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Which is easier to learn?

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Northwest Kiteboarding -> Gorge / Portland / Oregon Coast
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fredf

Since 10 Jan 2009
80 Posts
Eugene. Or
 



PostThu Mar 29, 18 10:58 am    Which is easier to learn? Reply with quote

I realize this is relative and subjective but, assuming an equal level of expertise in windsurfing vs. kite boarding, which sport with foils is the easier one to achieve a useful level of riding?
Never having tried either I am going to guess it is with a kite since the pull is upward instead of horizontal.

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dwaynej

Since 09 Sep 2013
207 Posts

Stoked

CGKA Member


PostThu Mar 29, 18 11:27 am     Reply with quote

Many of us have done both. I would be happy to continue to windsurf except for the hassle associated with dragging gear around. Either one has a massive learning curve foiling so no quick path to leaning in either. Plan on 2-3 seasons (years) from zero before you have basic foil gybing.

With that being said, I think wind foiling is easier if only since you have a much larger board to stand on, but screwing up is more severe falling into the board... Local guy broke both wrists.

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ldhr

Since 21 Jul 2009
1470 Posts
Hood River
XTreme Poster



PostThu Mar 29, 18 1:10 pm     Reply with quote

I learned to kite foil last year with a few of my friends. We are all middle aged.
We all live in Hood River, are expert kiters, and also have windsurfing backgrounds.

After 10 hours we were up on the foil and getting long rides across the river.
It took another 20 hours to carve around to toeside and ride toeside.
By the end of the summer (50-100 sessions) we were riding large swell in big winds at Rufus.
None of us can tack or jibe with the board in the air - we do touch down transitions with the board on the water.

I watched younger more athletic people learn to windfoil last summer. Their progress seemed to be a bit slower. They go back and forth across the river but that's all they really do. Only a few experts do upwind/downwind and only one or 2 ride swell. And they all have professional windsurf or industry backgrounds.

I haven't seen a middle-aged normal Joe learn to windfoil as well as we all learned to kitefoil in one season.


A few people have mastered both - it would be interesting to see what they think (Matt Wheeler, Tony Logosz, Fred Hope, Mark Ribcoff).

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