The Holy Grail of windsurfing: Planing gives you the ultimate rush!
January 2025: The Holy Grail of Windsurfing, written by Ole Hasholt, Surf Instructor at Copenhagen Surf School.
Planing is pure magic - that moment when you fly across the water and everything else stops. The wind propels you forward, the world disappears and adrenaline explodes in your body. If you haven't experienced it, you haven't lived.
Imagine a sunny day, cruising across the ocean on your board. The wind fills the sail and you feel it in your hair as the waves gently lift you. Then it comes - a strong gust of wind catches you, you tighten your grip and maintain your balance. The speed increases, the world disappears and you are in flow. It feels like flying, like you've left time and space behind. Suddenly you hit the perfect point - planing. The adrenaline explodes in your body and you get a rush like never before. You've hit the holy grail of windsurfing.
Everyone remembers the first time in planing!
Everyone remembers the first time in planing!
Nothing matches this rush - an out-of-body sensation that surfers often describe as a spiritual experience where your surroundings blur while your focus remains razor sharp. The first time you hit planing, it changes your world forever. From that moment on, you'll chase your next rush again and again.
You'll be totally "addicted to ride" and it's an amazing feeling that stays with you for days and weeks after you've been boarding. And the great thing about windsurfing is that the magic of planing never fades, it keeps on giving - you'll get new adrenaline boosts as you learn to surf stronger and stronger. Every time you go shredding you'll push your own limits and before you know it you'll be surfing at over 50 km/h. It's so fast that you'll be smacking little smacks across the surface of the water if you crash.
Luckily, you decide how fast you want to go - the more you pull in your back arm and lean back, the faster it goes.
Nothing matches this rush - an out-of-body sensation that surfers often describe as a spiritual experience where your surroundings blur while your focus remains razor sharp. The first time you hit planing, it changes your world forever. From that moment on, you'll chase your next rush again and again.
You'll be totally "addicted to ride" and it's an amazing feeling that stays with you for days and weeks after you've been boarding. And the great thing about windsurfing is that the magic of planing never fades, it keeps on giving - you'll get new adrenaline boosts as you learn to surf stronger and stronger. Every time you go shredding you'll push your own limits and before you know it you'll be surfing at over 50 km/h. It's so fast that you'll be smacking little smacks across the surface of the water if you crash.
Luckily, you decide how fast you want to go - the more you pull in your back arm and lean back, the faster it goes.
If you want to slow down, just stretch your rear arm a little and you're back in cruise control. The best part? If you think planing is the end of the line, you're wrong. Planing is arguably the biggest milestone in any windsurfer's journey - partly because it's indescribably fun and partly because it opens up a wealth of new possibilities. After learning the noble art of planing, you'll be able to make sharp turns that create spray and you'll be able to make stylish turns that make the beachgoers on the beach swoon.
If you want to slow down, just stretch the rear arm a little and you're back in cruise control. The best? If you think planing is the end of the line, you're wrong. Planing is arguably the biggest milestone in any windsurfer's journey - partly because it's indescribably fun and partly because it opens up a wealth of new possibilities. After learning the noble art of planing, you'll be able to make sharp turns that create spray and you'll be able to make stylish turns that make the beachgoers on the beach swoon.
Trapeze, foot straps and turns - make planing even wilder!
Trapeze, foot straps and turns - make planing even wilder!
Once you've mastered the art of planing, it becomes a magic trick you can pull out again and again whenever the wind picks up - and the adrenaline rushes through your body every time! As you glide across the water, you'll also find you have much more control and can now start experimenting with the next level: trapeze, foot straps and power jibes. The trapeze, a belly belt with a hook, lets you use your whole body weight to hold the sail - saving your arms and allowing you to plane for hours before you get surfed out. The foot straps open up even wilder maneuvers and give you total control. Maybe you've tried skiing? Imagine skiing down the coolest off-piste with powder snow - then multiply that feeling by 10! That's what it's like to plane in the footstraps.
