Safety when wingfoiling: Why do many wing pros ride without a leash, Mr Müller?

If you follow the coverage of the World Cup events, you may have noticed that most wing pros no longer use a board leash. But what is the background to this? We asked someone who should know: Balz Müller.

WING: Balz, you're also usually seen riding around without a leash and you're in good company. Why do you leave the leash off when wingsailing?

Balz: Firstly, I have to make it clear that I always use a hand leash as a connection to the wing. It doesn't work without it, because once you let go of the wing, it disappears never to be seen again. But what I leave out is the board leash, so I no longer have a connection to the board.

Why not?

If something goes wrong while freestyling, e.g. I slip out of the loop uncontrollably in the air, I want to be able to detach myself from the board. However, if the board is hanging on a leash, it can fling you back like a boomerang and injure you.

Has anything like this ever happened to you?

Unfortunately, yes. Right at one of my first attempts at pronesurfing. When I jumped off the back of a wave, the white water caught my board and stretched the leash completely until everything snapped back and I got the front wing in my face. A twisted "coiled leash" is a bit safer in this respect because it can stretch further, but in big waves I prefer to swim after my equipment.

But swinging without a leash also brings dangers, doesn't it?

In general, I would say that beginners and newcomers to wingsurfing should always use a board leash. Even for freeriding and for your first freestyle jumps and tricks such as 360s, there is no reason to do without it. However, as soon as you want to do overhead moves such as front or back flips, the leash becomes a problem. If I lose the board in the air, I just want the wind to push it downwind and not have it come back and land on me.

With a leash, the board quickly becomes a bomberang. This becomes a problem with overhead moves

How do you get your board back quickly after a crash?

This is quite difficult in strong winds, sometimes even impossible. That's why you should only go out on the water without a leash if you are working with several people in a team and can help each other. And the spot conditions are also crucial: if the wind is blowing strongly offshore, it's simply too dangerous without a leash. And of course, you can't just let your board and foil wash through the surf zone when the spot is full of surfers, swimmers and other water sports enthusiasts. So you always have to weigh things up.

Balz, thanks for the tips!

Do you have general questions about the right type of leash and the right length? Then you will find HERE all basic tips!