Parawing: can you go upwind?

Yes. A foil parawing goes upwind. That's not the issue. The real question – the one riders ask themselves when hesitating to switch to parawing – is: at what cost to upwind angle? How many degrees are left on the table with each gust, each power adjustment, each transition?

My name is Bruno Sroka. I am a three-time kitesurfing world champion and founder of SROKA Company. I have ridden kites, wings, parawings, in all conditions, on all oceans. And I can say without hesitation: between a classic parawing and our Sroka Fynix parawing equipped with the Pushbar System®, the upwind angle difference is 3 to 4 degrees. This may seem small. On the water, it changes everything.

This article describes why upwind performance in parawing is not just about the wing, but about how the wing's power is managed. And it shows how our Pushbar System® redefines what we thought were the limits of parawing.

1) The answer in figures

When foiling a parawing, you go upwind at an angle between 35–45° to the true wind, depending on the rider, equipment, and conditions. It's in this range that everything plays out: a 3 to 4 degree difference in upwind angle can turn a session from a frustrating experience into pure enjoyment. These degrees are not only gained through piloting skill. They are lost – or gained – in how the bar and parawing manage power.

Useful small definition: VMG (Velocity Made Good) is the speed at which you actually progress against the wind. It combines pure speed and heading angle. You can go faster at a bad angle and have a lower VMG than a slower but better positioned rider. VMG is the true measure of upwind efficiency.

2) The physics of parawing upwind performance

Three elements generate the ability to go upwind in a parawing: the foil, the wing, and their synchronization.

• The foil is the propeller. Thanks to its hydrodynamic lift, it converts part of the wing's traction into forward motion perpendicular to the wind. Without a foil, the hydrodynamic drag of the board crushes the upwind angle. With a good foil, energy efficiency increases, and with it, the VMG.
  
• The wing is the engine. Its ideal upwind position is at the edge of the wind window, where it allows for better upwind performance. If it moves out of this position, the glide ratio collapses, and so does the upwind angle.
  
• For a given profile, there is an angle of attack where the glide ratio is maximal, and a small range around this angle where the glide ratio remains close to its optimum. Moving away from this interval degrades the lift/drag compromise… and thus the upwind angle.

A parawing therefore performs much better upwind when the foil is efficient (aspect ratio, profile), and when the wing remains in its optimal position at the edge of the wind window, and when the angle of attack remains stable during piloting. This last point is where everything plays out. And that's where our PushBar System®, whose associated innovation is currently patent pending, comes in.

3) The real limiting factor: power management

On a parawing equipped with a traditional bar, reducing power means tilting the bar to release some of the backlines. This action triggers a cascade:

1. The wing's angle of attack varies (the wing pitches).

2. The wing moves out of its optimal position at the edge of the wind window when the backlines are pulled.

3. Parasitic drag increases because the wing is no longer operating in its optimal flow regime.

4. The upwind angle degrades.

Worse: to regain power, you pull in the opposite direction. The angle of attack varies again. Every action on the backlines costs upwind angle.

And there's an even deeper problem: with a traditional bar, "depower" is mechanically limited. Even by tilting the bar all the way, only a fraction of the power is cut. Direct consequence: overpowered, you suffer. You don't depower, you endure, which generates excessive power, and the upwind angle collapses if you don't have the physical strength to hold the power.

The result accumulates. With every gust, every adjustment, the upwind angle degrades a little more. Over a two-hour session, the difference between perfect piloting and piloting subject to gusts can reach several hundred meters upwind.

On a traditional bar, every action on the backlines costs upwind angle. Upwind angle and power are coupled.

4) How does the Pushbar System® decouple upwind angle and power?

The name "PushBar System®" is a registered trademark of SROKA. The associated innovation is the subject of a patent application filed with the INPI and is currently patent pending.

You no longer pull on the backlines. You push the bar. This dynamic and adjustable push, depending on the intensity you put into pushing your bar, triggers a specific mechanism: the backlines are simultaneously and symmetrically released, creating a central break in the wing.

This break is not a defect; it's a function. It locally extinguishes part of the central lifting surface, which reduces the power generated by the wing. The perceived effect: as if you just reduced the size of the wing without moving it.

And that's where everything happens: the overall angle of attack of the wing does not change. Nor does its position in the wind window. The wing remains at the edge of the wind window, at its optimal glide angle. Power is cut without degrading the upwind angle.

The depower is modulable and dynamic according to your needs. A light push slightly reduces power; a firm push significantly cuts it. By pulling the bar, the wing instantly regains its shape and full power.

This is a paradigm shift.

• With a traditional bar: reduce power = change flight geometry = lose upwind angle.

• With the Pushbar System®: reduce power = modify central camber = maintain upwind angle.

• With the Pushbar System®, upwind angle and power are decoupled. You manage gusts without moving the wing.

