Foiling Magazine #10 Free

I S S U E

KING RIVER

MATT ELSASSER & THE GORGE

# 1 0

MR BRIGHTSIDE

AN ADAM BENNETTS INTERVIEW

FUN CENTRAL

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C OV E R : Linus Pünder makes it to Ericeira, Portugal for a sundowner session after six weeks on the road traveling through France and Spain. A homecoming of sorts, as Linus learnt to surf here.

Photo: Guilherme Melo Ribeiro

HERE Imagine you’re visiting Earth for the first time from some arid desert planet at the edge of the solar system, and this is what you first encounter… kiteboarding legend Aaron Hadlow enjoying some solitary wing cruising in light winds, over clear waters, just offshore from a world-class surf break somewhere in the mid-Atlantic. Our planet is a blue oasis amongst the stars, and it’s a fact we should never, ever take for granted. Photo: Alex Revers

CONTENTS F

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112

120

KI NG RI VER

MR B RIGH TS IDE

Matt Elsasser admits the Columbia River

Adam Bennetts is best known for his

Gorge lost its luster to him somewhat after

hard-carving turns and effortless steez when

a spell spent amongst the world-class

he’s on the water, and a lighthearted attitude

waves of Hawaii. But then along came

along with some pretty solid DJing skills

foiling to change all that, and the river was

when he’s not. Foiling Magazine contributor

once again front and center in his water-

Paul Burnett sat down with Adam to find out

loving life. Jack Ho wanted in on the river

exactly how he became one of the best surf

swells action, and dropped Matt a line…

foilers of his generation.

128

138

146

F UN CENTRAL

E AST COAST U LT RA

L E GE NDS ON L AK E P OW E LL

Outside of Maui’s winter storm season,

As he was adjusting to a slightly more

Friends Mike Murphy (inventor of the

Olivia Jenkins and Annie Reickert have to

changeable climate outside of his native

Airchair) and Armstrong’s Armie Arm-

get imaginative to find their big wave foil

California, our Contributing Editor Kjell

strong came together on Lake Powell for

fix. But a phone call with James Jenkins

van Sice found a window to meet up with

five days of foil fusion, collaboration, and a

made things pretty clear indeed, and their

Fliteboard’s Rudi Miklosvary, for a road

bit of a jolly in the sunshine. Joining them

sights were set on just one place: Nicara-

trip that took in some classic east coast

on the boat were top wake and sit-down

gua. It wasn't as easy to get there as they

American scenery on their way to test out

foilers, Austin Tovey, Noah Flegel, Alvaro

had hoped, but it was definitely worth it…

Fliteboard’s new Ultra eFoil. No sign of Paul

Lewin and the Narans brothers.

McCartney though, sadly.

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28 EX POS UR E / 6 6 UP LOA D E D : PAT H WAYS / 70 R I S I N G U P : KA DEN P R I TCHA R D / 74 EY EW I TN E SS : ENG LIS H C H A N N E L C R OSS I N G / 76 S EC R ET S P OT / 8 0 THE LOW DOW N : STA R B OA R D X A I R U S H 82 T H E OU T E R BA N KS : D R E A MY C H O COL ATE WAV E L A N D, KOL D KOAST / 96 DY N A M I C S : TO B U I L D A FOIL / 104 GO O D ST UF F / 15 6 BAC KSTORY: F R EEDOM F OI L B OA R DS / 1 62 THE 1 01 : DOW N W I N D S U P F OILING PA R T 2 / 16 6 W E A P O N O F C H O I CE: M ATHI S G HI O / 1 68 R ED L ETTER DAY: VAV E’A , B OX F R E S H , M ISS I O N TO MA R S , SW E L L S E AS ON / 1 92 TESTED / 2 02 TEST S ESS I ON S / 2 04 I N B OU N D 2 2 0 F O R E S I GH T: T H E BO UY ER B R OTHER S / 2 24 THE DEVOTED: DA N I EL K ER EOPA 228 STATE OF P L AY: S KY L A R L I CK L E

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ED I TOR IA L

EDITORIAL It’s that time of year again in my little corner of the world – the sun reveals itself significantly less, the stiff and increasingly chilly onshore winds become the rule, and the seasonal rainstorms are back, with a vengeance. A beard is in the offing, and my favorite chunky wool jumper, infused with actual sheep smell, just emerged from the wardrobe after a six-month hiatus.

Therefore, it’s somewhat of a comfort at this point in the year to know that, when I get into my office each morning and power up the desktop, awaiting me will be a raft of exotic images fired toward my email account from distant corners of the world – corners that generally aren’t being blasted by Atlantic wind and weather, where glorious shades of blue form the canvas on which expert foil riders playfully pump into languid inshore rollers, ride endless wake lines caused by paddle steamers, or charge immense outer reef swells.

