INBOUND: Ride Engine Free Float Wingfoil Chest Harness

A new style of harness arrived on the scene recently, care of those clever bods over at Ride Engine. We got Ride Engine’s Marketing Director/Product Line Manager Gary Siskar in our crosshairs and hit him with the key questions…

Hey Gary. Long time no speak! How are you doing? We hear you’ve been traveling lots… 

I’ve had some fun travels lately! I’m grateful that I can combine work with amazing destinations and my love for wind sports. My latest trip took me from a couple of weeks exploring the Red Sea in Egypt to spending time in Germany and the Netherlands, where I got to do some wingfoiling and kitesurfing. Next up: Baja, Mexico!

So, we’ve taken a look at this harness and it looks pretty solid. Like something out of NASCAR. Talk to us first about the 4-point suspension cradle and how that benefits the rider… 

The Free Float harness draws design inspiration from various sources, including classic windsurfing chest harnesses favored by wave riders, tactical backpacks built for carrying heavy loads over long distances, and endurance running and moto packs designed for stability at high speeds. Its unique geometry and fully adjustable straps – what we call the Cradle Support System – secure the harness in place while keeping the arms and torso completely free for unrestricted movement. This design also creates the perfect intersection for the Nug harness line hook. Positioned higher on the body, the hook eliminates the need for rotating it out of the way when paddling to reach the wind line, getting though shore break, or when the wind dies and paddling back is necessary. The higher hook position also allows for a shorter harness line if desired and reduces the chance of unintentional hooking in.

You’ve got a huge range of wing harnesses already – what inspired this particular model? 

The concept for the Free Float harness actually started with a casual comment from Slingshot founder and CEO, Jeff Logosz. He mentioned how he used to wear a chest harness for windsurfing, especially for wave riding, and thought there might be something in that design for wingfoiling. Once we began developing the first prototypes, we quickly saw the benefits of a higher harness line hook and the advantage of keeping the lower torso uncluttered for those who prefer to leash their wing or board at the waist. Plus, freedom is key! Many people are drawn to wingfoiling for its sense of freedom and purity, and the Free Float harness preserves that feeling while also adding the benefits of steeper upwind angles and reduced hand and arm fatigue that a wingfoil harness offers. It’s a great alternative to our waist harnesses like the Vinaka Pro and Bati.

It works with the Ride Engine Nug hook. Can you talk us through The Nug – this has been in your line up for a couple of seasons right? What other harnesses from your range can it be used with? 

The Nug is Ride Engine’s harness line hook that we made to be 100% universal across all harness applications. The Nug is included with all our wingfoil harnesses and has been specifically engineered for wingfoiling with a specific geometry that makes for easy harness line engagement and release when you want it. The greatest beauty of The Nug is we have made it adaptable with a simple opening using a standard fin key making The Nug work with ANY wingfoil harness configuration out there. We know that there are wingfoilers that want everything from an ultra-minimal single webbing harness to robust DIY creations and The Nug has plenty of tolerance to still retain the strength and the ability to slide out of the way for any wingfoiler’s creation or brand they are using. 

For the uninitiated can you take us through how you go about attaching your wing to The Nug?  

A harness line attached to your wing is needed to be able to use the advantages of a harness line hook like The Nug. There are many options of harness lines out there depending on the handle configuration on the wing and some brands provide harness line connection points. Ride Engine offers harness lines from ultra-minimal to robust adjustable that work with any handle, boom or harness line connection on the market. Hooking in and hooking out of a harness is much easier than one would think. Often the sceptics of harness use turn into the biggest advocates once they realize how easy it is and how much of a benefit is received. We always say at Ride Engine, it is not a matter of if you are going to use a harness, it is when.

And then we understand that, when you remove The Nug, this works pretty damn well for downwinder runs too… 

Absolutely! Many wingfoilers, including us, are incorporating downwind SUP or foil-assisted DW runs into their session pursuits, so we made The Nug easily removable for those activities. The Free Float is more than just a harness – it also features a 2L hydration bladder and a compartment for stowing small essentials like a phone, snacks, or cash and cards (which we recommend placing in a secondary dry pouch). This setup is especially useful for long runs or if you need to take out before reaching the end of your downwind route.

Nice idea with the hydration pack – we have had some pretty thirsty sessions… I guess this is aimed at the adventurous downwinder? 

100%. Yet, it’s not just for the adventurous downwind crew or those chasing marathon sessions. Having hydration on hand is great all the time, and it’s one of those things you don’t realize you need until you have it and start using it.

So… how does it handle more potent liquid refreshment? Asking for a friend. 

Haha, you can tell “your friend” that it works great for just about any beverage! Just watch out for the bubbly drinks – “friends” of ours have tested it, and sometimes you end up with more brew than you bargained for on the sip.

Talk to us about where this has had most of its testing take place… was it put through some solid wing and DW mega-sessions? 

It’s been tough to hold onto the prototypes and test units over the past year – no one wants to give them back! The Free Float has been put through its paces during epic wingfoiling sessions in places like Namotu Island, Fiji, Maui, Baja Mexico, Panama and Hood River, Oregon. The downwind crew has really pushed it to the limit on long-distance runs in Maui and the Gorge. Also, it is worth mentioning that the fit of the Free Float is unisex and we have had both men and women part of the testing process. You just reminded me – I need to round up those test units! Ha!