The Encyclopedia of Downwind Foiling
Downwind Foiling Definition: Downwinding on a foil using only the bumps as propulsion and a wing or a paddle merely as Elevation tools. Once elevated, the use of paddle and wing should be reduced to an absolute minimum and only for the purpose of avoiding complete loss of elevated state.
Downwind Foil racing: Using the paddle to gain a speed advantage or the wing to sail or yacht your way past your mates, is deemed uncool. As it is almost impossible for a human to not race his mates, the temptation, to resort to yachting in pursuit of line honours, deems the concept of Wingfoil-downwind racing an oxymoron and may as well be left to the yachting fraternity.
Firm pump: Pumping whilst feeling the energy of a bump pushing back up into your feet. The energy for a Firm pump is found at the top of any small bump (see Nugget)
Soft Serve pump: The opposite of a Firm pump. Pumping and feeling the sinking feeling of no pushback - typically found at the bottom of a through and leads to loss of speed, elevation and a splashdown.
Nugget: A piece of ocean energy typically found at the crest of all small bumps, even seemingly insignificant ones. This is the place you wish to perform your Firm pump.
Golden Nugget: This bump in the ocean takes the form of a wave, as it has more of a wall to it and you can ride it 2/3rds up the face at a diagonal or sometimes straight down angle without having to pump or exert any energy.
Reverse-back exit: A well timed Reverse-back exit allows you to turn off the Golden Nugget with enough speed and time to engage another Golden Nugget behind the Golden Nugget you are on. Second best is engaging a standard Nugget from your Reverse-back exit.
Cul-de-sac, Blind Alley, No-mans land aka Landing in the hole: This is when you have mis-timed your Reverse back exit of the Golden Nugget and run into an area with no nuggets and end up with a Soft Serve. It takes a monumental effort to work your way out of the hole (see Matches)
Matches: Your fitness determines how many matches you have to burn. Launching a foil-SUP typically burns a match. Pumping your way out of a cul-de-sac in search of a Nugget, typically burns a match. Really fit, lightweight frothers, seem to have endless supply of matches, whereas us mere mortals, typically only carry 3-10 matches. Look after your matches.
Runway Launch: The Runway launch is performed by building up speed gradually using wing or paddle until such time your foil provides enough lift to get you to elevated state. Typically most suited to High Aspect foils.
Pogo-launch: The opposite of the Runway launch. Pushing up and down on your foil to create lift whilst building speed, typically best suited to low aspect foils.
Elevation Speed Throttle: Flying high on your mast is fast, flying low is slow. By adjusting your ride height you can manage your speed to stay with a Golden Nugget.
Seismic Surveyancing: The practice of doing small non-consequential pumps to establish whether you are about to be rewarded with a Firm Pump or just a Soft Serve.
Bump-skipping: This is the art of selecting a Golden Nugget and using your Elevation Speed Throttle to skip to another (Golden) Nugget ahead of the one you are on.
With the above nomenclature it should be possible to discuss your downwind exploits with your mates in a more uniform manner. The foiling community would be grateful, if our wizard legends of James Casey and Dave Kalama, would embrace the above terminology, so we have half a chance of understanding their gospel.
Feel free to add to this community based open-source resource with any other worthy observations!
Ride High.
I applaud the effort it took to create this. I often say we need a foil glossary.
Select to expand quotePeterP said..
The Encyclopedia of Downwind Foiling
Downwind Foiling Definition: Downwinding on a foil using only the bumps as propulsion and a wing or a paddle merely as Elevation tools. Once elevated, the use of paddle and wing should be reduced to an absolute minimum and only for the purpose of avoiding complete loss of elevated state.
Downwind Foil racing: Using the paddle to gain a speed advantage or the wing to sail or yacht your way past your mates, is deemed uncool. As it is almost impossible for a human to not race his mates, the temptation, to resort to yachting in pursuit of line honours, deems the concept of Wingfoil-downwind racing an oxymoron and may as well be left to the yachting fraternity.
Firm pump: Pumping whilst feeling the energy of a bump pushing back up into your feet. The energy for a Firm pump is found at the top of any small bump (see Nugget)
Soft Serve pump: The opposite of a Firm pump. Pumping and feeling the sinking feeling of no pushback - typically found at the bottom of a through and leads to loss of speed, elevation and a splashdown.
Nugget: A piece of ocean energy typically found at the crest of all small bumps, even seemingly insignificant ones. This is the place you wish to perform your Firm pump.
Golden Nugget: This bump in the ocean takes the form of a wave, as it has more of a wall to it and you can ride it 2/3rds up the face at a diagonal or sometimes straight down angle without having to pump or exert any energy.
Reverse-back exit: A well timed Reverse-back exit allows you to turn off the Golden Nugget with enough speed and time to engage another Golden Nugget behind the Golden Nugget you are on. Second best is engaging a standard Nugget from your Reverse-back exit.
Cul-de-sac, Blind Alley, No-mans land aka Landing in the hole: This is when you have mis-timed your Reverse back exit of the Golden Nugget and run into an area with no nuggets and end up with a Soft Serve. It takes a monumental effort to work your way out of the hole (see Matches)
Matches: Your fitness determines how many matches you have to burn. Launching a foil-SUP typically burns a match. Pumping your way out of a cul-de-sac in search of a Nugget, typically burns a match. Really fit, lightweight frothers, seem to have endless supply of matches, whereas us mere mortals, typically only carry 3-10 matches. Look after your matches.
Runway Launch: The Runway launch is performed by building up speed gradually using wing or paddle until such time your foil provides enough lift to get you to elevated state. Typically most suited to High Aspect foils.
