Flysurfer POW

A New Way to Ride – My Experience with the Flysurfer POW Parawing

About a year ago, BRM released the first parawing. It didn’t just change the market—it changed how I think. More on that later.

The idea isn’t brand new. When winging first started, some people tried riding Flysurfer Peaks without lines. They attached the bar directly to the bridle and took them on the water. But it didn’t work well, and the idea disappeared. Winging was just easier and more popular. Also, the gear wasn’t ready back then. Boards weren’t narrow enough for downwind riding, and foils didn’t have enough aspect ratio to ride open waves efficiently.

 

My Story

I bought the first wing from Ozone as soon as it came out in late 2019 and shaped my own board. After one spring and around 15 sessions, I sold everything. I hated it! Kiting felt 1000 times better. Every wing session felt like a waste of time.

Then, about three years ago, Flysurfer came out with the Mojo. I gave winging another try because I wanted to be on the water in winter. At Lake Constance, kiting is banned from mid-November to mid-March. I started again and slowly began to see the potential. On good days, I could ride small waves for about 100 meters on the foil. In Sardinia, I had an amazing wave session—and from that point, I really started to enjoy winging again, especially in waves.

 

Discovering the Parawing

When I first saw a parawing, I knew this was exactly what I had been looking for. Super small when packed, no pump needed, great upwind performance, and total freedom on the downwind. No bladders that can break. Small repairs? Easy to do—even on holiday. Exactly what I was looking for. An easy tool for going up- and downwind. 

Early on, I asked Flysurfer if they were working on a parakite. In autumn, they confirmed they were. I was super excited! But most parawings before had too small of a wind range.

Testing the POW 2.5 m² and 4 m²

I’ve been using foilkites since 2005, and for the past three years I’ve also been paragliding and doing ground handling regularly. So I’m very familiar with kite handling, and lines don’t bother me at all—even on the water. I’ve never had real problems with tangles, and if I do, I can usually sort them out easily.

 

What I don't Like about the POW

Let’s start with some small negatives. On both sizes, the line lengths feel a bit too long. With the 4m, it’s not possible  to fully depower the kite in one motion, and the lines get in the way sometimes. On the 2.5m it’s just manageable, but I really need to stretch my arms. I’ve talked to Flysurfer about this, and maybe they’ll offer an update. I'm currently splicing a shorter line set myself and will see if it improves the handling. One thing is clear: shortening the lines  reduce the wind range, because the canopy gets more airflow with a tighter turning radius.

 

Another small point is that all lines are the same color. I personally don’t mind, but beginners could get confused if the lines are tangled.

 

The bar system itself is clever—you can swap the lines by removing a cap at the bar ends. That’s a smart idea, but in practice it's a bit tricky because you need a flat-head screwdriver or a coin. If you lose the small metal pin or cap, you're done for the day. So it’s best to check regularly that everything is tight and to open the bar ends over a solid floor or towel so small parts don’t get lost.

 

Also, there’s no leash included. I luckily had one at home, but I think Flysurfer should include one, ideally a waist leash.

What’s Great About The POW

Let’s look at what makes the POW so special. This applies to both the 2.5m and the 4m unless I mention otherwise.

The Parawing is well thought out and built with three different canopy materials, carefully stitched together. You can ride it on snow or land with no problem. Touching the ground doesn’t damage it. Unlike most parawings, the POW uses four levels of bridle lines. The B line is connected via a pulley between A and C, which improves performance in gusty conditions. You can move the C line to adjust the B line length, which changes how the Flysurfer PWO flies and feels on the bar. Just don’t move the C line too far back or the kite becomes unstable.

The carbon bar is super light and very smartly designed. Its curved shape keeps your fingers safe from pinches and helps prevent lines from getting caught. The pulley on the B line is from Ronstan—very durable and high quality. The bar might be a bit long to store easily in a pouch, but the control it offers makes it worth it.

