2023 Wing Foiling Accessory Awards | MACkite's Top Picks

Jeff and Tucker have presented awards to their top 2023 picks for wings, wingboards, and hydrofoils, but they'd be remiss if they left out those unsung winging heroes that make our sessions better in so many small but important ways, the accessories. So without further ado, we present our top wing foiling accessory picks.

1. Best Leash

The Kaohi Double Coil harness leash is our favorite. This is not the calf or ankle connection, but rather a MACkite exclusive harness connection that we worked on with Kaohi. It gives you a simple, clean connection to the harness instead of a big, bulky cuff.

It's got a rail saver on both ends and it's quick and easy to connect to your harness and leave it there. It's smooth and it works great with the double coil so it doesn't get knotted up. It's durable and it's our go-to here at the shop for those of us who ride a harness. If you don't ride a harness, get the calf one. That one works great too, but hooking into a harness has definitely got some advantages.

2. Must-Have Accessory

We were all in agreement without even listing options; all of us said the Ride Engine Air Box electric pump was a must-have. This thing is tiny, about the size of a mac and cheese box or a Bible. It is so handy. Pumps are okay, but you're wasting a lot of time pumping your wing when you could be out riding. This thing is fast, and you're going to be the most popular person on the beach since it will pump up about seven different wings or kites on one charge. You can really help a lot of people and be that guy.

One of my favorite features is that you can plug it in at the car, so you don't even need to bring it into the house to recharge it. I just plug it in my cigarette lighter as I'm driving around, and it's always ready anytime I want to take a session. I don't forget it at home and I don't forget to charge it; it's just always there, ready to go. It'll shut off at a preset pressure, so you can let it do its thing while you get yourself ready. By the time you've got your foil on your board and your harness and suit on, your wing's ready for you.

3. Best Straps

As you look at your progression in wing foiling, you may be thinking about adding straps. Our most popular among our customers and our favorite among most of our staff that are riding straps are the NSI Ultralight Long straps. These are a simple, lay-flat style strap. It's longer than normal, and that's important for foiling because you can adjust your stance forward and backward a little bit, and you can adjust where your foot is in relation to the rail. Those little adjustments make a lot of difference when you're out there foiling in different conditions.

Also, when you fall while foiling, it's different than falling on a windsurfer or falling on a surf kiteboard. You want to be able to twist out and away from the board. There's more leverage on those boards and you're making weirder falls. You need to be able to pull your foot out at multiple angles since you can't always pull straight out, so for your ankle safety and for the sake of the inserts on your board, it's nice to be able to get out of those quickly. Remember that straps are really for the intermediate to advanced rider; as a beginner they get in your way and you don't need them.
Pro tip: If you want these straps to lay flatter if you're riding prone or want to lay on them, you can remove that neoprene cover and even use a blade or Exacto knife to cut off that embossed logo, and then they'll lay super flat.

4. Best Wing Harness

I rode for many hours without a wing harness, but now I will never not have one, and if I forget to put it on, I get off the water and go get it. The Mystic Majestic wing harness is our pick for 2023. Our favorite the prior year was the Wingman, and we still love the Wingman, especially when you aren't riding really overpowered, but the Majestic has a bit more structure and feels like you can ride super overpowered without any pinch points and without any stress in the ribs.

It stays put; that semi-hard shell with the EVA coating locks into your body and it doesn't ride up. It's not spinning and twisting around and it doesn't need re-adjustment. You just set it and go out and ride and have your fun.

That material doesn't absorb a bunch of water, so it's not draining all over your car, if you're traveling you don't need to worry about trying to dry that thing out, and it's always lightweight. It's a cool evolution of the more basic Wingman harness that we've loved.

5. Future Now

Everyone's excited and raving about this for foiling, winging, prone surfing and SUP foiling: the Foil Drive Generation 2. The Max model has been our favorite. The Slim is phenomenal as well, but the Max is definitely going to take the cake for most riders. It is an accessory that's going to amp up your time in the water, make you a better rider, let you take advantage of conditions you normally wouldn't ride in, and make better use of the gear you already own. It's the perfect accessory to give that award to.

It does reach beyond wing foiling, but I got some extensive time on it for wing foiling, and it is an easy button for getting you up on foil in those light conditions or to taxi out to where the wind is. It definitely is a hot one for us and the hype is real. It exceeds expectations, and the expectations are high, so I think that one's a go-to for sure. It's like an insurance policy for a session. You'll never get skunked with the Foil Drive.

We hope you enjoyed this "Best of 2023" series. I did- I got all dressed up for it to celebrate what 2023 brought. We're blessed to be able to ride all the different gear that we sell, and I think that we did a good representation of the different brands and what they can bring to the market. It's been a phenomenal year, and cheers and excitement for 2024! Stay tuned for more reviews and more how-to guides and whatnot. As always, we appreciate you guys.

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