Go see pages 110 and 164 for examples of that.

Granted, I do also get a good chunk of content from the high north too, where the weather (and most certainly the sea temperature) is even less inviting than my own at this time of the year. Where intrepid types encased in thick neoprene confront flint-grey skies, frigid and choppy seas, and bravely take the occasional pelting by precipitation of varying densities. Our article out of Denmark by Mario Rodwald on page 88 was one of the more moderate days, apparently…

The point I’m coming to in a very, very roundabout way is that, regretfully, it’s not all that often that we give enough credit to those who are out there bagging the shots that make up the majority of the square inches covered by this magazine, sat there in those unread emails of joy that await me each morning, often with subject headers that boost my stoke levels before I’ve even downloaded the zip file.

I’m talking about the humble photographer – an arguably more refined position since the advent of decent phone cameras – but certainly a profession which this magazine is utterly reliant upon.

And humble is the word. Honestly, the number of times I’ll have photographers send over work which they prefix with “not my best work” or “see what you think, and if you don’t like any that’s fine!” and upon opening them up I’m presented with a neatly curated selection of absolute bangers. Or they might just show up in a WeTransfer link with no intro whatsoever – but that’s cool…

I’m happy for anyone to let their work speak for itself.

Sure, I do get plenty of stuff that won’t make it into the mag too. It’s par for the course. But I’ve no issue with that – whatever a photographer’s proficiency level in shooting good foil shots, the fact is they’re still out there trying, and I am extremely grateful that they are. That one lucky glint of gold amongst a raft of out-of-focus misfires still has the potential to make a cover (to be clear, I'm not referring to this issue's cover. This was from a batch of sunset shots by Guilherme Melo Ribeiro that was extremely hard to pick from...)

I don’t want to make too much of hitting our 10th issue, stoked as I am that we’ve got this far thanks to all of you who’ve supported us to date. But I do want to dedicate this one to all those who are out there risking a foil in the face, cracked water housings, memory card miseries, battery failures, a week’s work lost to a corrupted file or just an email full of bangers that never finds its way out of an over-zealous spam filter. You lot, with your commitment to what you do for this magazine and the sport in general, have my absolute respect... Please keep sending the emails.

Enjoy the issue.

Cai Waggett E DITOR

L E F T Pascal van der Mast enjoys some late evening summer glass at home in the Netherlands...

Photo: Andy Troy

E D I TO R I A L

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A K D U R A B L E S U P P LY C O . C O M

Rider: Jack Ho Photo: Matty Leong

PRODUCTION TEAM Editor: Cai Waggett Editor-in-Chief: Alex Hapgood Sub-editor: Sarah Sylvester Art Director: Nikki Hall Assistant Director: Daryl Dibsdall Digital Marketing: Tom Weyers Technical Editor: Richard Boughton Contributing Editor: Kjell Issey van Sice CONTRIBUTORS Aaron Hadlow, Adam Bennetts, Adrian Geislinger, Adrian Roper, Alex Revers, Alvaro Lewin, Amanda Beenen Cantor, Andrew Court, Andy Troy, Annie Reickert, Antoine Badin, Austin Tovey, Balz Müller, Brian Caserio, Brian Solano, Bryan Metcalfe-Perez, Carla Herrera Oria, Cecile van Sice, Chris Sayers, Christa Funk, Christian Souchet, Clinton Filen, Colin Smith, Dale Staples, Damien Girardin, Dan Jenkins, Dan Knight, Dane Wilson, Daniel Kereopa, Dominik Leitner, Dylan Wichmann, Eric Duran, Erik Aeder, Evan Mavridoglou, Fabio Picinato, Felix von Essen, Foivos Tsoupras, Frithjof Blaasch, Georgia Schofield, Giancarlo Escobedo Flores, Graham Wiles, Guilherme Melo Ribeiro Jack Ho, James Boulding, James Casey, Jerome Cloetens, Joe Karren, Jonathan Pooley, Josh Berry, Julien Bouyer, , Kaden Pritchard, Kari Schibevaag, Keahi de Aboitiz, Kyle Cabano, Laci Kobulsky, Lauritz Kuntscher, Linus Pünder Leon Struppek, Linus Kriwat, Mala'e McElheny, Mario Entero, Mario Rodwald, Mateo Ell, Mathis Ghio, Matt Elsasser, Matt Manzari, Matty Leong, Maxim van der Mast, Mike Murphy, Moona Whyte, Nate Volk, Nathan van Vuuren, Nils Rosenblad, Olivia Jenkins, Parker Lindsey, Paul Burnett, Pauline le Meur, Pawel Buuczek, Pietro Kiaulehn, Pio Marasco, Raiarii Fadier, Ridge Lenny, Rio Imperato, Rob Wylie, Romain Simmonot, Ronny Kiaulehn, Ryan Taylor, Sam Brisby, Samuel Tomé, Scott Sinton, Sebastian Kanzler, Skylar Lickle, Steve Tobis, Stijn Vanoverbeke, Sven Rasmussen, Tatiana Grant, Tom Court, Tom Soupart, Trent Carter, Wyatt Miller, Zane Schweitzer ADVERTISING All advertising enquiries can be sent to advertising@thefoilingmagazine.com SUBMISSIONS We’re always on the hunt for foil adventurers who can write and/or take a good photo. Please send your pitch or previous examples of articles photography to hello@thefoilingmagazine.com COPYRIGHT All material in Foiling Magazine is subject to copyright. Reproduction without the express permission of the publishers will result in prosecution.