Pogo-launch: The opposite of the Runway launch. Pushing up and down on your foil to create lift whilst building speed, typically best suited to low aspect foils.
Elevation Speed Throttle: Flying high on your mast is fast, flying low is slow. By adjusting your ride height you can manage your speed to stay with a Golden Nugget.
Seismic Surveyancing: The practice of doing small non-consequential pumps to establish whether you are about to be rewarded with a Firm Pump or just a Soft Serve.
Bump-skipping: This is the art of selecting a Golden Nugget and using your Elevation Speed Throttle to skip to another (Golden) Nugget ahead of the one you are on.
With the above nomenclature it should be possible to discuss your downwind exploits with your mates in a more uniform manner. The foiling community would be grateful, if our wizard legends of James Casey and Dave Kalama, would embrace the above terminology, so we have half a chance of understanding their gospel.
Feel free to add to this community based open-source resource with any other worthy observations!
Ride High.
That was very instructive, thx!.
Having listened to James Casey podcasts, here are a few more from the Guru himself:
Green Run: Bay run or river/lake run with zero fetch, thus, just windswells which are typically steep, nicely groomed and great for learning.
Blue Run: Ocean run with no ground-swell, thus again, wind-swell bumps which are bigger and a little less groomed than your Green Run.
Black and Double-Black Run: Grounds-swell mixed with wind-swell, can be from same direction or crossed up like Maui or Cape Town which can make for challenging launches and energy is a lot more spread out (less Nuggets - but monster Golden ones)
Green Energy: This refers to the top of a (Golden) Nugget where you will find the most energy and best Firm Pump.
Blue Energy: This is down the face of a Golden Nugget with just enough energy to keep you going
Red Energy: This is down the bottom of the Golden Nugget in between the Green Energy peaks/Nuggets - this where you experience the Soft Serve.
Select to expand quotePeterP said..
Having listened to James Casey podcasts, here are a few more from the Guru himself:
Green Run: Bay run or river/lake run with zero fetch, thus, just windswells which are typically steep, nicely groomed and great for learning.
Blue Run: Ocean run with no ground-swell, thus again, wind-swell bumps which are bigger and a little less groomed than your Green Run.
Black and Double-Black Run: Grounds-swell mixed with wind-swell, can be from same direction or crossed up like Maui or Cape Town which can make for challenging launches and energy is a lot more spread out (less Nuggets - but monster Golden ones)
Green Energy: This refers to the top of a (Golden) Nugget where you will find the most energy and best Firm Pump.
Blue Energy: This is down the face of a Golden Nugget with just enough energy to keep you going
Red Energy: This is down the bottom of the Golden Nugget in between the Green Energy peaks/Nuggets - this where you experience the Soft Serve.
What about the "charity loop" : when you go back up wind to wait for your friend and humiliate him, haha
Select to expand quotefrenchfoiler said..PeterP said..
Having listened to James Casey podcasts, here are a few more from the Guru himself:
Green Run: Bay run or river/lake run with zero fetch, thus, just windswells which are typically steep, nicely groomed and great for learning.
Blue Run: Ocean run with no ground-swell, thus again, wind-swell bumps which are bigger and a little less groomed than your Green Run.
Black and Double-Black Run: Grounds-swell mixed with wind-swell, can be from same direction or crossed up like Maui or Cape Town which can make for challenging launches and energy is a lot more spread out (less Nuggets - but monster Golden ones)
Green Energy: This refers to the top of a (Golden) Nugget where you will find the most energy and best Firm Pump.
Blue Energy: This is down the face of a Golden Nugget with just enough energy to keep you going
Red Energy: This is down the bottom of the Golden Nugget in between the Green Energy peaks/Nuggets - this where you experience the Soft Serve.
What about the "charity loop" : when you go back up wind to wait for your friend and humiliate him, haha
The "Charity Loop" is awesome - probably only a couple of guys around here that would have the skill to dish that one out!
My mate came up with the "One Liner" which is when your DWD GPS Speed track is one line - not interrupted by multiple splashdowns and re-starts. We measure our success in whether it was a "Five-Liner", "Three-Liner" or the ultimate success of a "One-Liner".
I'm still chasing the "One-liner" with the paddle......
Select to expand quotePeterP said..frenchfoiler said..PeterP said..
Having listened to James Casey podcasts, here are a few more from the Guru himself:
Green Run: Bay run or river/lake run with zero fetch, thus, just windswells which are typically steep, nicely groomed and great for learning.
Blue Run: Ocean run with no ground-swell, thus again, wind-swell bumps which are bigger and a little less groomed than your Green Run.
Black and Double-Black Run: Grounds-swell mixed with wind-swell, can be from same direction or crossed up like Maui or Cape Town which can make for challenging launches and energy is a lot more spread out (less Nuggets - but monster Golden ones)
Green Energy: This refers to the top of a (Golden) Nugget where you will find the most energy and best Firm Pump.
Blue Energy: This is down the face of a Golden Nugget with just enough energy to keep you going
Red Energy: This is down the bottom of the Golden Nugget in between the Green Energy peaks/Nuggets - this where you experience the Soft Serve.
What about the "charity loop" : when you go back up wind to wait for your friend and humiliate him, haha
The "Charity Loop" is awesome - probably only a couple of guys around here that would have the skill to dish that one out!
My mate came up with the "One Liner" which is when your DWD GPS Speed track is one line - not interrupted by multiple splashdowns and re-starts. We measure our success in whether it was a "Five-Liner", "Three-Liner" or the ultimate success of a "One-Liner".
I'm still chasing the "One-liner" with the paddle......
Yes, I guess I call it a clean run, no mistake.
