Windfoil — Glossary

Every Windfoil term explained in plain language: technique, equipment, rules and slang – with tips on avoiding the classic mistakes.

Blasting (Slang)

Scene slang for fast straight-line riding on the plane: long reaches back and forth, with no tricks and no waves involved. The freeride sweet spot for it sits at 15 to 22 knots.

Board Volume (Litres) (Equipment)

A board's volume in litres — the most meaningful number when buying, because it drives buoyancy and therefore how many waves you catch.

Camber Inducer (Equipment)

A plastic spacer that presses the sail's luff profile firmly onto the mast and holds its shape regardless of wind pressure. Race sails usually run four, at roughly 5 to 9.5 square metres.

Front Wing (Equipment)

The big front wing of the foil — it makes the lift. For beginners, around 1,500 cm² on a surf foil and 1,100 to 1,700 cm² on a windfoil: more area forgives more.

Jibe / Gybe (Movement)

A change of direction where the stern passes through the wind. The counterpart to a tack, where the bow turns through the wind.

Overfoiling (Breach) (Movement)

The foil climbs too high, the front wing breaks the surface and pulls air instead of water — lift collapses in an instant and the board slams back down.

Pop (Freestyle Take-off) (Movement)

The take-off every freestyle trick starts with — not a jump off your legs but a lever built from hard edge pressure and a sharp pull on the sail. The board's full tail supplies the counter-pressure.

Pop-Up (Take-off) (Movement)

The move from lying to standing on the board — one single flowing motion while the wave already carries you.

Pumping (Windsurfing) (Cheat code)

A rhythmic whole-body motion that briefly produces more drive than the wind is actually giving you. Below roughly 18 knots it often decides whether you get planing at all.

Touchdown (Foiling) (Movement)

The board settling back onto the water when your speed drops below minimum flying speed and the front wing stops producing lift. A gentle touchdown isn't a crash — it's normal.

Water Start (Movement)

Getting from sitting in the water to riding: the kite pulls you up onto the board via a controlled power stroke.

General

Terms from training theory that apply in every sport.

1RM (One-Repetition Maximum) (Rule)

The maximum weight you can move for exactly one clean repetition. The reference value behind almost every training plan.

BMR & TDEE (Rule)

BMR is your basal metabolic rate at complete rest; TDEE is total daily expenditure including everyday movement and training. Nutrition targets always work off TDEE.

Cadence (Movement)

Steps per minute when running, or pedal revolutions when cycling. For most runners, 170–180 steps per minute sits in the sweet spot.

Core Tension (Movement)

Active stabilisation of abdomen, back and pelvis — the bridge that lets force travel between legs and arms at all.

Deload (Cheat code)

A deliberately lighter week with volume or intensity clearly reduced, so adaptation can catch up.

DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) (Cheat code)

Delayed muscle soreness 12–72 hours after unfamiliar load. Not a measure of training quality.

Knee Valgus (Movement)

The knees collapsing inward during squats, jumps and landings. One of the key risk markers in technique analysis.

Progressive Overload (Cheat code)

The one principle no training works without long-term: the stimulus has to grow over time, otherwise adaptation stops.

RIR (Reps in Reserve) (Rule)

How many clean reps you had left at the end of a set. RIR 2 means two more were available.

RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) (Rule)

A scale for perceived effort. In strength training it usually runs 1–10, where RPE 8 means you had two more reps in the tank.

Zone 2 (Aerobic Base) (Cheat code)

The easy endurance zone where you can still hold a conversation in full sentences. The base of almost every endurance plan.