Luca Vuillermet

Tell us more about how you got started in wing foiling.

I started out with my dad teaching me to kite at the age of six. At 11 and during my Thanksgiving break in La Ventana, I saw some people with huge boards and F-ONE’s SWING. I was curious to try, so my dad got us a F-ONE 75L board, a 75 cm mast, a 1280 PHANTOM foil, and a 4.2m² SWING V1. As soon as I tried wing foiling, I was hooked. The sensation of the foil was amazing. Three weeks later, I was doing small jumps on a 17L kite foil board and a wing, all F-ONE!

What do you do before getting in the water?  

I always stretch and visualize all my tricks in my head. I also set my goals for the session.

Tell us about your best memory on the water.

Definitely the first time I landed a backflip! Landing a trick for the first time pushes you past your limits to go for the next one.

Worst wipeout?  

I was in Saint-Pierre-la-Mer for the second leg of the GWA Youth Wingfoil World Cup. Three days before the start of the competition, I sprained my ankle really badly. I had landed a huge back loop weirdly and my back foot twisted in the foot strap. Our team manager Hugo found me a great local chiropractor who treated the injury and I rested until the first day of the competition, where I then strapped my foot and went out racing. Throughout the day, I won almost every single slalom race, although in pain! And in freestyle, I made it to the finals.

Who do you like to say thank you to?  

I would like to start by giving a big thanks to everyone at F-ONE and MANERA for being there for me since I started wing foiling. F-ONE has given me amazing gear and MANERA has always kept me warm and cozy in the cold. Being part of F-ONE’s Next Generation team is a fantastic opportunity. I would also like to thank 100% Vision for giving me sick glasses and goggles. I hope to stay close to all these brands throughout my wing foiling career.

Next, I would like to thank my friends for always pushing me to the next level. Most of all, I would like to thank my dad. He is the best dad anyone could hope for. He always encourages me and helps me with competition strategy. He has spent countless hours filming me in the water and from land to help me improve my tricks. He travels with me wherever I go and is a loving father.

A few words on your F-ONE quiver.

My favorite F-ONE gear at the moment is the 3m² STRIKE V3, 530 ESCAPE, 85cm mast and a 40L 4’4 ROCKET WING CARBON board. This setup is the easiest to do all my tricks on. The board is light but buoyant, and the foil setup is crazy fast. The wing is small enough to make rotations but is also very stable.