PUBLISHER Foiling Magazine is published by Water Born Media Limited in Hayle, Cornwall.

United Kingdom ENVIRONMENTAL This magazine is printed on paper sourced from responsibly managed sources using vegetable based inks. Both the paper used in the production and the manufacturing process are PEFC™ certified.

FIND US HERE @foilingmagazine foilingmagazine thefoilingmagazine.com

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R IDE R Moona Whyte LO C ATIO N North Shore, Hawaii P HOTO GR A P HE R Christa Funk Moona: After spending a month surfing head high, mile long rights in Mexico, I returned home to summer in Hawaii: ankle biters max, on the North Shore. Surely I’d be too spoiled to really have fun in that, right? Fueled by leftover adrenaline begging me to go fast down the line, I picked up my Mantis wing and a foil and hopped into the blasting trade winds. Barely breaking one footers turned into powerful, slingshotting runners under my wing. Sometimes all it takes is a different craft and a change of perspective to score some mile long rides right here at home.

E XP OS UR E

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R I D E R Tom Soupart LO C AT I ON Knokke-Heist, Belgium P HOTO GR A P HE R Stijn Vanoverbeke Tom: It’s been a wet and cold summer season in Belgium’s North Sea, but a few days of a September heatwave called for action. Blue bird skies, a huge sunset, and glassy conditions got us going. There was no swell or any wind, but the jet ski at ‘Surfers Paradise’ lined us up for some flat-water pumps and turns. Foiling is still pretty fresh to our area, so we were pretty happy with the results, both the riding and the talent behind the camera.

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RIDE R Raiarii Fadier LOCATI O N Tahiti P H OTOGRAP H E R Pauline Le Meur Raiarii: Friday 13th, and a big swell was hitting. I arrived at the spot, and I saw some guy towing in on a surfboard. It was big, hollow, and it was scary, but I wanted to get some waves. I went for a first one to warm up, then went back out to wait for a big one. The wave came, my friend on the ski said to me, “Here it is…”. I couldn’t see the wave very well but said OK, and we picked up some speed, and I let the rope go. I tried to keep a good line then I saw the wave was starting to catch me, so I changed my line to get forward of the wave. But that was my mistake, big waves are really fast and I got caught by the lip… But still, that was one of the best experiences of my life!

RIDE R Foivos Tsoupras LOCAT ION Lake Selent, Germany PHOTO GRAP H E R Leon Struppeck Foivos: In summer, the Baltic Sea is mostly full of seaweed, which makes foiling quite tough. But thanks to the foil we are able to surf spots which are not usually of interest to me as a windsurfer. The Lake Selent is the second biggest in Schleswig-Holstein, and has amazing sundowners and a really unique scenery. I’m more than happy that foiling is proving to be the best summer sport!

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Kai Lenny by Paul Karaolides, on Drifter S, available in 4’4”, 4’8”, 4’10”, 5’0”. ktsurfing.com, @ktsurfing

RI DE R Maxim van der Mast LOCAT ION Domburg, Netherlands PHOTOGRAP H E R Andy Troy Maxim: My brother called me one evening and said that the foiling conditions were going to be extraordinary at our local spot. With my new Cloud IX fresh out of the box I didn't hesitate to join the party. It was one of those rare summer’s evenings with clean waves and a light offshore breeze. I was really in my element and was looking to push the limits. We foiled until long after the sun had set. Definitely one of the better sessions this year!

