Chasing Bumps: The Thrill of Downwinding in the Gorge

Posted by

TJ Gulizia

November 3, 2026

On November 3, 2026

Tre Hendricks SUP foiling downwind, winter edition: long narrow board, high-aspect foil, paddle in hand, snow on the banks. Photo: Bob Stawicki.

By T.J. Gulizia

There’s nothing quite like it: the wind at your back, the river stacking up into rolling bumps, and a few miles of Gorge between you and the takeout.

Downwinding didn’t start with foils for me. It started on a kite and a surfboard. You could jump and slash your whole way from point A to point B without ever worrying about getting back upwind.

T.J. Gulizia kite downwinding in the eastern Columbia River Gorge. Photo: Gorge-Us Photography

Me kite downwinding out east, boosting my way from point A to point B. Photo: Gorge-Us Photography.

How We Got Here

That rolled into the downwind SUP days, when we paddled 12’6″ to 14′ boards down the river. Downwind SUP opened the door to something new: a way to get from point A to point B that didn’t need much wind at all.

Erin Gates downwind paddling a SIC Bullet 12'6" SUP in the Columbia River Gorge. Photo: Bob Stawicki

The downwind SUP days: Erin Gates on her SIC Bullet 12’6″. Photo: Bob Stawicki.

Then came the foil. In 2017 GoFoil released the Maliko, a big blue whale of a foil, and it was the tool we needed to ride bumps downwind in the Gorge. It changed the landscape forever.

T.J. Gulizia SUP foiling on a GoFoil Maliko in the Columbia River Gorge. Photo: Gorge-Us Photography

Me on Big Blue, the GoFoil Maliko that started SUP foil downwinding in the Gorge. Photo: Gorge-Us Photography.

Today, three different tools are driving the downwind craze here:

SUP foil: a long, narrow board, a fast high-aspect foil and a paddle in hand.
Wing and parawing: downwinding with a wing is fun and doable, but the parawing is what really joined the party. You can ride a smaller board, then stow the wing in a pouch and go hands free.
eFoil and e-Assist: want an even smaller board? Add a battery and a propeller. This is the ultimate freedom for cranking turns in the swell, no strings attached.

Let’s go through each one and see which suits you best, starting with the SUP foil.

SUP Foil: Downwind Simplicity

SUP foiling is downwinding at its simplest: a board, a foil and a paddle. No kite, no wing, no lines. Wind at your back is nice to have, and the stronger the gusts, the better. More wind builds bigger bumps, and bigger bumps make it easier to get up and stay up.

Let’s be honest: there’s no place in the world where SUP foiling is easy. But the Gorge gives you your best chance. When the westerlies blow against the Columbia’s current, the river lines up into steady, rideable bumps, mile after mile. That’s why riders come from all over to learn here.

And it’s not just a summer thing anymore. With a good hooded wetsuit, gloves and booties, SUP foilers are out on the river year round, even with snow on the banks.

Walker Hendricks SUP foiling on swell at the Hatchery in the Columbia River Gorge with a paddle. Photo: Bob Stawicki

Walker Hendricks, aka McFlowi, attacking swell at the Hatchery with the paddle, his downwind tool of choice. Photo: Bob Stawicki.

The board:
shorter than you’d think

We’re lucky here in the Gorge. Our bumps stack up steep and don’t move as fast as open-ocean swell, so we get to ride relatively short boards. Most of us paddle something in the 7′ to 8′ range here. When we head to Maui, we bring the big guns, 8′ to 9′, because you need the extra board speed to chase the ground swell.

The foil:
summer 800, winter 1000

Anything from about 700 to 1000+ cm² works, depending on the day. In summer, the average size is around an 800, something like an Armstrong HA 880. In winter we bump up to around 1000 cm², like the Armstrong HA 1080, because we’re riding the east wind. When the wind blows east, the river current is moving the same direction as the wind, so the bumps are softer and you want more lift.

The paddle:
foil specific

Use a foil-specific paddle, cut to roughly head height, with a big teardrop blade. Those big, quick strokes are what get you up and onto your first bump.

Safety

A waist leash, a PFD and a buddy. And wear something bright (Be Seen).

It’s been a fun ride watching SUP foiling evolve over the years, from Big Blue to today’s fast, high-aspect wings. There have been too many memorable sessions to list.

