Let me set the scene. Not exactly an athlete. Not a fan of deep water. Gets seasick snorkelling. Picked last in gym class. And yet here I am, in my late forties and having the time of my life wing foiling. Plot twist of the year.

Team beach chair

For years, my role at Lac Bay on Bonaire was very clear: chair, towel, swimsuit, zero intention of getting wet. My partner, on the other hand, is that guy. Kitesurfer, then wing foiler, and now he’s learning parawing, because apparently life is one long to-do list of cool things to master.

So I watched. A lot. And then I noticed something annoying: grandpas and eight-year-olds were gliding across the bay like it was nothing. Excuse me? If they can do it…

Professional faller

My very first lesson was with Terence at The Frans Paradise, the wing and windsurf school on Sorobon Beach in Lac Bay, founded by Bonaire’s windsurf legends Tonky and Taty Frans. My technique? Falling. Often. With style, I’d like to think. I also had a talent for drifting to the other side of the bay and parking myself in the shallows. Their rescue boat and I became very close.

But I kept showing up. Every day there was wind, there I was. And every time the boat came to fish me out of the shallows again, Tonky gave me a little pep talk. He’d been there too, he told me. Keep going, you’re going to get this. Taty would drop by with tips on which direction to head and how to hold my wing. The guys at The Frans Paradise are great teachers and coaching from two windsurf legends? That sticks! Until one day, nobody needed to come and get me. I sailed back and forth. On my own. Not flying yet, but the confidence boost? Huge.

I’m afraid of water and I’m no athlete. If they could get me on that foil… :-)

Ice-skating flashbacks

It took me straight back to my childhood in the Netherlands. Frozen ditch, skates on, outside until dark, fingers and toes completely numb, and still not going home. That’s me now, just in warmer water. Fall, climb back on, go again. Repeat.

Up, up and (almost) away

These days, when the wind plays along, my board actually lifts. Only when I’m heading left, and only for a few seconds, but still: I’m flying. Next on my list: staying up there in control, flying to the right too, and one day turning without a dramatic splash. Plenty of work to do. Can’t wait.

Wing foil and the warmth of the people on Bonaire

Want to feel what I mean? Watch this video with The Island Boyz from Bonaire. I recently found it on YouTube when doing research for this blog. It is so beautiful to watch. How pure and genuine the kids are, the warmth of the Bonaire people. The great windsurf and wing foil scene at The Frans Paradise. Press play, and you’ll understand why I keep coming back.

Your move

You don’t need to be an athlete, fearless or twenty-five. You just need to get out of that beach chair. So tell me: what are you secretly watching from the sidelines? Follow my foiling progress on Instagram @chicenzo. 💛