A two-day water sports festival took place on Sandbanks Beach over the weekend.
‘Foilfest’, hosted by Easy Riders Beach Club, showcased different water sports, including the “up-and-coming” wing-foiling and e-foiling disciplines.
As well as races taking place for experienced foilers, taster sessions were put on in the Harbour for amateurs, children and adults alike, to have a go — something which club member Freddie, 16, believes is important to grow the sport.
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He said: “Wing-foiling is an up-and-coming, fast-growing sport.
“The taster sessions are all about getting the sport bigger.
“Wing-foiling tests your body in different ways and, once you get the hang of it, is lots of fun.
“It’s very active and social here at the club — feel free to come down and have a go.”
Wing-foiling involves a sailor standing on the board holding directly onto a wing, pushing against it to generate upwards force to move along.
Meanwhile, on the beach, races were taking place.
First up was the e-foil.
This is where an engine is underneath the board, which offers momentum to riders.
Riders use the pump to pick up momentum before pushing against the front wing to generate lift and move forward.
Easy Riders Beach Club member Andy said: “They’ve got an engine close underneath their board, they can pump up over the water and use the momentum.
“You’ve got to have good technique to get going and good technique to pump on the board.
“To pump, front wing creates lift, so you push against that which gets you going, creating lift and momentum.”
Finally, there was the Wind-Foiling mega-marathon, where riders use the wind sail for momentum and forward motion instead of a motor.
30 participants raced into the sea before going around a course.
The racer who completed the most laps of the course in 60 minutes won the race.
Easy Riders Beach Club hosted the two-day event and encouraged people to visit the club if they are interested in trying different water sports.
A spokesperson for the club said: “Once you get the hang of some of these specialist sports, it is such good fun — it becomes addictive.
“Once you hit a milestone, for example, to be able to move forward when on the board in e-foiling, it is such a good feeling.
“When you are on the water there is nothing like — it’s so peaceful.”
