Can you imagine being an 11 to 17-year-old studying at school and getting the opportunity to fly to Tarifa for an action-packed week of wingfoiling & coaching. We certainly can’t! Find out all about it here...

The Levante had been expecting them. The forecast for this last week of February was unequivocal: strong winds every day, warmish temperatures, and close to perfect riding conditions. After patiently waiting for months, 10 passionate and determined young wing foilers all aged between 11 and 17 were finally on their way to Tarifa, Spain, for F-ONE’s 2022 Next Generation camp. 

At the destination, an all-star team of F-ONE professional riders and coaches waited to guide and mentor each of them, whilst providing boardbags filled to the brim with STRIKE V.2 wings, foilboards, and hydrofoils. They all were eager to tackle the intensive and transformative upcoming week.

First launched in 2013, the Next Generation camp was initially all about kitesurfing and helped kick-start the careers of more than 30 young riders. For 2022, the family-owned French brand innovated and decided to centre the camp around the fast-growing sport of wing foiling. Greatly accessible to groms, it offers a huge potential for progression in that age range and thrilling sensations.

Moreover, F-ONE wanted to bring together young riders from all over the world to not only share their passion but also to give them the opportunity to meet and train with some of the best riders and coaches. This year’s camp was led by Nicolas Delmas, a former competitor on the Kite World Tour and now coach of the French youth national team. He was assisted by 2021 World freestyle champion Titouan Galea and Maxime Chabloz, third-place finisher at the latest leg of the GWA Wingfoil World Tour and three-time freestyle kiteboarding junior world champion. 

Nicolas and Maxime epitomize everything the Next Generation stands for. The story started when F-ONE founder Raphaël Salles spotted a young Nicolas kitesurfing in Gruissan in Southern France. Raphaël asked Nicolas’ father if his son could join the F-ONE team, even though the company didn’t have any kids on its riders’ team at the time. As it spotted more and more talent in the following months, it eventually decided to create a unique youth training camp focusing on kitesurfing. 

In 2013, the first Next Generation camp saw the light of day in Dakhla, Morocco. F-ONE had previously asked its retailers from all over the world to recommend some of their local talents for it. Naturally, Nicolas was amongst the participants in this first edition. The following year, Maxime attended his first camp at only 13 years old and as the youngest participant. Both ultimately were part of the Next Generation for three years straight and went on to phenomenal professional careers. Returning to Tarifa nearly 10 years later for this new Next Generation initiative, although in a different role, felt like coming full circle. It was now their time to pass on their knowledge to this new generation. It has always been incredibly important to F-ONE to give such opportunities to young and promising riders, without which water sports would undoubtedly stop growing in the long run. To have two Next Generation alumni return to their stomping grounds to now advise the future generation was beyond comparison.

For 2022, F-ONE contacted its retailers once more, this time asking for up-and-coming wing foilers ready to break boundaries. Ezio (12) and Noé (14) from France, Christopher (15), Luca (13) and Morgan (14) from the U.S.A, Jake (17) from South Africa, Petros (15) from Greece, Leewho (16) from Israel, and Samuel (16) from Spain were selected. For the last spot, the company organized a giveaway on social media in the hopes of discovering a hidden gem, not yet on anybody’s radar. The contest was free and open to all children and teenagers under 18 from all over the world. All they had to do was follow F-ONE on social media, and post on their personal Instagram page a video with a short introduction and their best three wing foil tricks. After a few weeks, the contest closed, and Titouan announced on Instagram that 12-year-old Leon from Great Britain was invited to join the rest of the crew.

Everybody landed in Spain at various times on Friday, February 18. Jet-lag was particularly brutal for the Americans, especially those who spent more than a dozen hours in the air and came all the way from California. Besides, the Covid-19 pandemic was far from over. This camp required a lot of organisation and work behind the scenes to ensure smooth travels and entry into Europe, as well as the safety and health of all participants. Ultimately, all made it safely. Most of them were exhausted on the first night and went to bed early, although still ecstatic for the week ahead. Tarifa is considered the best spot in Europe for wind and water sports. Located at the southernmost point of Spain right near the Strait of Gibraltar, the wind is often constant and reliable. All Next Generation attendees and coaches lived together for one week in Wild House Tarifa, a house located slightly up a hill and with a perfect view of the water. Free-ranging chickens and donkeys roamed the property, to the delight of the groms who snuck out with some leftovers to feed them. The big backyard also offered plenty of room for countless team-bonding activities, slackline, or diabolo.

