Flying on Wings - A promising new Para Sport on the horizon?

Now, for the first time, foils are about to change the world of para sports as well.

Sit-kitesurfing and sit-kitefoiling have been around for about 12 years. But even after more than a decade, there are only about five paraplegic sit-kitesurfers worldwide with the riding skills to participate in races.

This is due to the following facts:

• Sit-kitesurfing is difficult and takes a long time to master.
• The ideal wind window of three and four beaufort is extremely narrow. It demands a high care ratio of at least four or five instructors and helpers per participant as well as at least one rescue boat.
• Additionally, sit-kitesurfing also has a high risk of injury. With these restrictions many first timers give up.

Last winter Guillaume Colin from France, a professional para surfer, was the first paraplegic to successfully ride a wing foil board whilst sitting down.

Up to this point it was regarded as impossible, as the tip of the wing would drag through the water if one sits on the board instead of standing on it. But since the wing can be held diagonally, this assumption proved to be false.

For para- or sit wingfoiling no adaptive or specialised equipment is necessary, and this makes it more affordable. The larger 140 litre production boards work fine and, contrary to sit-kiteboards, they have enough volume and can serve as a life raft making the rider more independent.

Low entry barriers, an easy learning curve and a low risk of injury give para-wingfoiling a broad appeal which will attract more people with disabilities to this new fun sport.

We spoke to Guillaume Colin about how he got into this new sport.

Could you briefly introduce yourself please?

My name is Guillaume Colin, I’m 40 years old and I’m French. I live near Montpellier in the south of France. I’ve always been a sportsman, and I’m particularly fond of board sports.

How did you get into water sports and what kind of water sports have you been doing so far? Please also tell us briefly about the competitions you have been participating in.

Before my accident in 2015, I already practiced windsurfing, a little surfing, kitesurfing and other sliding sports in the mountains, skiing, snowboarding and so on.

Then in 2015 I had an accident that left me paraplegic and in a wheelchair, and I continued my search for gliding with adaptations to the sports I knew and in particular surfing at first.

Now I practice sit surfing as a leisure activity and also compete internationally, both individually and with the French team, in which I’ve been selected for the last two years. And since last year, I’ve taken up wing foiling.

How did you get the idea to try wing foiling sitting down?

The idea of doing seated wing foil simply comes from a projection of adaptation, of how I could foil. The sitting position is obviously one I’m familiar with, and one I use for surfing. I simply transposed it to a wing foil board to get back to the conditions I knew, but with a slightly different support and a different glide too.

Were you the first one trying that sitting down?

I’m not the first to try it, but clearly one of the first, and I think I’ve taken the adaptation and practice the furthest so far, until I’m completely self-sufficient in navigation. I still need a little help getting in and out of the water. But then once I’m on the water I’m autonomous and sailing comfortably at between 15 and 35 knots.

Tell us about your first rides.

The first sessions were beginner sessions, like everyone else. At first, I didn’t make any special adjustments, just sat on a SUP in light winds to learn how to handle the wind and the wing. Then I tried to wedge myself in with straps, things that weren’t yet very secure, but which gave me a little more control. Then my riding really progressed, as if something clicked, when I made the modifications to the board. I added foot straps and a waist belt to really become one with the board. That’s when I managed to make my first flights. I had equipment that enabled me to take off and make long flights in 20 knots of wind at a time when I still had almost no experience.

How long did it take you to learn sit-wingfoiling and can everybody learn it and how easy is it to learn?

My first long flights came on the fifth session, so I was able to learn quite quickly, bearing in mind that the first sessions were, as I said, simply laying on a SUP without any particular adaptation in light winds.

It’s a bit difficult to say whether everyone can learn. Not everyone has the same physical ability, even when it comes to handicaps – every handicap is different. In any case, I’m convinced that with a handicap like mine, i.e. a lower-limb impairment but with the retention of the abdominal strap, it’s possible to sail sitting down, and it works well! Then I’m convinced that there are also people with other, possibly more severe, disabilities who could find adaptations or compensation for sailing. In fact, I have friends in such cases who are gaining their own experience and making progress.

What about safety and self-rescue issues?

I wouldn’t say there are any specific safety measures for sit-wingfoiling. As long as you’re comfortable in the water and have mastered your equipment, it’s the same as anyone else. You should never sail alone, because you’re never safe from equipment, technical or physical problems, so you should always be accompanied and keep an eye on your session partners. I always wear an impact vest and a helmet. Maybe at the beginning, during the first sessions, when you don’t know how to sail upwind yet, it might be better to have a safety boat that can easily pull you upwind if you drift too much. Because the problem is that you can’t walk back up the bank like able-bodied beginners usually do.

Do you think this new sport has a big potential as a para sport and why?

I suppose so, because it’s something that doesn’t yet exist, and which could open up a new glide accessible to many people, I think. Of course, I’m not saying it’s for everyone – it obviously depends on physical ability and disability – but it opens up the sport to many more people than the standing wing foil we know.

What in your opinion can be done to make sit-wingfoiling available for all?

What can be done to make it accessible to everyone… or rather to as many people as possible? First of all, I’d say we need good communication to show that seated riding is possible, to show federations, clubs, associations and brands that it’s possible, so that it creates a buzz and momentum. We also need to inspire potential future riders.

In terms of equipment, for example, I used existing products from a commercial range, which I modified a little. Adaptations and modifications aren’t very complicated. However, if the products existed directly on the market or could be produced on demand (which some brands already do), I think it would make things easier for people wishing to start wing foiling.

To describe my adaptations a little, I simply modified an existing rigid board on which I added inserts to fit foot straps, and fitted a waist belt with a quick-release buckle that really lets me strap in and become one with the board. The belt’s quick-release buckle allows me to free myself in a fraction of a second if necessary. And I’ve also added a small block of rigid foam on which I sit, to raise myself up and be well supported to best transmit the efforts of my pelvis and buttocks to the board, and thus control my balance.

Once I’d got my footing and straps on the board, and thanks to my experience in other sports, I learned to ride very quickly. It took me two or three sessions to get the hang of flying.”