Why Wing Foiling Handles + Grips Matter

More Than You Think

Wing foiling has never sat still. Every season pushes the limits. Foils are faster. Boards are lighter. Wings are more refined than ever, opening the door for sessions we'd have written off just a few years ago. But the ongoing debate on the beach isn't about canopy materials or aspect ratios. It's about the one thing you never let go of: your handles.

Back when winging first exploded, we all rode with soft webbing loops. They got the job done, and the focus was getting on the water. The sport was raw, new, and every session felt like discovering something for the first time.

Fast forward a few seasons, and things have changed. Today's wings offer three very different ways to connect with the wind: traditional soft handles, rigid hard handles, or a full-length boom. Each has its die-hard supporters. Each changes the way a wing feels in your hands. And each suits a different style of riding.

Out on the water, your hands are your connection to every gust, every carve, every pump onto foil. The way your wing feels in your grip shapes everything that follows. Choose the setup that matches your riding, and your wing disappears beneath you, leaving nothing but clean power and instinctive control.

Choose the wrong one, and you'll fight it all session long.

Whether you're charging through head-high swell, chasing your next trick, or squeezing every knot out of marginal wind, getting your handles or boom right can make all the difference. Let's get into it.

Soft Handles + Loops:

The Lightweight, Traditional Choice

Soft handles got winging started - and they were the first handles we fitted to the Glide. They're still the go-to choice for the riders that like things simple.

Built from durable webbing and often stitched directly onto the centre strut, soft handles keep things light, reliable and uncomplicated. They might not be the newest kid on the beach, but they're far from outdated.

Why riders still love soft handles

They keep your wing light: Less hardware means less weight, and that's a big deal when you're flagging your wing on a wave. A lighter wing drifts more naturally, stays balanced overhead, and lets you focus on reading the swell instead of managing your gear.

They're forgiving when things go sideways: Let's face it, every rider gets caught out now and then. Soft handles won't crack your board, smash you in the helmet or leave battle scars when a session gets rowdy.

They travel well: Whether you're flying across the world for a dream forecast or scrambling down a sketchy track to a secret launch, soft handles don't take up much room, and as they're a much smaller investment than hard handles or bars, you can be a bit more reckless with them.

Where soft handles can fall short

You lose a little precision: Soft webbing flexes. It's not much, but when you're lit or throwing quick transitions, that tiny delay between your hands and the wing becomes noticeable. The connection isn't quite as direct, and over a long session your forearms will usually remind you.

Finding your grip takes more work: During fast tacks, gybes or freestyle moves, soft handles can twist or lie flat against the strut. Miss your grab, even for a split second, and the smoothest manoeuvre can quickly turn into a swim.

When do you want soft handles?

If your perfect session is all about chasing swell, flagging the wing and letting the ocean do the work, soft handles can still be worth it. They're lightweight, dependable and super simple. Sometimes less really is more.

Hard + Rigid Handles:

Maximum Control + Direct Power

Hard handles changed the game. By replacing flexible webbing with rigid carbon or composite handles, riders gained something every performance addict is chasing: a direct connection to the wing. No play. No hesitation. Just instant feedback from your hands to the canopy.

The result? A wing that feels more precise, more predictable, and more responsive when the wind turns on.

Why riders love hard handles

Every input counts: Hard handles don't flex, so every movement goes straight into the wing. Sheet in, bear away, load up for a jump or drive hard upwind – the response is immediate. When conditions are firing, that extra precision gives you the confidence to push harder.

Transitions become second nature. A rigid handle is always exactly where you expect it to be. Whether you're throwing fast tacks, clean gybes or freestyle tricks, your hand finds its grip without fumbling around.

Less grip, more riding: Because the handle stays rigid under load, you don't have to wrestle the wing through every gust. Your forearms stay fresher, your grip stays relaxed, and you can keep charging long after everyone else is heading back to the beach.

Ocean Rodeo - image shows a woman on a rocky beach with an Ocean Rodeo Glide A-Series wing with Carbon Handles fitted.

Where hard handles can fall short

They can be tougher on you and your gear: Carbon is super strong, which is exactly why it works in this situation. But in a heavy wipeout, a rigid handle has the potential to knock into your board - or your head - much harder than a soft webbing handle would.

They don't pack quite as small: Hard handles add a little more structure to your wing, so rolling it up takes a bit more care. It's hardly a deal-breaker, but if you're travelling light or trying to squeeze more than one wing into a single bag, it's worth keeping in mind.

When do you want hard handles?

If you're chasing speed, boosting bigger, or simply want your wing to feel like an extension of your body, hard handles are difficult to beat. They deliver a level of control that inspires confidence when the conditions get serious, and once you've experienced that locked-in feeling, it's hard to go back.

