History of the Invention of Wingfoiling

History of the Invention of Wingfoiling

The concept of using a sail on water, unattached to the board and held by hand, emerged in the early 1980s when Jim Drake invented a rigid spar wing. Jim Drake showcased a prototype of the yellow sail at the 1982 Pan America Cup in Kailua, where professional windsurfer Pete Cabrinha was photographed testing the new wing.

Fast forward to 2016, Alex Agera, a professional windsurfer from Maui, revolutionized the world of hydrofoils.

He was inspired by professional surfer Kai Lenny, who challenged Agera to create a hydrofoil that could be powered solely by the ocean and the rider’s paddling.

So, who truly invented wingfoiling?

The sport as we know it was born when former kitesurfing world champion Flash Austin combined stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) with winging. In 2018, Austin began experimenting by pairing the rigid spars from portable 3.5m² and 4m² wings made from his old Naish kites with a SUP foil board in Maui. He successfully got the setup off the ground.

Inspired by Flash’s success, Ken Winner revisited inflatable wings, leading to the sport we recognize today.

In the spring of 2019, Duotone launched an inflatable wing designed by Ken Winner, while Naish and Slingshot introduced their first wings that same season.

By the end of 2019, over ten companies were offering wings for sale.

Going Viral!

The sport gained widespread attention when professional surfer Kai Lenny released his viral video, “This is Wing Surfing,” in April 2019. That summer, the number of wing models from various kite manufacturers surged exponentially.