I’ve been learning how to foil since the summer of 2023.  I was coming off a knee injury during ski season where I met a fellow Bridger employee Jeff while working in the ticket office.  I’d known about foiling in boats for a long time but most of those options don’t work when you’re my size (moths have a set sail area and foil size so I don’t “fit”).  The boat options are all very expensive.  Nikki and I had also gone to Hawaii in October 2022 for our 20th anniversary where we watched prone foilers lap Waikiki beach.  Put all that together and summer of 2023 I decided to learn to foil!

I started thinking I’d tow foil only (for the first year) and add winging long term.  I’d read learning behind a boat helps you learn winging long term as it lets you learn the board aspect independent of the sail.  So I did some research and ordered myself a north seek air 155L (inflatable) board.  Jeff offered to loan me his original foil which was a slingshot infinity 99 (2371cm2).  Because I borrowed a foil I also ordered a wing shortly there after which was a north loft pro 8m thinking I’m a big guy at elevation and in fresh water so I’d need all the area I could get (I was right).

After getting the board and foil we began tow foiling behind the dinghy at my parents in canyon ferry.  This as a BLAST and the initial feeling of foiling is like being on a magic carpet!  We were HOOKED!

From here Elias started trying to pump while being towed.  At 15 and being athletic he got this down pretty quickly and could get slack in the rope.  While he was working on learning to pump my first wing had showed up and I was working on that.  We then added a pump specific board to the mix so we could dock start at our local beach/park (less than 5 minutes from the house).  Little did we know that the dock here is PERFECT for regular riders which we both are.  By the end of 2023 Elias could pump over 30s but I could barely make it off the dock.  This led to me doing some math and learning how big of a foil I might need to learn how to pump.

I’d also been working on my winging all summer.  At first I was only going to my parents on Canyon Ferry as I assumed having a dinghy nearby would be a huge help.  The reality was this meant I had less ideal wind days because I was only looking at one location.  It also meant on the windier days I’d struggle due to the chop the larger body of water generates.  This lead me to scouring google maps to find other bodies of water and learning how to find forecasts and observations for different locations in Montana.  I ended up making this page for all my locations with a map (so I could see which had good launching sites), wind forecasts as well as observed winds where available. 

By the end of the year I could foil in one direction (regular if you’re a snowboarder) not very well and barely make it off the dock pumping.  Elias could pump for ~30s.  We were both pretty good at tow foiling at this point and to be honest that had lost most of its appeal with the effort to go vs our new options.

That Christmas we both got pump specific foils.  We also added another wing for Elias to learn with (never really happened but it was great for me!).  In the spring we were both able to learn a TON pumping.  Elias broke a minute quickly and pushed to over 6 minutes buy the end of the summer.  I got to 30s quickly, 60s within a month, then to almost 2 minutes by the end of the year. 

Wing foiling I was able to get switch foiling down pretty early in the season thanks to some practice during the winter on my snowboard.  I also moved to only using my gong HIPE cruzader “downwind” board as it allowed me to foil in ~5mph less wind on the low end of the range.  I ended up selling my axis BSC 1120 and going all in with gong for my foil setup with a single 79cm HM carbon mast and using curve H foilf for winging and a sirus for pumping.

Fast forward to 2025 and Elias and I are both looking forward to another great season.  We both went out in Montana in spring in freezing cold water (the day after ice out for me!).  We then went to FL to visit my parents in April and were able to both pump and I winged 4 times while there. 

our gear timeline:

• Summer 2023
  • North seek air 155L inflatable board
  • North Loft Pro 8m wing
  • borrowed slingshot infinity 99 foil
  • axis BSC 1120 foil setup with 19mm mast (once we realized I needed a stiffer mast)
  • added gong HIPE cruzader for a better light air board but couldn’t ride it (too narrow/tippy)
  • added a slingshot hope craft as a pump board for Elias
• 2024
  • added a North Nova 6m wing “for Elias”, ended up being great for me in anything but super light air
  • Elias got an Axis 1401 foil specifically for pumping (with a dedicated fuse and stab)
  • added a gong curve H 6XL (3000cm2) foil for pumping (to match the size the BSC was for Elias at 160# to my weight) with fuse and stab
  • added a Kluber 95cm for me, sold the hope craft for a Kluber 80 for Elias
  • added Will’s 5m north V1 nova to prove I didn’t need or want a wing this small (I was wrong)
  • Added a gong 85cm metal mast (too flexible, it was terrible)
  • After RI and being frustrated with dual foil brands (for pump and wing) I ordered a gong 79cm HM carbon mast and sold my axis setup (BSC1120) to fund a gong curve H 4xl
  • added a gong sirus 3xl as a pump specific foil
  • added the gong fuse extension to help get longer pump times 
• 2025
  • added a gong 4.5m doid X to replace/upgrade the 5m aftering seeing how useful it was (5m now lives in the keys)
  • Sold my kluber 95cm for a kluber 80cm
  • added a 86cm HM v2 mast for winging only
  • added a 72cm HM V2 mast for pumping only

something I wrote up for a reddit post:

Just seeing this now so sorry for the late reply. You need bigger gear! I’m in Montana (so thinner air and fresh water). I’m on season 3 this summer and just working on learning gybes (can get them around but crash on 90% of my foot swaps. My first year setup was a north seek air 155L board with their loft pro 8m wing and the axis BSC 1120 foil. I’ve since upgraded to a gong setup to get larger foils. Mostly because I wanted to learn to pump foil with my 160lb son but those foils have also unlocked lighter air winging for me.

I’m 6’4″, 210lbs (was down to 195 by the end of last summer thanks to pumping though!), a very experienced sailor who can snowboard and surf and skis a lot.

Have you faced similar issues getting up on foil?

YES! Especially before I got a mast that was strong enough. We borrowed a slinghsot setup that had a terrible mast setup (it’s an old design). I could barely foil on it being towed. I learned about axis 19mm mast and added that with the BSC 1120 and it was a game changer.

What front foil, wing and board size combo worked for you?

BSC1120 and 8m wing with a 155l board got me going in ~18mph the first time. As you learn how to pump the wing and the foil you can lower that. This past week I had my massive foil (gong 6xl curve H, 3000cm2!) with a 8m out in ~8mph and the 5m wing in ~10-12mph. After seeing my son learn to pump the axis BSC 1120 at 160lbs, I switched it to a gong curve-h 6xl as it’s the same area for our weight as the BSC was for him. He’s since moved on to the axis 1401 and I switched to gong.

Is bigger always better when it comes to wings for heavier riders?

it depends on what you’re trying to do and in what weather. I want to go sailing as much as possible. I don’t want some wind to not be enough. With my inflatable DW board (gong HIPE cruzader 7’11” 146L), 3000cm2 foil (gong curve H 6xl) and 8m wing (north loft pro) I could push my minimum wind speed to 8mph. It’s now lower.

LONG TERM I probably won’t keep both the 8m and 3000cm2 foil as I’m now pumping a smaller foil (the “giga foil” as I call it is great for when the water is super cold as it’s great up to 60s. Beyond that you’re pushing a lot of volume and a I have a “smaller” but still 186cm wide gong sirus 3xl that’s my dedicated pump foil. I’ve gotten efficient enough with my wing pumping and foil pumping skills I could go smaller with both for light air but I can’t skip to my 6m and ~2100cm2 foil yet (maybe one or the other though?). When it’s time to replace the 8m I’ll get either a 7.5 or 7m but I’m VERY glad to have started with the 8m. When pumping the 8m it’s a LOT of work and tricky and wing tips end up in the water a lot.

People will comment on your gear size I’ve found. “Why is your foil so big?” “That’s a huge wing!” etc but I’m they guy in our group with the lowest windspeed except for my buddy Jeff, he’s <140 and been doing this for 7 years now… But if you want to unlock light air AND are a big dude, go big or go home!

Any experience with the gear I mentioned?

BSC1120 is a good starter foil from axis and their 18mm mast is great. But they don’t have a ton of large foil options (nothing for guys our size to pump foil with). IMHO if it’s wing only it’s a good option but if you want to pump maybe look to gong as they’re kinda the only game in town for foils over 2000cm2.

