WingFoiler Jeremiah McDonald joins North team
Jeremiah McDonald, a wing foil coach, competitive racer and freestyle athlete, debuts with North alongside a new Learn to Foil program being launched tomorrow.
The 21-year-old pro-wing foiler lives on a Bay of Plenty kiwifruit orchard by the sea, and you can usually find him out in the elements – whether sailing, hiking, rowing, or coaching others in his passion.
Jeremiah chanced upon the sport when he flew to Rarotonga in 2021 to start work as a kitesurfing instructor.
"When I got off my flight, I heard that a Covid-19 lockdown had occurred, and I was stuck there. My girlfriend, who was coming later with some essential kiting equipment, was stuck in New Zealand. Because of this, I was pushed to spend the next three months wingfoiling, and unsurprisingly, I fell in love with the sport."
Keep an eye out for Jeremiah chasing the dream on the WingfoilRacing World Cup Tour and Youtube, hosting some exciting new content for North.
Instagram: @Jeremiah_mcdonald
YouTube: Jeremiah_mcdonald
Jeremiah is currently ranked 13th Overall on the IWSA WingFoilRacing World Cup Tour and recently placed first in a UK Wingfoil Tour Event in Christchurch (England).
"Wingfoil racing is one of the most brutal sports. It is not just about going fast; it's also about picking the right strategies. I'm not from a sailing background, so I'm learning a lot as I go. There are so many things to get wrong, and there's such a high margin – one little mistake, and that's the race. It takes a lot of skill to stay up on the foil and be at the level where you don't need to think about what you are doing, so you can make the right tactical decisions."
- Jeremiah McDonald -
He started on the race circuit in Abu Dhabi this year, placing 13th. The next event saw very light conditions in Lake Garda, Italy and only two races were held over the week. Jeremiah qualified for the Bali Beach Games at the event, only for the Bali Games to be cancelled. He competed in the most recent Wingfoilracing event in Silvaplana, Switzerland.
"There are so many European stops on the tour, which makes it tricky living so far away in New Zealand” says Jeremiah. It's not the knowledge of local conditions that is a disadvantage, but the difficulty of getting to each event and the time and training involved nearby. The next WingFoil Racing World Cup event is in Sardinia, Italy, in mid-October. “It was really special to have the GWA Wingfoil world tour this year in Tauranga, so close to my home.
Hopefully we can look forward to more events happening in this part of the world.”
"One of the most interesting events I competed in this year was the NastroRosa tour, run by the Italian navy. There are ten teams, in each team, one wingfoil, one WASP (small foiling dinghy) and an offshore foiling vessel. We travelled by bus across Southern Italy and Slovenia and raced at each location. The Nastro Rosa is one of those events that brings wingfoiling into the sailing fold, bridging wind and adventure sports. With the sailing events, you find more tradition and established rules."
It was fun and adventure that drew Jeremiah into competitive wingfoiling. "It's just an amazing feeling. I enjoy riding waves and love freestyle, too – before I broke my foot, I was really into that. Freestyling is cool, and, in the beginning, it was the only real competitive side of wingfoiling and the only way to express yourself.
"I broke my foot in Lanzarote when I was there for the 2022GWA Wingfoil World Cup, landing a trick badly just before the comp. I got x-rays, and not knowing I'd broken it, I tried to do the competition but was in too much pain."
Jeremiah took a break from competition and spent three months honing his wave-riding skills in Mauritius, riding One Eye and Manawa.
"I loved both spots, but one of my favourite surf spots worldwide is Waihi Beach, on the East Coast of New Zealand's North Island. At the harbour entrance, over a long sandbar there are rolling waves which stretch for miles. When you get tide against the current, some good peaks form and it's super nice to ride the swell there with this backdrop of NZ Native Bush, the pine trees of Matakana Island and a long sandy beach. It's my home.
"For me, wave-riding is more just fun and enjoyable but doesn't need to be competition. I want to go to the wave-riding comp in Dakhla, Morocco, this year – but the racing side is my priority.
“Aside from the excitement one of the things I like about racing is that in terms of results, it's black and white. Either you won or made a mistake, and you're accountable. "
After his stint in Mauritius, Jeremiah returned to Europe for the GWA Freestyle comp in Tarifa. "I got back into the swing of it, then landed a big backflip and felt something go. It turns out I broke my foot again in the same place. Again, I got X-rays, but nothing showed up. When I returned to NZ, an MRI showed my foot was still broken. It's a big operation to fix, and for the amount of time I'd have to spend out of the water, I decided to just keep going. The op is not necessarily going to make it pain-free. I spent six months off last year – I want some time riding."
Jeremiah came from a competitive rowing background. When he left school, he was passionate about watersports and decided to do an IKO course. "For a while, I was teaching kiteboarding, getting paid to be in the water (my dream job). With kite and wingfoilcoaching, I get excited to share the stoke and get people out into nature again – even in the city. For lots of people, it's life-changing.
"My coaching philosophy is that it has to be fun and enjoyable. I always start by trying to familiarise my students with the conditions, as many people need help understanding how the wind and the ocean work.
"Then I like to understand what we're trying to focus on and give drills on the beach, so students know what they will be working on while on the water. People can be stressed out and lack the energy or capacity to process new information when on the water."
Jeremiah has been working with North on a new Learn to Foil course for Clubs, Schools and Activity Centres.
"The North Learn to Foil course is designed for instructing up to three people at once, so it is a more enjoyable and social way to learn. It can be overwhelming having an expert instructor telling you to do something and being the only one who can't do it – it's much easier when someone else is failing with you and having a laugh about it."
- Jeremiah McDonald -
Jeremiah says adding skateboarding and tow-foiling to the mix when teaching people how to foil, while not strictly necessary, does give people a better understanding.
"It makes the journey more manageable. By breaking each new skill into bite sized steps it makes the journey more manageable.
It gives more time to focus on each individual component before moving on and it gives the student a better gauge of how they are progressing. This allows the students to come away with a real sense of achievement, which always make a more rewarding journey. And it means you come away feeling like you have achieved something – which is vital for people to want to do it again.
"It's also great not having to think about whether you have the right equipment when you're starting. The Learn to Foil Academy will use all the best gear – including the Seek Air inflatable board and the new MA1850v2 Front Wing."
See Jeremiah's Bio here.
