Today I finally received my first parawing - and tested it right away!
It didn't work out with Takoon, and F2 didn't either. I waited here and there, and eventually decided to go for the Duotone Stash 4m[/b]. I originally wanted the POW, but it wasn't available - while the Stash was delivered immediately.
Before hitting the water, I did three jibes with the Stash and my skateboard on the parking lot at the spot. It worked right away, so I got changed and headed for the dock.
At the dock, the wind came from the only direction where I can't[/i] start with a regular wing. That's actually one of the reasons I started thinking about parawing in the first place - to be able to start from the dock in any wind direction, 360?[/b].
On the first attempt, I thought I could just fold the wing and hold the bar behind me - no chance. Too bulky, or maybe I just don't know how to do it yet. I definitely need a belt bag or something similar for that.
After two minutes of playing around with the wing at the dock, I thought: Why not just try to start the same way I do with a wing?[/i] Said and done.
The wind at the dock was very gusty because of a dam that casts wind shadow. I waited for a strong gust - around 5 seconds - and gave it a go. It worked straight away on the first try! And also on most of the other attempts.
Holding the board in my right hand felt unusual, because I normally hold the wing with my right hand and the board with my left. But: the parawing gives significantly more lift during a dock start than a regular wing - and in the end, it's actually easier[/i] to start with a parawing. I think this will soon allow me to dock start even with smaller foils.
In the video I'm flying with:[/b]
* Duotone Stash 4m
* F-One JAM 1400
* Naish Microchip 80 cm, 5L board
Further out, the riding was way better than close to the dock - but unfortunately, no one was there to film that part. Well, tomorrow's another day! ??
