I hadn't really planned on trying this at Jekyll, but I had been riding my ATB with my 5m wing and said "what the heck" and gave it a try. I was
really surprised how well it worked. Buggy riiding with a wing is not going to be as fast as with a kite of the same size, but having said that, I
was easily in the teens much of the time and topped out a little over 20 with my Flexifoil buggy. That's fast enough for me. These were also not
super windy days at Jekyll either. Turning is really quick and snappy. Downwind jibes and upwind tacks are equally easy. Also, upwind angles are
good while downwind was really outstanding. Unlike when I was using a kite and had to avoid outrunning it going downwind - you just go faster with
the wing. The wings have a tremendous depower range as well. Probably safer than any kite. The downside is you don't have a power stroke so you
have to build up some apparent wind before you get up to speed. Here's a video with some of the highlights. Hope to try it again at home in the fall
when my buggy season restarts.
Nice! Will be great for tight launch spots, flying in the rain and easy to dump power if needed.
I recently picked up a wing and want to try it with my Dirtsurfer soon.RedSky - 23-5-2022 at 06:18 PM
Good one Randy. Windstruck - 24-5-2022 at 04:46 AM
Nicely done Randy! I couldn't tell what you had on your hands. Were they by chance some sort of weight lifting hook gloves/straps like these? I'm
wondering if holding down the wing tires out your grip and forearms after a while.
Thanks guys! @Second Wind - good point on flying in the rain. I've sailed some in the rain, and wings are intended to get wet anyway. Another
benefit is you are riding under a sun shade - should help some to avoid sunburn. Let us know how it goes with the Dirtsurfer. On the water the wing
helps a lot with your balance so it should be pretty cool.
Steve - much simpler explanation. Those are wrist guards. I always wear them when riding my ATB. I started out with a short ride my ATB and didn't
take them off when I went to the buggy. My grip didn't get tired. I did experiment some with a harness as you might have noticed a few times in the
video but I don't really need it unless the wind is really strong. Normally the wing is holding your arm up so it doesn't get too tired though I was
riding for several hours each day and my shoulder got a bit sore on day. If you don't have enough wind to hold the wing up all the time, its gets
tired really quick. The wings are pretty amazing in that they will "fly" w/o much wind. SecondWind - 24-5-2022 at 03:06 PM
Wing foiling is really becoming popular now. Many kiters are switching over to Wings (no lines, no launching/self landing issues). I just picked up
a Wing Foiling board and we'll see how it goes!
On the water the wing helps a lot with your balance so it should be pretty cool.
Windstruck - 25-5-2022 at 03:58 AM
It does look like one more nice way to have fun with wind! Sort of the extreme version of flying a kite right off of the bridles. Born Kites has a
version of this called the StreetStar2:
Going full kite wing looks super fun. I'll never forget watching K2 going balls out on Coyotes on the Ivanpah playa with a wing. Balls like bull! B-Roc - 25-5-2022 at 06:11 AM
Looked like a fun time. I have been considering a wing for years. It was actually a Skimbat promo video that got me interested in power kiting way
back in the day. Did you add the carbon looking mast bar or did that come with that wing?Randy - 25-5-2022 at 11:22 AM
Looked like a fun time. I have been considering a wing for years. It was actually a Skimbat promo video that got me interested in power kiting way
back in the day. Did you add the carbon looking mast bar or did that come with that wing?
Fun for sure. I added the carbon piece. It is just the handle from a SUP paddle. I like it a lot - feel like it helps with control of the wing. I
started out using the whole paddle tied down with velcro to the handles for safety purposes when I was on the water. Once I got to where I wasn't
worried about paddling back if the wind dropped, I just started using the handle piece. There is a commercial product available that does the same
thing.
