Water sports have always have had an edge over the rest of the sports. But a new water sport which has transformed into a sort of craze sweeping across Europe grabs everyone’ attention. Enter Subwing. A 4 feet Carbon-Fiber “wing” that you grab onto as it drags through the waters using a speedboat. Talk about adrenaline rush!
The idea for the Subwing came from a Norwegian teenager, Simon Sivertsen, bored on holidays. He originally used banana boxes to engineer a wing and latched it onto a yacht using a 30 feet rope. He somehow managed to convince the captain to drag him through the sea, consequently discovering this new sport. He was able to further refine the idea though, when he found out he could tilt the wing to give him motion under the water surface.
After 22 years, Sivertsen’s Subwing has somehow managed to take over the water sports world in a split second. And we see no reason why this wouldn’t have happened. According to Mats Westgård “Riders are towed behind a boat and have the ability to spin, turn and dive almost anywhere.” What makes the sport even more exciting is the fact that it requires little or no practice at all, and it gives the rider an experience of flying under water, tilting the wings allowing for for exciting dives, lateral ricochets, and invigorating corkscrew spins.
Westgård further added, “Riding the Subwing will make you feel like you’re flying underwater and gives the rider a sense of dolphin-like freedom.”.
The speed at which you want to be towed is your own choice (usually 2-4 knots which is 2.3-4.6 mph). Initially, you need to stay underwater for 10-15 seconds with depth of about 3 meters, but longer and deeper dives with more invigorating maneuvers can also be managed with practice.
A Subwing centre has been set up at the Pelligoni Club in Zakynthos, Greece, for all the Subwing fanatics out there. Why choose this place? Well, as Sivertsen explains “The water is ridiculously clear and the mountains there shelter the coast from the waves.”
You can even buy your very own Subwing from a local dealer. The carbon fiber version would cost you $850 to $895, but if you are short on money, you could also go for the fiberglass version for $490. Happy Subwing-ing!
