They can be seen any day the wind is above 10 knots. Vivid, colorful sails dancing across the wavetops as elegantly as ballerinas spinning through a theater.

At one Treasure Coast spot, several different kinds of lovers of wind sports assemble for sessions on the nearshore waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Windsurfers and kite boarders have been joined in recent years by those who enjoy a relatively new sailing discipline — wing foiling.

All gather to absorb the wind while slicing through the water, launching themselves from wave crests into aerial vaults and skimming across the teal and blue sea at 40 mph.

Kite boarders love it windy:Kite-boarders brave Tropical Storm Isaias at Stuart Beach, bystanders watch in awe

Olympic sailors from Fort Pierce:U.S. Sailing Olympic Team has 9 members either from or training in Florida for Tokyo 2021

Access is important:Martin County blocks most Indian River Lagoon access from Stuart, Jensen causeway beaches

Damien LeRoy and Gwen Le Tutour have traveled the world competing in and enjoying wind sports. On LeRoy's YouTube channel on Dec. 13, the two revealed their three favorite spots to wing foil in the United States.

Wing foil uses a special board similar to a surfboard, but instead of having a skeg to steer, it has a foil underneath which pushes it up out of the water when it reaches speed. To harness the wind, the rider uses a sail inflated with air and attached to his or her body with a cord.

It's a little different than windsurfing where the sail is connected to the board and different than kitesurfing where the rider uses a kite system and board attached to his or her feet to maneuver, ride and perform aerial acrobatics.

San Francisco in California and the Hood River in Oregon rated third and second, respectively, on LeRoy and Le Tutour's list. But No. 1 on the pair's list, which may have come as a surprise to some, was none other than Fort Pierce.

"Fort Pierce has special conditions where its smoother closer to shore and perfect for learning, but you can get a good swell farther out and catch the most crazy waves," Le Tutour said on the nearly 13-minute video. 

"The place has beautiful parking, a nice beach and a long jetty which creates the flat water," LeRoy added. "Florida can be up and down with the wind. San Francisco and Hood River may offer more consistent wind conditions, but Fort Pierce's warmer water is good and a top rider can have a ride last longer than you can you ever imagine."

Le Tutour said one viewer commented on a highlight video he posted asking if he was wing foiling in Hawaii. It was, in fact, Fort Pierce.

The Sunrise City, known for world class fishing, cattle and the one-time heart of the Indian River Grapefruit growing region, has developed a reputation among wind sports enthusiasts, said Adam Locke, a Fort Pierce resident who windsurfs and kitesurfs along with his wife and daughters.

"The Fort Pierce Inlet Jetty creates flat water during north winds which makes the south side of the inlet a world class wind sports location. There's often no shore break and so the flat water at the waterline makes it ideal for beginners while the reef just beyond the jetty makes it ideal for experienced riders who want to be challenged by big waves," Locke said.

Kelly Adams, 31, of Jensen Beach moved to the seaside town six years ago where she opened up Bunk House Coffee Bar. She has been wing foiling now for more than six months and recommends it anyone who, like her, was seeking an activity to enjoy on the local waterways.

"I came from Sand Point in Northern Idaho having never been in the ocean before. I like that wing foiling gets me outside into nature with a fun outlet," Adams said. "I've now seen families and kids doing it. It's literally something anyone can do. It's changed my life."

Adams said she also loves the community of wing foilers and others who enjoy wind sports.

"The community is encouraging, friendly and supportive," she said.

Adams said it's good to start with safety equipment like an impact vest and helmet. But wing foiling still has less gear than kitesurfing enabling her to get out for quick hourlong sessions at Stuart Causeway when the wind is right.

"It's fun because you can wing foil when there are very light winds, but it's more fun to do on a windy day," said Adams who is up to wing foiling about five times a week.

Ed Killer is TCPalm's outdoors writer. Sign up for his and other weekly newsletters at profile.tcpalm.com/newsletters/manage. Friend Ed on Facebook at Ed Killer, follow him on Twitter @tcpalmekiller or email him at ed.killer@tcpalm.com.