleading wind direction information

 

The shed pile that didn’t get moved in the wind.

Here’s a video on Vimeo including some shots from my webcams:

2024 Wrap up - Lots of Wingfoiling

My 2024 season ended on October 21st. I popped an inguinal hernia which I didn't realize happens to 1/4 men over 50. Luckily I got a quick doctor's examination on the 22nd and got slotted into an ultrasound cancellation on Oct 31. Nov 6 I saw a doctor.  A few days later he called to say he had a cancellation Nov 11 and slotted me in at the last minute as he recalled that I had lamented the possibility of missing ski season. So I got repaired very quickly!

Despite not having any late October / early November sessions, 2024 was my 3rd most active year for days where I sailed. I had 70 blog posts, the most since 2020/2021 (COVID). 

I had fun looking back on my past few years of adding foiling to my time on the water. In 2019 and 2020 I had started wind foiling but didn't track it separately. I started wing foiling in 2021 and since then have tracked the 3 activities separately. Winging has definitely taken over.

In terms of time on the water, it was a record. It turns out that I'm still going the same overall distance as when I was windsurfing, but much slower so my time on the water increased.

I think 2025 will be a very busy year but hope to be able to get out on the water a lot again.

F&@$ yeah it’s hunting season

I don’t usually get much response from the fisherman in the area when I go wingfoiling. But today one of the fisherman yelled out F&@$ Yeah, as I foiled past. There were also sounds from upwind throughout my session as hunters were taking occasional gun shots sighting their scopes. Bear hunting sites were being baited and there were almost as many boats as during Thanksgiving weekend. There were even some rumoured deer sightings.

The day started off well finding our new dock for the Launch Pad at the marina. It took me two hours to tow it down the river and out to the island. It is definitely going to be a much more stable launching platform.

I like our new dock!

Towing the dock out!

I pumped up the 5m slick wing and hopped on Jen‘s 142 L Fanatic Sky WS SUP board. I did get going a couple of times but the 12 knot wind wasn’t quite enough for me to sail comfortably without constantly trying to pump the wing and board. Is colder fall air less dense? So I dropped off the board at the point to walk the 5m back and then brought out the 7m. Strangely the GPS says those walks had my highest heart rate of the day? (In hindsight that actually makes sense, that was while pumping up the 7m wing!)

My GPS trail

Heart rate and speed

13°C water

Windiest spot on the lakes!

My retro harness

Amazing sunset

That was the ticket! Tons of beautiful runs and even some foiling tacks toeside but none on the foil heelside. Overall, an hour of sailing and 13 km. It was a beautiful and unbelievably warm day for late October. Water was 13°C air 14°C and I only felt a bit cold after that one time that I fell in. I foiled back to the new dock with some nice jibes and jumped onto that very stable platform!

Video of me landing at the new dock

I spent the rest of the evening packing up gear and looking forward to remodelling the launchpad for 2025.

Sunset beach in the morning

Tom C was just getting off the water at Sunset point when I arrived. We had met last winter at men’s day and I knew him from the Sunset point chat group. He had been on a 4.9 wing and suggested I go with my 6 instead of my 4 as it seemed the wind was dropping. Turned out to be good advice.

I headed out in the 10° water and 8° air not having gloves or booties with me just my 3/2 wetsuit. Not the waterwear I would have chosen, but it was what I had with me in Collingwood. I was glad to have brought the 125l Duotone Sky board with the 1080 foil underneath though for my session.

Selfie on my way out for the SUP part of my session

No booties!

The water treatment plant reconstruction by the beach

Post session selfie

GPS trail - foiling jibes out from shore
Two wave rides on the SUP near shore

I swear my heart was racing more than 125…

I was excited to get out on the water at Sunset point again. My last sessions here on big Northwest days generally challenging as I’m still getting used to foiling in big waves. This session was pretty good. I made all of the few jibe attempts that I did. I still had problems running straight down wind or riding back into the waves switch stance. I definitely feel more confident riding out into the big waves though now. 

I would’ve stayed out foiling longer but it was pretty cold in the wind. I was excited enough though to go back out for two quick SUP paddle runs. It is nice to know the 150 L stand up paddle board I bought this spring will more use this fall. Super easy to get up on it. And I also like paddling out on the SUP board way more than paddling on my chest using a traditional surf board. 

Overall a hour out on the water before noon. Pretty early for me! There is more fun to come at Sunset point even with the new water treatment plant re-arranging the shoreline.

5m Wingfoil Beats 4.7m Windfoil

I usually like windfoiling more than wingfoiling when there’s a gusty north wind.

Coming back in the NE wind on the windfoil

Today there was super gusty north east wind so I decided to head out first on the wing foil. Today was the coldest day this fall. 10°C air and 15°C water. I took the 5m Duotone Slick and I easily got downwind to the wind line and started foiling. 

There were lots of lulls in the wind, but I did manage to plan through tons of jibes. Did some toeside tacks. Some nice carving 360s. And even managed to try a few to side heelside tacks which I didn’t complete or foil through.

Wingfoil GPS trail

Some carving downwind 360s

Some good time up on the foil despite the lulls

After a solid 10K of that I decided to try wind foiling. I took the wing back up from the point and swapped with the 4.7 Duke sail. It was an apples to apples comparison as I kept the exact same Fanatic Sky WSUP board with the 2000 cm² foil underneath. 

My windfoil GPS trail

Only got up on the windfoil very briefly

Way more fun on the wingfoil today

I could barely get going my first two attempts during gusts were super wobbly. Using a short fuselage under a windfoil board likely contributed to that. That likely was the difference from the easy to use 145l Alien Windfoil board to this Fanatic 142l windfoil board? I did get one run on the foil and started feeling more comfortable on my 3rd run, but that seemed to be it for the wind gusts so I slogged back to the dock.  

Windfoiling still does win on the ability to slog up wind but frankly today, it was wingfoiling for the win!

Thanksgiving Wingfoil Session

We got up to the Launch Pad after getting turkey and all the fixings arranged for a big family weekend.

I got out to the island and there was still wind after a full afternoon of watching the wind readings... It seemed to be dropping off so I took the 7m Slick wing on the 1080 foil under my 125l board.

Turned out I could have been on the 6m or 5m. While I struggled getting upwind out from the dock, once I was out in the wind line it was full power. Glad to have had my harness with me.

The air was 15c but the water was already down to 13c. Quite a change from a week ago. 

I hadn’t really wingfoiled since Hood River over a month ago. I was quite rusty and a bit frustrated falling off my “small” board. Still huge by most standards, but I’m pushing 95kg these days.

Once I got comfortable on some longer runs, I was starting to get ready for some tricks. I managed to do 6 foiling 360s in a row! They definitely look weird on the GPS.

Foiling 360s

Full 26km GPS trail

Eventually had some longer times up on the foil

Last run

As I left the island the sunset was starting to be spectacular.

Nice sunset

After yesterday’s hike up Blue Mountain, I was starting to feel pretty tired and sore. 

Solid 3km hike up and down Blue Mountain

The cold front coming through didn’t help with my headache!

Some weather stats show details.

I started in the the 3pm lull.
Eventually I could have been shortboarding

The weather station

Windiest spot on the bay?