Is it a surfboard, is it a hovercraft? Some kind of sorcery? No, it’s a McKenzie brother wingfoiling across iconic St Andrews beach West Sands.
Anyone who thinks they have spotted a watery version of Marty McFly’s hoverboard being propelled through the waves at St Andrews’ West Sands recently might just be on to something.
For twins Guy and Jamie of Blown Away, West Sands is a tried and trusted playground and their latest playthings are state of the art wingfoils.
What is wingfoiling?
To wingfoil, you need two bits of kit: an inflatable wing or sail and a board with a hydrofoil attached.
“You create momentum with the wing to generate speed to get the board to move,” explains Guy, “and then the foil acts like a wing under the water and gives you the lift.”
“So whether you are on a surfboard, wakeboard or kitesurf-board, you get lots of drag from the water. The idea of being up on the hydrofoil is that the drag is really reduced and so the foil moves really efficiently through the water.”
Different-sized wings and boards can be used depending on wind strength and the weight of the surfer.
Taking to wingfoiling like ducks to water?
You might think that, having mastered everything from surfing to landyachting, Guy and Jamie would have taken the progression from kite surfing to wingfoiling in their stride.
Surprisingly, as Jamie explains: “Initially we absolutely hated it!” But after a few sessions involving a lot of falling into the sea, they were hooked. “So it’s not an activity where you get instant satisfaction.
“But the feeling of gliding above the water is contagious and it very quickly becomes addictive.”
The pair love the fact that you can hit the water in (almost) any conditions.
The wind direction isn’t as important as it is for surfing or SUP: “You can wingfoil in an onshore or offshore wind,” says Guy.
“You also don’t need big waves to get going.
“When you are starting out it’s better to have flat water while you find your balance.”
Beach boys at home on St Andrews’ West Sands
When you work as a watersports provider, everyday is a potential work day and you grab the chances for some downtime when you can get them.
The twins, their partners and Guy’s one-year-old daughter Luna are grabbing a quick lunch break after a busy morning landyachting.
They are enjoying some food from neighbouring cafe Dook, which they say has become a welcome addition to the laid-back vibe of the West Sands beach community.
Wingfoiling is perfect sport for Fife weather
Parenthood for Guy and Jamie (Jamie’s son baby Archie arrived very recently) certainly hasn’t lessened their appetite for watery adventures.
“Jamie and I are very safety conscious,” Guy points out, “especially when it comes to water, which has always been part of what we do.
“We have different wings depending on the conditions and we can wingfoil in all wind directions. We can only safely kitesurf when it’s an onshore wind.”
Jamie agrees that the flexibility is a real draw – it’s perfect for Scottish weather, he points out. “It doesn’t matter too much which way the wind is blowing as long as there is some of it!”
At the moment, Guy and Jamie are happy to keep wingfoiling as “their own thing”. They haven’t added it to the watersport tuition available at Blown Away, but neither of them will rule it out as another string to add to their bows in the future.
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