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KIT SETUP AND TUNING
FUNDAMENTALS:
PART 2: FOOTSTRAPS
WORDS: SIMON WINKLEY
PHOTOS: MIKAEL LINDER (INTO FIRE AND WATER), ALEX IRWIN (SPORTOGRAPHY.TV) AND
SIMON WINKLEY
BACK IN THE DAY I WORKED AS AN INSTRUCTOR AT MOON BEACH IN EGYPT – A
MAGICAL YET BLEAK PLACE WITH STRONGER AND MORE CONSISTENT WINDS THAN I
HAVE EVER FOUND SINCE. The magazine of the day, Boards, used Moon Beach as a
test centre and it was at this point that, as a fascinated and inquisitive observer of
the testing, I really started to get a feel for kit setup. The testers – typically using new
kit they had not used before - would pay more attention to their rigging and tuning
than the regulars who sailed at the spot. Not only that, they tended to do a few runs
before returning to the beach to tweak the settings a little until they found something
that felt just right. This was a level of connection to the kit that I had not really noticed
before and, speaking to the testers, I could tell that it paid back in terms of a better
session afloat.
In the last article we looked at the
importance of setting up our kit correctly to
include sail/mast/extension, boom length,
mastfoot position, boom height, outhaul and
harness lines. I continue now with the all-
important subject of footstrap setup and,
with the exception of a few comparative
references to other kit, I will be keeping it
true to freeride basics. I hope to
communicate some useful ideas and to
encourage you look at your footstrap setup
to see if there’s anything you can do to
tweak it for the better and, perhaps, to try
some new things.
The importance of footstraps
Getting into footstraps at planing speed is the gateway to becoming a true windsurfer. As the direct connection for the
only part of our body actually touching the board – our trusty feet – footstraps could not be more important. They
provide a level of traction and grip that would not be possible by just using friction to stand on the board.
They have an adjustable nylon webbing/Velcro construction with integrated covers made from a range of materials to
include neoprene, fabric made from recycled PET bottles, minimalistic lightweight racing materials and the latest
neoprene-free Yulex. Yulex is new to Starboard for 2019 and this is the first time footstraps covers have been made
from a material based upon natural rubber. One exception to the Velcro type of strap is the dual windsurf/kitesurf
DaKine X-Lace Wave footstrap which has an external lacing system which is pulled until the right fit is achieved.
uk
WIND
SURFING