We already knew you needed to be heavy to be fast, Kiran Badloe is taking it to the next level !!!
from 73 to 90 kg in a few months !
: "Guess my weight gain is going well, embracing the IQfoil body type in full "

90-95kgs, athletic and tall seems the consensus. Once again we Dutchies seem to have the advantage ;).

I've gone the other way this past year, shedding almost 10kg. Holy $&*# I'm slow now. Not that I was fast before but I feel like I'm almost overpowered the moment I leave the water. I've gone from having a decent amount of shape in my sails to rigging pretty flat.

OTOH, the sails sizes I can get away with now are humorous.

Its amazing the difference a few kilos makes in keeping a handle on the gear/staying sheeted in. It was certainly noticeable when i put a few on a few seasons ago.

Drop foil size.
I split time between 600 and 1150 Naish foils at 73 kg. Sail maybe .5 bigger with small foil.

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LeeD said..
Drop foil size.
I split time between 600 and 1150 Naish foils at 73 kg. Sail maybe .5 bigger with small foil.

He's sailing IQfoil....

Was referencing Paducah...

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LeeD said..
Was referencing Paducah...

Was running a 900 yesterday in winds from bobbing around for 10 minutes (5-8) to gusts in low-mid 20s. My preference is flying time > top speed. If I don't make the jibe or bridge the gusts, it may mean sitting on the water a few minutes waiting for the next one to take off plus we roam around so high and low angles are meaningful.

All the same, I can run a 600 and that still won't stop a good IQFoiler from being a lot faster than me. (Even Berowne who is scorching fast on his small wing is slower than NG on IQ kit) There's only so much power that I can hold down and guys who weigh 30-50% more than me are going to be faster. I can tell the difference simply from what sails I could run even last spring vs now. I've lost about a meter on the top end.

fwiw, GrantMac is correct, though - I am on an IQFoil wing.

Back on topic, Kieran looks like he got lost in an American Walmart* for a few months.

*US discount store whose customers, on average, have the reputation of not having the healthiest of diets.

In every competition, equipment factors in the result.
Like wave sailing favors smaller riders, but Dunk did well, a minority.
Freestyle favors smaller, although Gonzo is 82 kg.
Speed favor huge.
But racing, what you train for, IQ, still works for 145 -210 lbs.ers who can pump, move, and hold down a big sail.
A slower lightweight can still tack quicker than his elephant speed buddy.
And sometimes, wind gets marginal.

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LeeD said..
In every competition, equipment factors in the result.
Like wave sailing favors smaller riders, but Dunk did well, a minority.
Freestyle favors smaller, although Gonzo is 82 kg.
Speed favor huge.
But racing, what you train for, IQ, still works for 145 -210 lbs.ers who can pump, move, and hold down a big sail.
A slower lightweight can still tack quicker than his elephant speed buddy.
And sometimes, wind gets marginal.

Ofcourse, but in the end there's an optimal tradeoff bodytype. Tall (>190cm / 6ft) and nimble make loads of difference but a 90-95kg racer can get the IQ foil up in minimum racing winds (5knots), any heavier and there are diminishing returns in the low end, any lighter and missing out on top end. Taller surfers can get away with a little less weight (like Kiran in his RSX days).

I wonder how weight affects the PWA foil selection. I imagine ideal wing lift profile is quite different for a rider under 80kg to one over 90kg.