5) The hidden lever: harness compatibility

• The Pushbar System® is not just a better way to reduce power. It is also, and above all, what makes the harness truly usable with a parawing. Before the PBS, the qualities of the harness were not fully exploited.
• Without a harness, the Sroka Fynix parawing flies like a standard parawing. You hold the bar in your hands, you manage power by pushing. Thus, the experience remains comparable to that of a classic parawing. The PBS works, but it's a partial use of its potential.
• With a harness, the PushBar System comes into play and extends the range of use. Why? Because on a traditional bar, reducing power requires tilting the bar: an asymmetrical, unstable movement, not very compatible with strong board pressure. You fight against your own equipment.
• The Pushbar System® is the first bar that generates true depower on a parawing. You hook in, and when the gust arrives, you no longer have to choose between holding the wing and depowering: you push the bar, the wing loses power, it pulls less. You maintain your upwind angle.

Direct consequence: you can use a larger wing. A 4 m² where others would use 2.5 m². A larger wing means easier take-off, thus an extended wind range and a better usable upwind angle. Everything falls into place.

Without a harness, the FYNIX flies like a standard parawing. With a harness, the Pushbar System® comes into play and extends the range of use.

6) Quantified gains

Three gains measured in comparative sailing:

• +3 to 4° upwind angle. Estimate based on comparative tests between the FYNIX and market parawings equipped with traditional bars. On a 2-kilometer leg, these degrees make the difference between returning directly to the spot and needing an extra tack.
• 4 m² with harness on FYNIX where a classic parawing requires 2.5 m². At 20-25 knots, same rider, same conditions. That's 60% more surface area, meaning easier control in lighter wind and a better upwind angle in conditions where you usually struggle.
• More consistent upwind angle throughout the session. Because the angle of attack doesn't change during power management, the average upwind angle remains high from start to finish, not just at peak performance.

7) Parawing, wingfoil, kite: which goes upwind best?

Wingfoiling is often presented as the benchmark for upwind performance. Recent events contradict this.

At the 2025 Défi Wing in Gruissan, the world's largest event in the discipline (600 participants from 25 countries, Tramontane wind fluctuating between 20 and 30 knots, seven races run), a rider competing on a closed-cell parawing prototype beat everyone on run 2, against the best wingfoilers in the world. The performance was deemed out of classification, but the result on the water is undeniable. The debate about the future of equipment (parawing, wing or kite) reopened that day. And the 2026 edition (May 11-13 in Gruissan) confirms the dynamic: once again, the parawing prevails in strong winds against the best wingfoilers in the world.

The reason is structural. A high-performance parawing benefits from a better aspect ratio and superior glide compared to a rigid wing. At equivalent, or even superior, VMG in strong winds, the parawing has better efficiency than wingfoiling. In light winds, wingfoiling retains a slight advantage. As soon as the wind picks up, the equation reverses.

Kite maintains excellent pure upwind angle but loses out on portability, ease of launching, and autonomy of practice.

With the Pushbar System®, the FYNIX makes this performance accessible: easier to pilot, more forgiving in power management, more efficient in changing conditions.

In light wind, wingfoiling retains the advantage. In strong or gusty wind, parawing takes over. To learn more, also discover our articles parawing or wingfoil: which sport for which profile? and parawing vs wingfoil: complete advantages and disadvantages.

8) Technique: how to optimize your upwind performance in parawing?

Some simple principles that can turn a session around:

• Body position. Hips engaged upwind, gaze directed far ahead on your theoretical course, not at the wing. The foil follows your center of gravity. The more anchored you are, the better the upwind angle holds.
• Wing trim. Let it find its optimal glide angle. Don't sheet in constantly. This is the main mistake beginners make; it degrades flow and pulls the wing out of the window. The right trim is when you feel the wing pulling forward rather than dragging sideways.
• Wind reading. Anticipate gusts by watching the water surface. A gust is coming: it's time to regain your upwind angle, not to sheet in. A lull is coming: let the wing breathe, don't try to force it.
• On FYNIX with harness. Get on the harness early, free your arms for micro-adjustments. This is the hidden advantage of the Pushbar System®: you pilot more precisely because you no longer have to hang on to try and hold the parawing.

And above all, the counter-intuitive part. With the Fynix, too much power is no longer something you suffer: you push the bar, and you go upwind better. This is the inverse logic compared to a classic parawing, where a gust degrades the upwind angle. Here, the gust becomes an opportunity.

With the FYNIX, a gust no longer degrades the upwind angle - it improves it.

9) FAQ: Frequently asked questions about parawing upwind performance

About the author

Bruno Sroka. Three-time kitesurfing world champion, first kitesurfing crossing of Cape Horn (2008), record for crossing the English Channel (2012), first France-Ireland kitesurfing link over 444 kilometers (2013). Former physical education teacher, Peace and Sport and Green Cross Foundation ambassador. Founder of SROKA Company, a Breton brand for watersports equipment (foil, wingfoil, SUP, parawing).