 

How It Flies

In strong wind, both the 2.5m and 4m fly incredibly stable. No flapping, no collapses, no front stalls. Even in big gusts, the kite just drifts slightly to the edge of the wind window and then returns. When fully depowered, there’s only a small flutter at the trailing edge. I would say the depower system is among the best of all parawings currently available. The wind range is smaller than a standard wing, but still large enough that you don’t need to switch the Flysurfer POW with every small wind change. Turning is responsive and direct, but never aggressive.

 

In medium wind, the POW still flies perfectly. If you hold the bar right, you can pump the Parawing to get going. Full depower isn’t needed anymore—you can ride with the POW slightly powered, and the bar pressure is really clear. It feels like a regular foilkite, just more direct.

 

In light wind, the kite still flies, but it’s a bit harder to handle. It tends to steer down toward the water, especially if the lower tip is wet. You’ll need to pull the bar and guide the kite with your hand underneath. It doesn’t steer as well in these conditions—it’s more like balancing it. I’m still testing whether the handling improves by removing the center D line and connecting the steering lines directly, but I’ll update that later once I’ve had the chance to test it. 

 

General Handling & Relaunch

The POW handles very well and is probably one of the more beginner-friendly parawings out there. Thanks to its high stability and large depower range, it offers solid performance across wind conditions. Steering feels good, as long as you have enough wind. The bar pressure is higher than a regular wing, but not extreme. It really depends on the Foil you ride. The faster the Foil, the less bar pressure you have. 

Relaunching from the water is very easy. Even when swimming, the kite comes up well. It also launches backward, which is really fun—and even steerable. I think there’s potential for freestyle here, especially with the longer bar.

Just make sure the wing lifts evenly. If one tip is still in the water, it might dive back down.  

Upwind & Downwind Riding

Upwind, the POW is a machine. I had about a 90-degree angle between tacks, and with a harness, you could probably go even better. The long lines and high aspect let the POW sit far out at the edge of the wind window, which pulls you strongly upwind.

Downwind is where the fun begins—but it takes practice. Folding the Parawing while riding isn’t easy at first. You need good speed, a fast foil, and ideally a wave. On my first ride, the wind picked up, and my foil was too slow. The 4m reopened mid-fold, and I got some nasty rope burns on my fingers.

It’s key to go fully downwind, get some speed, and fold quickly while catching a wave. Then the POW becomes pressureless and easy to fold. I only grab the A (and B) lines when folding—this keeps the nose up. If you grab all lines, the nose can drop into the water when you release the POW to ride upwind again.

 

Turning the POW

The steering is excellent when the Parawing is powered. The 2.5m loops easily through the bottom during jibes, like a kite (downloop), and gives quick power again. The 4m needs to be taken over the top. Make sure it’s already in the zenith before turning, or it might not come back up when you turn too early. On the 2.5m that is not a problem. That’s partly because the 2.5m is usually flown in stronger wind, which makes turning easier.

The Bar System

The Flysurfer POW bar is unique. It’s the only curved bar I know of, and it works great. Your fingers won’t get pinched when depowered, and the lines don’t get caught on the bar. The Ronstan pulley is tough enough for saltwater, sand, and snow.

If you plan to pack the POW mid-ride and store it in a belt pouch, the bar might be too long. But if you ride with the POW in hand, the bar length doesn't really matter and the benefits you get in performance is all worth it. You can adjust the B line level, and replacing lines is easy. Just make sure you don’t lose the metal pin or the end cap. It would be great if Flysurfer included spares. Before your first ride, double-check that all lines are secured. I had one line slip off the C level during setup, and fixing it on the water. But all in all the Bar is super comfortable and you have excellent feedback from the POW. 

 

Summary:
The Flysurfer POW parawing opened up a completely new way of riding for me. It's compact, efficient, and especially fun in waves and downwind. While it's not as plug-and-play as a regular wing, its stability, upwind performance, and freedom during downwind runs make it a great tool for experienced riders looking for something new. For me, it doesn’t replace the wing—but it adds something truly special to the quiver.