North Nova 6m is my middle range wing. It’s great when it’s the right size and eventually will work in light air. But bigger was better when learning for sure. Scoop up the loft pro 8m on sale for ~$1100 if you can. The gong droid SP aramid X comes in a 7.5m as well but not sure how tariffs will affect its current ~$1300+ price (made in china shipped from france).

One HUGE TIP: DO NOT BUY CRAPPY MASTS! I’ve had the slingshot, axis 19mm, gong V2 aluminum and gong HM 20mm V2 carbon masts. The axis 19mm metal and gong V2 20mm carbon masts are the only options I can vouch for for people over 200lbs. Gong has new V3 HM carbon masts they claim are strong but won’t answer a direct question about comparing them and they dropped enough width I doubt they’re stronger, maybe equal… Gong also has a new V3 metal mast which could be good but I haven’t bothered ordering one to try as I have the V2 HM options. Why does it matter? Wing foiling is entirely balanced based with a lot going on. If you mast is flexing while you’re trying to gybe it’ll cause you to crash as will a million other things. I remember going from slingshot to axis and feeling much more stable. I remember then going to gong’s old metal mast and feeling like it was ok at 75cm but absolute crap at 85cm. I then got their V2 79mm HM carbon mast and it was again rock solid and a HUGE help (pump times added 33%+ overnight). This past week I took my 75mm v2 metal mast on a trip (to leave it their for future trips) and I was shocked at how bad it was going back. Mast stability is a huge factor people who weigh 175lbs and less don’t really feel. My son hasn’t ever commented on it but I feel it immediately. Because of this, budget for the correct mast out of the gate instead of having to swap brands or waste time. There are other strong options out there but know their prices when picking a new system.

Board: I currently own a gong HIPE cruzader (hipe means inflatable) 146l 7’11” board thats been great but the narrow width and round chine make it very hard to learn on and difficult once it’s over 20mph of wind. It’s my only board now but I didn’t/wouldn’t start on it.

Wings: I started with an 8m and would do it again if you’re in light air like I am. I’ve now got a 8/6/4.5m setup. 6m was bought for my son to learn but I quickly realized it’s my favorite wing. Good power and way easier to pump/handle. I picked up a 5m used for $200 last season to prove I didn’t need anything that small. It now lives at my parents house as a spare and I got a 4.5 meter to replace it. I don’t enjoy going out in 30++mph so I doubt I’ll ever go smaller. Long term I’d like to downside the 8m to 7.5 or 7m, but don’t start there. I’d also love to have a 2 wing setup if that could work but time will tell. I can tell my pumping (both wing and foil) are improving which will lead to smaller wings working in lighter air. Any new wings I buy will be gong aramid X wings FWIW, their price to quality is amazing.

Mast: don’t skimp, make sure it’s beefy and either HM carbon or 19mm metal.

Foils: big means easier to learn. My 3000cm setup is great for the crazy light and with the 5m I had it out in 20mph+ this past week (it is hard to keep it “down” when it’s this windy). My other foil for winging is the curve H 4xl at 2100cm2. Eventually I’ll add something smaller maybe but right now the 2100cm2 and 6m wing are a GREAT setup for up to ~22mph. Beyond that I’m struggling for lots of reasons (gusty, narrow round board, etc). Same as in the wing section I can tell my pumping is improving enough to mean I don’t/won’t need these massive foils and wings for light air long term. I wouldn’t be surprised if that by the end of this summer (year 3 for me) the 6m and 2100cm foil replace the 8m and 3000cm foil.

Also, TIME ON WATER IS CRUCIAL! And get out when it’s windy at first. Being overpowered is a huge help at first. Even taxiing around in the light was a first help to me year 1. If you can get towed behind a boat with your current board/foil that’s HUGE as well to learn 1/2 at a time. Spend time on shore with your wing as well, then time taxiing to get it dialed before you try to foil with it as well. I know for me originally I could only adjust one at a time (board balance or wing) and if I tried both it was an instant crash.