The authors Gordon Eckardt, Bernd Matheis and Swen de Graaf have been wingsurfers from the very beginning and enjoy the privilege of being able to cycle to the spot at Kiel city spot Laboe. It's no wonder that the three of them are not only perfect at the sport, they also know their way around the equipment and riding technique.
They have now compiled their concentrated knowledge in a 240-page book, which has been published by Delius Klasing Verlag. From tips on equipment and riding techniques for beginners, advanced riders and experts to meteorology and area recommendations, you'll find everything you need to know about wings in this book.
The workWingsurfing & Foiling has been available in bookshops since the beginning of April at a price of 29.90 euros. HERE you can order it directly by post.
We conducted a short interview with one of the authors, Gordon Eckardt, about the book project:
Gordon, how long did you work on the book and who was involved?
Initially much longer than originally planned! We already had our then still very young website wingpassion.de which is primarily aimed at beginners and early intermediates. And we thought that the content could be "simply" transferred into a book - and thus cater to the target group even more comprehensively. The idea was quickly born. The realisation then took much, much longer than expected. Our quality standards and the goal of creating a special, contemporary book got in the way. It had to stand out from the mass of surfing textbooks. In the end, it took a good year and a half from the initial idea to completion. All in all, it was a team effort between the three of us. I did a lot of the writing and structured the content. Swen and Bernd provided the content and proofread it. Above all, the two of them patiently modelled - or rather drove, as we produced the majority of the photos and videos ourselves. That was also a learning process.
What are the most important topics you want to cover in this book and what is the target audience like?
The book is aimed at beginners and early intermediates who are interested in wingsurfing and foiling. Accordingly, all important topics should be covered. Starting with material science - what do I actually need and what are the differences between different wings, boards and foils? - to the basic techniques of setting up, entering the water, launching and landing, basic manoeuvres through to advanced manoeuvres as well as packing up and transporting equipment. Of course, topics such as safety and right of way rules are also covered.
What was it like for you to write a book together with two friends? Did you often disagree about content and structure, or was there a lot of agreement?
The collaboration was and is very pleasant. We understand and complement each other very well. And we manage to motivate each other or inspire each other with new ideas, even during lean periods. We actually agreed on the content and structure of the book throughout. When it came to the details, such as the exact sequence of movements for the manoeuvres, we occasionally had discussions. If I got too "academic", the other two would sometimes put me on the spot. I think that was very good for the result. This way, explanations go into sufficient depth without confusing or getting lost in the details.
Moving images also help immensely when learning manoeuvres. Is there additional content, e.g. videos, that buyers of the book can watch?
Yes, as already mentioned, we wanted to create a special book that combines the advantages of the classic and rather static medium "book" with the contemporary, dynamic media "internet" and "moving image". The book contains around 50 QR and web codes that readers can use to access additional and, above all, continuously updated content. This mainly includes explanatory videos, but also other interactive elements, such as our calculators for determining the right wing, board and foil size depending on the individual skill level, weight and performance orientation. The best thing about it: the sport is still very young and developments are progressing rapidly. With the help of these interactive elements, the book keeps pace with this dynamic and remains up-to-date.
Manuel Vogel
Editor surf
