Winging
"Winging, Wing boarding, Wing Riding, Wing Surfing, Wing-Surfer, Air Wing, Kite Wing, Slingwing, Wing Foil, Foil Wing, Wing Wing, Wind Dinging, Wing thing...
Whatever you want to call the Wing, it's the best new way to ride the wind." Dan Gavere
Intro to Wing Foiling
This introductory course will start on land to cover safety, general sailing concepts, analyzing the conditions, overall concepts of foil wing handling, and choosing the proper sized gear.
Once on the water, you will be sailing under the power of the wing going back and forth (taxi mode) while you master the basics of wing handling, going from kneeling to standing, positioning on the board, sailing at a "reach", turning up/down-wind, turning around(gybe/tack) and self-rescue.
As you progress and start taking your first flights up on the hydrofoil, the next steps will be footwork, riding goofy/regular, finding the "sweet spot" to place the feet, and how to control the "pitch and roll" of a hydrofoil. Dan provides live coaching using a helmet system with 2-way radio's for seamless communications between Dan and the student. Dan is one of the pioneers of the sport in the Gorge and he's created a reliable roadmap to becoming a proficient wing foiler.
Pre-requisite:
Strong swimming skills and a positive attitude.
Students are required to have their own wetsuit and booties.
Available daily 11:00 AM, 2:00 PM, and 5:00 PM.
PRICE:
$300-2 hours (Weekday)
$350-2 hours Weekend/Holiday (Sat/Sun) *Applies to Hood River Only
Intermediate/Advanced Lessons/Tours
Dan will be on the water with you guiding you through the Gorge's Best locations using his gear or yours, he will help you reach your wing foiling goals. Whether it's down winding, jumping, or transitions Dan can meet you where your at with current skillset and provide the instruction needed to get you to the next level.
Pre-req: Must be able to ride competently and foil in both directions
$300-2 hours (all days of the week)
(includes all necessary equipment and communication-enabled helmets)
Intro to Wing Riding
In this initial introduction to Wing Riding, we will cover the concepts of sailing (the wind clock), dry land basics of handling the wing, wing positioning, board skills, footwork (sailing starboard and port directions), the tach, and the basics for sailing a "reach" and staying upwind. In the first lesson, we will use the appropriately sized wing (depending on wind speed) along with a special wing board that does not have a hydrofoil (wide sup board). Using the Easy and Stable SUP board will allow the student to focus on the wing handling and the best practices needed to generate speed, control the board direction, learning to gybe, and stay upwind. Once the student can proficiently display these skills we can move on to the next step where we add the hydrofoil board. During all of our wing lessons, your instructor will be within a safe distance for effective communication and safety. Once the student can proficiently display these skills we can move on to the next step in the lesson progression where we add the hydrofoil board. Intro to Wing Riding lesson (unless they are already a proficient foiler, kiteboarder, sup paddler, or windsurfer that can deep water start/remount and stay upwind).
Equipment supplied with a lesson: Helmet, pfd, board, wing, leashes.
This lesson will Wireless 2-way radio fitted helmets for continuous real-time communication.
Price: $200.00/2 Hours
-Recommended for those who have no prior board riding or wind sports experience, or have no interest in the hydrofoil and would enjoy riding a more stable and steady sup style board with no hydrofoil fin attached.
