Winging almost eight years ago

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Winging almost eight years ago
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Re: Winging almost eight years ago

I think this one is from around 2011, though I can't prove it. I think Slingshot probably was the first to experiment with inflatable wings.

What happens in a black hole stays in a black hole.

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Re: Winging almost eight years ago
Randy wrote:

I think this one is from around 2011, though I can't prove it. I think Slingshot probably was the first to experiment with inflatable wings.

Built-in emergency paddle...now that's the spirit

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Re: Winging almost eight years ago

I was thinking it might have had a dual purpose of stiffening the strut. It looks like it was crazy windy when he was riding that. I was also wondering if his board was sinker, negating any benefit of a paddle. It looks pretty small and thin. Hard to guess the volume of a board though.

I confess to have used a paddle in the same way as an emergency back up as well.

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Re: Winging almost eight years ago

It's not a bad idea. I've sailed with a collapsible paddle.

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Re: Winging almost eight years ago
Randy wrote:

I think this one is from around 2011, though I can't prove it. I think Slingshot probably was the first to experiment with inflatable wings.

This link traces the start of (modern) winging to 2011.

https://slingshotsports.com/pages/the-origin-of-wing-foiling

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Re: Winging almost eight years ago

Wind Weapon segment in Raw Power 1989.

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Re: Winging almost eight years ago

Yeah, that's why I put the "modern" qualifier in there. It's also a fact that windsurf hydrofoiling was around in the 1980's. As far as I know, no one tried to combine the two ideas (the wind weapon and the windsurf hydrofoil) in those days to create the first version of wing foiling. However, someone could have done so... (Perhaps if Orville and Wilber were still around, or maybe Ken Winner had something hidden in his garage).

https://www.peconicpuffin.com/the_peconic_puffin/2007/10/longboards-on-h.html

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Re: Winging almost eight years ago

1979/80

Harken foiler circa 1985 (?)

Ouch, Harken zings us at the end - and mind this was posted 7 years ago when other than AHD, windfoiling was in its infancy

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Re: Winging almost eight years ago

I definitely wouldn't want to fall off that first one! Too much junk to fall into and hit.

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Re: Winging almost eight years ago

Interesting that the windsurf hydrofoil seems to have predated the harness, or else the Harken sailor just didn't know how to use one. Or maybe he was afraid of getting launched into the foils. Whatever, he looked very uncomfortable riding it. Average Joe Windsurfers wrote that in 1986 Harket listed them in the catalog and sold about 50 of them. Why did it take so long is an interesting question, I'd guess they were just too hard to sail, or just too expensive.

What happens in a black hole stays in a black hole.

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