Learning to wingfoil as a couple: “Men just do it, women think it through”
Laurin Lehner
· 14.07.2026
Rebekka had been windsurfing for a long time until she tried wing foiling. She eventually got fed up with lugging all that heavy kit around when windsurfing, so she gave wing foiling a go – and was immediately blown away. “The feeling when you get up on the foil is simply unique,” says Rebekka.
Together with her boyfriend Rolf, Rebekka has taken over a surf school (Nido Surf) in Posada, in north-eastern Sardinia. Here, she teaches wingfoil students and has noticed: “More and more couples are taking up the sport together.” She knows all about gender differences, the dynamics between couples and stories of couples where one partner wants to teach the other how to wingfoil. We met and interviewed Rebekka in Posada.
The interview
Rebekka, some people say that wing foiling is the perfect sport for women – what do you think?
With wing kiting, I’d say it’s almost fifty-fifty. With kitesurfing, we’ve got almost more women than men wanting to learn – very interesting! With windsurfing, it’s also about fifty-fifty. What’s exciting about wing kiting is the age of the learners. There are also lots of older people taking part, often couples, some over 60. They say: ‘We’ve got a lake nearby; that’s more accessible for us than kitesurfing. We can do it right on our doorstep.’ And we often have women who say: ‘I don’t necessarily need to get on a foil. It’s enough for me just to be able to get about on the lake with my wing and maybe a SUP.’
Couples – a topic in their own right. What was your experience like?
The biggest problem is this: when one partner tries to teach the other something, trouble is almost always inevitable. This is because you take what your partner says at face value – unlike what a teacher says. A teacher could say exactly the same thing to you, and you’d be more likely to take it on board. That’s really the nature of relationships within a partnership. That’s why I always say: don’t try to teach your partner that sort of thing. Do the relationship a favour and get a teacher!
Don’t try to teach your partner that sort of thing. Do the relationship a favour and get a teacher!”
Have there been any break-ups because of this?
There have been arguments between couples during the course; as an instructor, you naturally pick up on that sort of thing. We then trained the two of them separately. In short: get a teacher – your relationship will thank you for it.
Are there differences in the way men and women learn?
Absolutely! What I’ve really noticed is that women are far more critical, thoughtful, anxious and analytical. They need to have all the information before they take action. Men tend to be more like: ‘Yeah, I’ll do it, come on, stop waffling!’ Women are generally more cautious, have less confidence in their own abilities and therefore often take longer, because men simply tend to just get on with it. And, of course, you learn as you go along.
And what about the downside?
There are also men – don’t get me wrong – who just get on with it without really listening. In that case, as a teacher, I just let them get on with it. At some point, after he’s got it wrong and had to run kilometres up the beach from the back, he comes back and asks: ‘How did that go again?’ A woman would rather ask ten times before she does it – and then carries it out, sometimes more successfully, because she’s been listening carefully.
"Women prefer to ask ten times before they do something – and then carry it out, sometimes more successfully, because they’ve listened carefully."
How many students take your courses each season – broken down by foil, windsurfing and kitesurfing?
We are a relatively small centre and train around 600 students in a season. The breakdown is roughly 45 per cent kitesurfing, 35 per cent wingfoiling and 20 per cent windsurfing. Kitesurfing is still the most popular. I think this is also down to the fact that we’re (still) promoting kitesurfing more heavily than wingfoiling. However, wingfoiling is becoming increasingly popular. Windsurfing is the least in demand.
Where do you see the biggest differences?
The big difference is this: in windsurfing, you mainly have beginners, and people somehow don’t seem to progress any further. It’s really striking. You hardly see anyone who’s at an advanced level and wants to build on that. With wing foiling, that’s happening more and more – people really stick with it. They come back because they want to learn to fly steadily. Or because they’re working on their first manoeuvres and struggling with them. The jibe is such a big challenge – it takes many people a very, very long time to get the hang of flying through it. That’s often the point where they turn to the school for help again.
“People stick with wing foiling. They come back because they want to learn how to ride steadily or work on their first manoeuvres.”
Many people take up kitesurfing without any previous experience of water sports.