The first water session happened straight away on Saturday morning, following some ice-breaking games and a morning warm-up that the boys ended up doing every day with Nicolas. Titouan jumped in the water that day and showed them what to expect from each training session. Benevolence, kindness, and sharing amongst all participants were prominent throughout the week. It all started on this very first day, as some of the kids’ luggage had not arrived yet. Thankfully, the others were quick to offer their wetsuits, shirts, and gear so everyone could ride together. Even though English was not everybody’s first language, communication was easy and flowing. After all, the riding and youth vocabularies are fairly universal.

As the days went on, the squad settled into a good rhythm: Early wake-up call, warm-up or light jog, first water session, lunch prepped by the cook Fernando, team-bonding activities, second water session, dinner, workshops, unwind, bedtime. Most days were spent out on the water, sometimes until sunset. Throughout the week, the team rotated between a few iconic spots in the area, like Playa Chica, Valdevaqueros, Bolonia, or Arte Vida. All 10 riders were incredibly hard-working and never complained about having to wake up early or endlessly repeat a move to get the technique right. They were also absolutely thrilled at spending one week with some of their idols, including Titouan who was quick to give them pointers on how to land their favourite tricks. When all their hard work paid off, the sheer joy and pride emanating from them was priceless to the coaches. The week indeed saw many “firsts” for the fearless and daring youngsters. For example, it only took a few hints and one try for Petros to land his first-ever front flip, to the genuine cheers of everyone else around him. No matter what, they all cheered for each other and pushed one another to surpass themselves.

On top of these rewarding in-water sessions, F-ONE also organised various workshops throughout the week on a variety of topics. The boys learned about how to present themselves on social media, how to become a pro rider, or how to ride around a photographer and videographer. They got to try that right away as photographer Ana Catarina was in the water with them and guided them as if they were on a professional photo shoot. Finally, they also brainstormed and designed their ideal quivers. The middle of the week was highlighted by a 12-kilometre downwinder between Balneario and Punta Paloma. With the wind blowing close to 40 knots and a safety boat right by them, the groms were absolutely thrilled to have this experience. They even got to preview and try out some of the new F-ONE products that would only come out a few weeks later.

The camp concluded with a friendly competition overseen by Mallory de la Villemarqué, head judge on the GWA Wingfoil World Tour. As he helped the riders get acquainted with competition rules and settings, Titouan, Maxime, and Nicolas each shared their competition strategies, like which tricks they usually decide to show-off first to score the maximum amount of points. The groms learned everything, from tricks’ groups and disqualification procedures to the general running of an event and the disciplinary code. They all played along and were really invested as their competitiveness shone. For over four hours, they focused on the heats, tried to remember all the rules, and structured each of their heats appropriately. Although it wasn’t a real competition per se, some let the pressure get to them and were a bit frazzled right before starting. Fortunately, all the coaches were nearby to reassure them and guide them through their first experience of a race setting. However, the wind died down and weather took a turn for the worse before the competition was over. The coaches decided to postpone the final heats to the next day and to head back to the house for some hot chocolate and a warm shower.

The following day, the wind blew up to 50 knots, which was certainly too much for 10 groms, and even more so for a 12-year-old only weighing 28 kilograms. Thankfully, the team found a sheltered spot for the rest of the competition and finished the camp on a high note. In the end, Christopher was at the top of the podium, followed by Noé and Ezio. After one last meal on Friday evening, it was sadly time to say goodbye. The first departures were bright and early the following morning, and the enriching and instructive week was already over.

This Next Generation camp was ultimately all about friendships, passion, and exchanges. With stars in their eyes and incredible photos and videos on their phones, the groms headed back home with memories to last for a lifetime. F-ONE will continue to support each of them in their journeys for the next few years, guiding them along as they strive towards a professional wing foiling career. Nicolas will also accompany and coach them as they start competing in the GWA Junior World Tour. The Next Generation camp will be back again next year. The company is not only excited to continue sharing the stoke of watersports with the youth but also to see what the next crop of groms will deliver. If you’re young and you’re shredding, give F-ONE a shout and don’t hesitate to contact them.

By Christina.Marmet

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