Wing and Parawing: Let the Wind Do the Work

Downwinding with a wing has gotten way better than it used to be. When winging took off back in 2019, the idea was simple: use the wing to pop up on foil, then downwind with ease, instead of the struggle fest the paddle was for most of us. But those early wings were unstable, and managing one on a downwinder felt like a wrestling match.

Nowadays the wings drift effortlessly. Some are designed around downwinding and surf foiling, like the Duotone Float. Flag it out, let it float, and ride the bump.

Wyatt Miller wing foil downwinding with a KT wing in the Columbia River Gorge. Photo: Bob Stawicki

Wyatt Miller downwinding with a KT wing: flag it out, let it float, and ride the bump. Photo: Bob Stawicki.

The board:
the rise of the midlength

Wing boards generally run between 5′ and 6′ long. As downwinding caught on, they got slimmer and longer and turned into a whole new category: the midlength, mostly in the 5’6″ to 6’6″ range. That extra length gets you up faster on a smaller handheld wing.

The parawing:
smaller, then stowed

The push to ride as small a wing as possible led to the parawing. It was first developed on Maui as the Pocket Wing. Today it’s the tool of choice for the downwind elite here in the Gorge. Once you’re up and linking bumps, you pack it down, put it in your pouch, and surf your way downwind without the wing getting in the way.

Tre Hendricks flying a BRM Maliko parawing to get up on foil in the Columbia River Gorge. Photo: Bob Stawicki

Tre Hendricks surfing downwind hands free with his BRM Maliko parawing stashed. Photo: Bob Stawicki

Tre Hendricks on the original parawing, the BRM Maliko: fly it to get up and going (left), then stash it and surf the bumps hands free (right). Photo: Bob Stawicki.

eFoil and e-Assist: If There Are Bumps, We Ride

In comes the e-Assist: the battery-powered, prop-pushing downwind option that’s just now creeping onto the scene. With the motor mounted high on the mast, popping up is even easier. And with battery tech getting better every year, the boards keep getting smaller and lighter.

Duotone, Foil Drive, Lift and a newcomer, RIIFT (coming to Big Winds this winter), mean you don’t even have to check the wind anymore. If there are bumps, we will ride!

T.J. Gulizia riding a Duotone Electric Assist on a 5'5" Midfish in the Columbia River Gorge

Me on the Duotone Electric Assist with a 5’5″ Midfish: a small board, a battery and a prop, and every bump is yours.

The secret sessions:
when the wind dies

Wind is what drives the swell, but some of the best sessions come when the wind dies and the leftover swell glasses off. Some of my best downwind sessions are early morning or late evening, when the wind is junk and the whole river is mine, with zero traffic to dodge.

Which One Is Right for You?

There’s no “best” way to downwind the Gorge. Each tool opens a different door, and plenty of us ride all four depending on the day. The right one for you comes down to what kind of days you want to chase, how much you want to carry, and what you want to spend.

	SUP Foil	Wing	Parawing	e-Assist
Wind needed	Some. The stronger the gusts, the better	Yes	Yes	None. Just bumps
Board	7′ to 8′ downwind SUP foil board	5′ to 6′ wing board	5’6″ to 6’6″ midlength	Small, like a 5’5″ Midfish
What’s in your hands	A paddle	A handheld wing	A parawing on a bar, then stowed in a pouch	A remote, or a watch/ring
The learning curve	The steepest, but the Gorge gives you your best shot	The friendliest way to get up and going	Easiest once you can already wing or foil	The easiest pop-up of all
Best for	Simplicity: just a board, a foil and a paddle	Riders who already wing and want to start downwinding	Hands-free surfing on a small board	Glassy mornings and evenings, any wind or none
Example setup	$7426	$5241	$6760	$7390

What a Setup Costs

Here’s what a complete example setup looks like for each, at today’s bigwinds.com prices.

Want the lightest, stiffest e-Assist? Step up to the Duotone eMast D/LAB Assist Set ($4648, no adapter needed) for $8591 total.

Prices as of November 2026. Sizes are examples; we’ll help you dial in the right board, foil and wing for your weight and the days you ride.

Not sure where to start? Come by the shop, tell us how you like to ride, and we’ll set you up. And if you’re new to downwinding, ride with a buddy and wear something bright.

T.J. Gulizia is a co-owner of Big Winds in Hood River, Oregon. Come by 207 Front Street or call 541-386-6086.