Downwinding has always been one of the most fun parts of wind sports as let's be honest - going upwind is a chore.
Pretty much all fun parts of our sports is flowing down with the energy of the wind or swell, so committing to a run means non stop glory action with minimal work.
Then theres the adventure and the social - taking in the sites of the coastline, managing a little risk, challenging your skills and sharing the stoke with a crew on the same agenda, its a vibe.
The logistics of getting yourself and kit to the start whilst ensuring theres a vehicle at the finish is what stops us doing it all the time, but if you can overlook that faff - for most people it's everything we look for.
Personally I've always strived to downwind storm sessions with a kite, it's the perfect way to maximise action for effort.
Winging came along and there's no better way to learn to ride than going with it, you can access breaks, learn to read bumps and try out new kit without the pressure of returning to the start point.
Next downwind sup foiling entered the scene and for many it's seen as the pinnacle of freedom, flow and adventure, but the skill set required means hours of pain gaining the skills required and whilst it's blowing up in some countries it's be slow to catch on in the UK.
Recently the addition of Parawinging to our mix meant we can use our existing skill set, wing board and foils to jump the ladder, get on foil, stuff it in your pocket and then enjoy full freedom liquid powder runs.
Whats more - good parawings rocket upwind, so suddenly we're in a position where vehicle logistics aren't needed and any local spot can be a door opener to tasting gold. It feels like we can have our cake and eat it.
I'm a lucky boy to get to sample all these developing sports early, I often get asked "is it a fad?" or "should i get one?" in this downwind focused email, I can 100% advise that if you foil and you are on the fence about parawinging - the answer is get off the fence and get involved.
For sure there's days I'd choose to kite, wing or prone, and i'd probably choose them first, but with a pocket wing in the quiver I'm stoked to fill a gap in my riding.
All those 'meh' days when there's wind, but just choppy with no good waves (or flat water) are suddenly now downwind days.
Whether it's involving vehicle logistics for full coastal sends with the parawing as a cheat code to paddling, or little locals 'ins & outs' if there energy in the air or the sea theres another way to create a great big smile without turning to lithium or petrol.
Either way, what ever your tool - if downwinders aren't on your radar I'd highly recommend they start to feature.
What a time to be alive.
