Winters 2.0

Winters used to be a bit of a hit and miss for getting on the water, whatever your water sport of choice. Thankfully, these days, we’re blessed with a sport that defies fluctuating or unreasonable conditions and, on most days, offer us some kind of option for getting out there and amongst it (especially if you happen to reside in Sint Maarten in the Caribbean).

Take it away, Chucho Nonnot…

Words: Chucho Nonnot
Photos: Mathys Fraile

This winter has been a really good one conditions-wise, and I had a lot of fun riding all the toys I have, thanks to my sponsor, North. I’ve had so much fun downwinding, surf foiling, and wing foiling. Such a sick experience doing all these different disciplines in my hometown. What I really love about Sint Maarten is that you land close to the beach, it's one of the most famous airports in the world because of this. The plane gets super close, and even as you land there, you can feel the ocean vibe welcoming you – the clear water, the tropical wind blowing in the trees – just pure excitement, pumping you up to get in the water.

I started surf foiling to escape the crowds at first. Coming from a well-known surf town, the crowd can get out of control, and you have to fight for every wave. The fact that you could surf foil on a peak where there was nobody really excited me. And now here I am doing all these foiling disciplines that excite me and let me get on the water every day. The freedom you get from foiling is just next level; it just feels like pure connection with nature. Not one sound, no friction, just you and the ocean playground. Especially downwinding. It's the biggest hype in foiling right now, I feel. This sport is one of the hardest to learn for sure, but the satisfaction once you succeed is next level; you earn the moment. Speaking about disconnecting from society and enjoying nature, this is as disconnected as you can get.

Think about it; you're riding in the middle of the ocean alone with your downwind buddy, just you and your board and the ocean – all the creatures you can imagine in the deep blue under you. And you're gliding there on this swell that has been traveling thousands of kilometers; it just feels unreal. If I could define freedom, this would be the best way. I’m also super stoked with the downwind gear North has released; it definitely makes my downwind runs more fun. These new boards, the Horizon series, just paddle up so easy, allowing me to use smaller and smaller foils. This has definitely revolutionized the sport, and most importantly, you have even more fun in the water. I didn't even think it was possible to have more fun than I was having; how good does it get?

Also, the new DW foil series is a game-changer; this thing just wants to glide. I remember the first time I downwinded was four years ago, and first of all, the boards were not at all the same as today – they were really small and wide. To get on foil was already hard, but with these things, it was definitely a good workout. And now using a 6’10 x 17’’ board, and a 700cm² foil, it's just something I'd have never imagined at all back then; the sport just keeps giving and making it better and better. I’m so stoked to be in this sport at its peak and be a part of it.

This winter has been a good one for waves, especially now I can see the conditions completely differently thanks to surf foiling. I would never in my life have looked at a 50cm mushy wave, and today it's one of the most exciting conditions I search for. It's wave after wave after wave, nobody in the water. A totally pure feeling. To all you surfers reading this, don’t get into prone foiling; it's too boring. It's the same thing over and over, keep surfing in a spot with 100 people per peak where you get 0 waves! But the truth is, I do really love surfing; it's the fundamental of all the water sports. But it’s just that now it's getting out of hand, and surf foiling really helped me find peace and, again, have the most fun out there without having to fight with surfers to catch waves, because a foil wave, well nobody even looks at it.

This winter, we scored epic conditions in the Caribbean. There is always something to prone ride. Also, I was really happy with the new board, the VERT; I really had the most out of it using it, thanks to its narrow tail, it turns really well rail to rail, and I had so much fun connecting a couple of waves with it. The SF 680 was my go-to foil for this winter, it's a really well-balanced foil in waves, I think. It's perfect for pumping and it turns really well. Winging also took part in my winter, even though it's rarely perfect conditions. We managed to have a good 20 knots, enough to fly on the new wings, and I enjoyed the new boom, which has allowed me to try different freestyle tricks, especially in the light wind, where 720s and rotations are usually harder because you use a bigger wing than normal and there’s not much lift. But for getting handle passes done, one-handed backflips, etc., my go-to setup was the Nova Pro, with the ShiftLock system, and 110cm boom. There can be days where no conditions show up, completely flat and no wind. Then it's time to check around the neighborhood with my pump foil. A lot of people think it's electric. Using the new P1800, it definitely makes my pump runs even longer, but it's really good physical training.

I love it how all the foiling disciplines complement each other, and that's why I do all of them. If it's windy, let's go wing; if it's a bit windy but not constant, let's go downwind; if there are little waves, let's go surf foil; if there is absolutely nothing at all, let's pump foil. It's a never-ending story. I feel the more I do of all these disciplines, the more it helps me progress on everything.