Exactly, that’s really exciting. It means you face a challenge right at the start: if someone has absolutely no experience of the wind – where it comes from, that sort of thing – that’s an issue. You have to learn: I must always have my back to the wind. If I’m facing the wind, I’m on the wrong side of the board. If someone has already done windsurfing or kitesurfing, that’s sorted. They learn much faster, of course.
You offer two courses: a three-hour taster course and a ten-hour intensive course. Which one is more popular?
Actually, we mainly run the full course. You’ll notice that a lot of people come with the aim of: ‘I want to learn this.’ Not just to give it a go, but to really learn it. And ideally on a foil, too.
Will I be able to surf on the foil after ten hours?
It’s very much down to the individual. Within ten hours, you can manage your first short foil rides. As with you lot today, the aim was just to get you out on the water. But that’s usually not even ten metres – more like out and back again. It takes far more hours before you can really master a longer flight. However, you can then do some of that without an instructor.
When can you buy materials?
After ten hours, you’re actually already in a position to buy your own equipment and build on what you’ve learnt by simply practising, practising, practising. Not after six hours – unless you have previous experience, are a good windsurfer and can already plane. Then you might be able to do it after six hours.
What material would you recommend for beginners?
The biggest mistake is that people buy a board that’s far too small when they’re starting out! The thinking behind it is: ‘I’ll be able to use it for longer that way.’ The problem is that if you buy a board that’s too small right from the start, you’ll slow down your progress massively.
What would be the right size?
That depends, on the one hand, on your previous experience and, on the other, on the spot where you’ll be using the board. If you already have some experience and have managed to get up and stand on the board quite well during lessons, I’d recommend a board with a volume of about 20 to 30 litres more than your body weight. If you weigh 80 kilos, a 100- to 110-litre board would be ideal for practising. However, it also depends on the spot. If there are plenty of waves, a larger board helps. In very flat water, you might even manage with a 90-litre board. Overall, though, the rule is: start off with a larger one! Also important: as the generally popular inflatable boards are less rigid than hard-top boards, they should have about 10 litres more volume.
And what about the Wing?
It also depends entirely on your body weight and the spot. At a light-wind spot like Lake Starnberg, you don’t need a 4-square-metre wing, but rather something around 6, 6.5 or even 7 square metres. At our spot, with a wind range of 10 to 25 knots, I’d recommend a 4.5 and a 5.5 for someone weighing 80 kilos.
Your spot is a bit off the beaten track compared to the major kitesurfing hotspots in northern Sardinia. What makes you stand out?
That’s exactly it – the fact that we’re off the beaten track! As a beginner, you don’t enjoy crowded spots. It’s a right pain. You’ve got no space, and you’re constantly having to watch out for others who aren’t very good either. There are some well-known spots up north that I don’t even like going to myself, even though I’m a very good rider. You spend half the time dodging other people. But as a beginner, you need to focus on yourself. Just having space to learn here is a massive advantage.
The north does, however, have better wind statistics.
That may be true, but our spot works in all wind directions. Up north, only two work – north and west winds. We’re one of the best south-east spots on the island. In July, for example, the sirocco often blows here.
When is it windiest?
May, June and July are very windy months. August is less windy due to the heat, but overall it’s also a good month for beginners to wingfoiling, as the wind is light but very consistent and the water is usually flat. September is still very good. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend October and November – they’re very hit and miss. You might have two weeks where there’s absolutely nothing, and then the autumn storms roll in with strong winds and two-and-a-half-metre waves.
You’ve got an eFoil as well. Is that part of the course?
We offer it as an alternative for when there’s no wind. It’s a lovely way to ride, even if it’s not 100 per cent comparable to the feeling on a normal foil. But it’s a first step in learning: what does it feel like when the foil lifts off? You do learn a bit about how to cope with that moment of shock.
Back to the Wing: When did it click for you?
Absolutely – when I flew my first few stable metres! Not that up-and-down, falling-over rodeo, but when you fly your first few metres steadily – that’s the best feeling ever. Nothing can replace it. Or later on, when you nail your first jibe and you don’t just fall over every single time. It’s just mad! I used to be a keen windsurfer, but all that kit just isn’t made for women. It’s heavy, bulky – even the ultra-light carbon stuff is just rubbish to handle. It’s different with wing foiling.
- For information and bookings, please visit nidosurf.com