And then for the best part! If you love the rush down the slopes but hate the cold breaks in the chairlift, then you're a born windsurfer. Imagine an endless mountain of water where you can plane as far as you want. When you're ready, just do a power jibe - a radical and stylish turn - and whiz back again. It doesn't get any cooler, and when you fall over, you land softly in the water!
Once you've mastered the art of planing, it becomes a magic trick you can pull out again and again whenever the wind picks up - and the adrenaline rushes through your body every time! As you glide across the water, you'll also find you have much more control and can now start experimenting with the next level: trapeze, foot straps and power jibes. The trapeze, a belly belt with a hook, lets you use your whole body weight to hold the sail - saving your arms and allowing you to plane for hours before you get surfed out. The foot straps open up even wilder maneuvers and give you total control. Maybe you've tried skiing? Imagine skiing down the coolest off-piste with powder snow - then multiply that feeling by 10! That's what it's like to plane in the footstraps.
And then for the best part! If you love the rush down the slopes but hate the cold breaks in the chairlift, then you're a born windsurfer. Imagine an endless mountain of water where you can plane as far as you want. When you're ready, just do a power jibe - a radical and stylish turn - and whiz back again. It doesn't get any cooler, and when you fall over, you land softly in the water!
Think windsurfing looks difficult? Think again - anyone can learn to plane on a windsurfer, including you! It just requires you to take the leap. And if there's one thing that's just as awesome as the planing itself, it's the journey there.
Think windsurfing looks difficult? Think again - anyone can learn to plane on a windsurfer, including you! It just requires you to take the leap. And if there's one thing that's just as awesome as the planing itself, it's the journey there.
The next planning trip is yours - chase the rush of your life!
The next planning trip is yours - chase the rush of your life!
Ready to hit the holy grail of windsurfing and get the ultimate rush of your life? We'll get you on the board! Of course, it takes a few sessions before you hit that magical moment where you're suddenly gliding across the water, but the road there is filled with shocks, laughs and epic moments.
Your adventure begins on our Kick-Off Program - packed with excitement and small victories that make you want to take the next step and surf further and wilder. When you take up windsurfing, you'll quickly discover how much fun it is from the moment you step on the board and feel the wind take hold.
It only gets better and better the more you learn - and every small step forward feels like a huge victory. We celebrate those moments together, and after each session we gather on the pier for beautiful sunsets and cold beers in the company of other passionate surfers. They may start as strangers, but they'll quickly become your faithful surf buddies.
Ready to hit the holy grail of windsurfing and get the ultimate rush of your life? We'll get you on the board! Of course, it takes a few sessions before you hit that magical moment where you're suddenly gliding across the water, but the road there is filled with shocks, laughs and epic moments.
Your adventure begins on our Kick-Off Program - packed with excitement and small victories that make you want to take the next step and surf further and wilder. When you take up windsurfing, you'll quickly discover how much fun it is from the moment you step on the board and feel the wind take hold.
It only gets better and better the more you learn - and every small step forward feels like a huge victory. We celebrate those moments together, and after each session we gather on the pier for beautiful sunsets and cold beers in the company of other passionate surfers. They may start as strangers, but they'll quickly become your faithful surf buddies.
Curious to discover what else awaits you when windsurfing becomes your new hobby? Then dive into our blog post: Windsurfing changes your life - 7 epic reasons to start today! We hope you take the plunge and jump on board, because windsurfing has the unique ability to change your life in the coolest way possible.
Curious to discover what else awaits you when windsurfing becomes your new hobby? Then dive into our blog post: Windsurfing changes your life - 7 epic reasons to start today! We hope you take the plunge and jump on board, because windsurfing has the unique ability to change your life in the coolest way possible.
START THE HUNT FOR THE RUSH OF YOUR LIFE
START THE HUNT FOR THE RUSH OF YOUR LIFE