New Zealand seems like a hotbed of wing and foil development at the moment. What's making it the perfect incubator for the emerging sport?
I think there are quite a few reasons. The country has a really high proportion of passionate water people, and it offers a wide range of wind and water conditions in a small area. The coast is 15,000km long and you are never further than 130km from the ocean. The weather is nice enough to test there all year round productively, and innovation is also part of the culture. The country is a long way from anywhere, so you get time to think, and it's costly to import, so there are drivers from both ends. You also have easy access to a lot of skills relevant to wing and foil sports.
People are drawn to NZ from many different countries, and they bring composites skills, design understanding, sailmaking, and all to an exceptionally high standard. Kiwis are also really good at remote working around the globe – something which has been extra useful in the last year.