Wing Foiling Booms:

Infinite Hand Placement + Freedom

For riders who don't want their hands dictated by handle placement, there's the boom.

Borrowed from windsurfing and refined for winging, a boom runs the full length of the centre strut, giving you one continuous grip instead of fixed handle positions. There's no reaching for the next handle or adjusting your grip between loops – you just slide your hands wherever they need to be.

For many riders, it's the closest thing to feeling completely at one with the wing.

Why riders love booms

Your hands can go anywhere: Need to choke up for a gust? Shift your back hand for more leverage? Fine-tune your trim without breaking rhythm? With a boom, it's all one smooth movement. Your hands stay connected to the wing, and the wing stays connected to the wind.

Creative riding feels natural: Booms come into their own when the session gets dynamic. Riding toe-side, flagging on a wave, linking fluid transitions or throwing freestyle moves all feel incredibly intuitive because you're never searching for your next grip; you’ve already got it.

You get a solid, connected feel: A boom doesn't just change where you hold the wing, it changes how the whole wing feels. By adding rigidity through the centre strut, it creates a more connected platform that responds consistently when you're pumping onto foil or loading up with power.

Ocean Rodeo - image is of a woman carrying a yellow Glide A-Series wing surfing wing through a grassy area with a clear sky, the ocean in the background. She's holding an Ocean Rodeo Wing Boom.

Where booms can fall short

There's no getting away from physics here: booms add weight. Even the lightest carbon booms weigh more than individual handles. If your dream session is endless downwind glides with the wing flagged out behind you, that's definitely something you'll notice compared with soft loops.

Travelling takes a bit more planning: Unlike handles, a boom usually needs to be removed before packing your wing away. It's only a few extra minutes at the beach, but if you're chasing every ounce of convenience, it's part of the equation. That extra weight can become a problem, especially if you’re heading out on a plane or need to consider baggage allowance.

When do you want a boom?

If you want complete freedom to move your hands, love a highly connected feel, or come from a windsurfing background, a boom offers an experience that's hard to replicate. It encourages fluid riding, rewards creativity and gives you the freedom to adapt instantly as the wind and water change.

For riders who see every session as a chance to experiment, push harder and squeeze more out of every gust, it's an incredibly compelling setup.

Hard Handles vs. Soft Loops vs. Booms:

Which Setup is Best For You?

So, which setup should you choose? Here's the truth: there isn't a single best option. There are only different ways to ride.

The right setup depends on what gets you out of bed when the forecast lights up.

If you're all about waves and downwinders: When the goal is to forget about the wing and let the swell take over, keeping things light is everything. Grab your soft handles or lightweight hard handles. Soft handles keep weight to a minimum, while modern hard handles deliver extra control without adding much bulk. Both work brilliantly when you're flagging the wing and letting the ocean do the talking.

If you're chasing jumps, tricks and progression: If every session is another chance to push a little higher or land something new, precision matters. Grab your hard handles or a boom. A rigid connection gives you predictable control when you're loading up for take-off, spinning through transitions or grabbing the wing without taking your eyes off the landing.

If you live for long freeride sessions: Sometimes the best sessions aren't about tricks, they're about covering water, finding empty stretches of coastline and staying on foil for hours. For this, you want hard handles. The direct connection reduces unnecessary movement in your hands, helping to keep fatigue at bay while giving you confident, efficient control whether you're cruising upwind or carving back down.

If you come from windsurfing, or love to fine-tune everything: If moving your hands just a few millimetres changes everything for you, a boom will probably feel like home. Unrestricted hand placement makes it easy to trim the wing exactly how you want it, while the familiar feel will click straight away for riders with a windsurfing background.

At the end of the day though…

Every setup has its strengths. Soft handles keep things light and simple. Hard handles deliver confidence and precision. Booms offer unmatched freedom to move.

The good news? You don't have to choose one forever.

Find the setup that feels right in your hands, trust it, and get back to doing what matters most: chasing wind, hunting swell and making every session count.

Customising Your Setup:

The Ocean Rodeo Matrix Handle System

Conditions change. So do riders. One day you're hunting clean swell with the wing flagged out behind you. The next you're lit, sending jumps and driving hard upwind. Why should one handle setup dictate every session?

We don't think it should.

That's why the Glide A-Series uses the Matrix handle system, and we’re developing our new wings around it too.

Because being able to choose the connection that suits the conditions, and your style is miles better than being locked into a single way of riding.

Ride waves. Chase wind. Learn new tricks. Cover miles of coastline.

Then change your setup and do it all again tomorrow.

Your session. Your conditions. Your call.

See you on the water.