"My forearms are throbbing, my feet are cramping and my eyes burn from the salty sting of the Atlantic Ocean. And yet I'm oddly euphoric, high on the rush of flying above the water, propelled by the wind. Around me, wings launch 10, even 20 feet in the air, like fireworks lighting up the sky. My wing zips around beneath them, my board barely hovering two feet above the sea - nowhere near as high as I'd like to be, but there's still time."
"I'm not on a surfboard, or a kiteboard - and as a longtime addict of surfing and kiteboarding, I can say this is an altogether tougher challenge to master - but I can recognize the feeling coursing through me. Welcome to the world of wing foiling, the new obsession of the global adventurer, the high-net-worth adrenaline junkie and those who have tired of windsurfing and are looking to level up."
""It's the closest sensation to flying you'll ever feel," Jérôme Schanker tells me when I email to enquire about a stay at La Tour d'Eole, his hotel in Dakhla, Morocco. Set on a 30-mile-long spit of sand nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the Western Sahara Desert, Dakhla has Goldilocks gusts, plus sun and mild temperatures all year round, making it one of the best spots on the planet for wind sports."
Wing foiling combines a handheld wing, a foil board, and wind to lift riders above the water, producing a near-flying sensation and intense physical demands. The sport is harder to master than surfing or kiteboarding and challenges even experienced water-sport athletes. Enthusiasts include legendary waterman Kai Lenny, former Olympic skier Julia Mancuso, snowboarder Jeremy Jones, and Michael B. Schwab. Dakhla, Morocco offers ideal conditions with steady 'Goldilocks' gusts, sun and mild temperatures year-round, making it a premier destination. Jérôme Schanker moved to Dakhla after recognizing its wind-sports potential and now operates La Tour d'Eole hotel.
Read at Elite Traveler
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