Tom Pansard

When and where did you start Wing Foiling?
I started in 2021 at Carro with Raphael and César Filippi who coached me and lent me their equipment. I was immediately hooked. I did my first competition a year later at the Carro Wing Foil Classic, where I finished 1st in youth in Slalom and Freestyle. Today I do a lot of Waves, Freestyle and Racing, all also competitions.

What’s your watersports history – from which side did you enter Winging?
Before Winging I did Windsurfing in waves, SUP and Surfing. I rode my first board at the age of 5. My first rig was a 1.5m² Fanatic. My parents have been doing a lot of Windsurfing for 40 years, they gave me the common thread, I was hooked straight away. The wing allowed me to discover something new and addictive. Now it's my passion.

What do you love about Wing Foiling?
I love the feeling of freedom, of flying on the water, of being able to express myself freely, of showing my creativity and of sharing sessions with friends. I feel closer to the elements. It is a good complement to Windsurfing and Surfing. This allows you to cover wind and wave conditions that were not used before in Windsurfing. At the same time, I do a lot of competitions and I like this side of Wing Foiling, the speed gives me thrills with an interesting technical aspect.

What’s your favourite conditions?
My favorite conditions are a good 20 knots with 1.5m waves with friends on my favorite home sport, Carro.

What’s your top advice for a beginner?
I would advise starting with suitable equipment, i.e., a large foil, a large board and good wind (like 20 knots). You have to hang on, because afterwards the sensations are great.

Boom or handles?
I prefer the handles for Freestyle and the boom for Racing. The handles are pleasant for little hands and the boom allows you to move your hands anywhere, which is practical for transitions and for attaching harness ends.