Jan 10 – Heavy wind, survival mode… and my first hint of foiling

January 10th.
As usual, I headed to Enoshima Yacht Club for my lesson with my instructor.

Right now, I’m still in the phase of building solid fundamentals—wing handling and board control. I’m not fully into foiling yet (riding above the water). The goal for now is simple: control the wing, stay stable, and ride consistently.

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Straight into strong wind

From the moment I got to the beach, I could tell—it was windy.

Sand was blowing, the wing was flapping hard, and even before getting in the water, it felt intense. My instructor warned me,
“Today’s gonna be pretty tough.”

Still, I decided to go out.

Because honestly, learning to deal with strong conditions is part of the process.

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Way harder than expected

Once I got on the water… yeah, it was rough.

The surface was choppy, constantly bouncing the board around. The wind power was strong, and I had to stay fully focused just to keep control.

Balance, foot placement, wing angle, wind direction—everything had to be managed at the same time.

It wasn’t about trying new things.
It was about surviving and staying in control.

That said, I could feel something different.

Compared to before, I wasn’t getting completely overwhelmed. I could actually ride, adjust, and keep going.

That alone felt like real progress.

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No room for foiling… until the last run

I didn’t fall too many times, but I also didn’t have any real “spare capacity” to focus on foiling.

Most of the session was just controlling the ride.

But on the very last run, I decided to go for it.

I picked up speed, bore off downwind, and pushed a bit harder.

And then—

The board suddenly felt lighter.
Like it was starting to lift.

For a brief moment, I felt the resistance from the water disappear.

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“That was close…”

I didn’t fully foil.
But it was clear:

I was this close.

That “almost floating” feeling was real.

It wasn’t just luck—it was something I created.

And that changed everything.

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A small moment, but a big step

I’m still working on the basics, no question.

But for the first time, I could clearly see the entrance to foiling.

That one moment made the whole session worth it.

Next time, I want to hold that feeling longer.

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Looking back

Conditions were tough.
Definitely not an easy day.

But honestly, it was one of the most meaningful sessions so far.

I stayed on the water.
I handled strong wind.
And I touched the edge of foiling.

That’s progress.

And yeah—
it was seriously fun.