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RIDE R Kari Schibevaag LOC AT ION Lofoten, Norway P H OTOGRAP H E R Pawel Buuczek (Schibevaag Adventure) Kari: I jumped out at Sakrisøy Rorbuer in Lofoten, where I have my water sport center, and then went winging in Reinefjorden. Sakrisøy is a famous place for kayaking and stand-up-paddling, but this summer there has been a lot of wind, so the wing has been a helpful thing to have around. This was a particularly good day in August, when the wind came over the mountains and hit the fjord. It’s not a place to kiteboard because there are rocks all over the place and the wind is almost always gusty. But with the wing you just don’t care. It was one of those days when the sun finally came out and the fog stayed away. No-one else in the ocean and the fjord to myself.

E XPOS U R E

RIDE R Mala'e McElheny LOCAT ION North Shore, O'ahu PHOTOGRAP H E R @foilcountry Mala'e: This was an exciting day learning to back flip. It was great to use the 3.5m Slick because it feels like the perfect size for me and the boom provides a lot of control over the wing. I tried two flips the day before, but then the wind died. I was super happy to make a pretty clean one by the fourth try. The Spencers, and others like Balz, have been flipping for quite a while, but it still feels awesome to figure it out! The wingers around the world are amazing and it is cool the top riders continue to show us what is possible with the wing.

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RIDE R Dale Staples LOCAT ION St Francis Bay, South Africa PH OTOGRAP H E R Graham Wiles Dale: This image was taken by Graham at my home break Hullets in St Francis Bay, South Africa. It’s one of those perfect waves for foiling where it breaks out the back and reforms along the inside reef with a proper wall where you can connect as many waves as possible, so it’s one of my favorite waves to foil! This session was during an AK Durable Supply Co surf, foil and kite trip, so I was fortunate to be foiling with some legends!

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RIDE R Tom Court LOCAT ION Southampton, UK PHOTO GRAP H E R Rich Boughton Tom: This was shot in Southampton harbor, one of the busiest shipping channels in the UK, surrounded by boats at the Southampton Boat show.

I was tasked with the job, alongside Glyn Ovens, to put on Fliteboard demonstrations out the front of the show. Designated a small stretch of water, sandwiched between the twisted metal of the old pier, red funnel terminal and the flashy new boats of the boat show. It was a tight area in which to display the true potential of a Fliteboard, however we managed to pull it off without dramas. By the time you get to 55km per hour on a board, the space gets very small, very quickly!

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R IDE R Mario Rodwald LOCATI ON Flamingo Vlei, Cape Town PHOTOGRAP H E R Samuel Tomé Mario: There are weeks in Cape Town when the swell really kicks in and shows its gnarly side. On a kite it might be scary facing a four-meter wall but you can always hop over or turn in a second. On a wing however it´s a whole different story. Even a head-high wave can beat you up pretty good with your foil gear. This was one of those scary days and I enjoyed the safe haven of the Flamingo Vlei. The little lake is the perfect beginner spot for any windsurfer and wing foiler. And the great thing is that the Cape Doctor kicks in an hour earlier than Big Bay!

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RIDE R Ridge Lenny LOC AT ION Kanaha, Maui P H OTOGRAP H E R Brian Solano Ridge: Brian is one of my favorite photographers to work with because he is always keen to push both of our comfort levels when it comes to nailing a shot. For this particular session the goal was to boost extremely close to shore while Brian's son, Lane, held a big strobe to light me up as the sun went down. It took some trial and error and a couple slams onto dry sand, but we ended up with some shots we are super proud of.

E XPOS U R E

R I D E R Carla Herrera Oria LO C AT I ON Tarifa, Spain P HOTO G R A P HE R Sebastian Kanzler Carla: This shot is taken at my home spot, Balneario, Tarifa, and that's my partner Rodri boosting overhead. Over the years, this spot has become more and more popular, and it normally gets crowded and it's difficult to get some time for just the two of us… and then that morning happened and we had a blast! I had a super nice session on my Ocean Rodeo Glide HL-Series 5m and even got in some new tricks…

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RIDE R Trent Carter LOCAT ION East Cape, Baja California Sur P H OTOGRAP H E R Eric Duran Trent: This session had some of the best foiling conditions that the East Cape could provide. Long period 5-8 foot waves rolling into the point on one of the first south swells of the spring set the scene for an epic session. The wind bump from earlier in the day gave way to offshore wind that made for some perfect waves. It was my first time SUP foiling in almost a year but the board was super stable. After a couple of waves, I got comfortable on the new board and started to push on it, making for a phenomenal session.

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RIDE R Dylan Wichmann LOCAT ION Silkies, South Africa PHOTOGRAP H E R Kyle Cabano Dylan: When Kyle moved back to Strand earlier this year, I saw some pictures of him foiling at what looked to be the perfect foil wave. The wave has an outer bank about 50 meters from shore where the waves start to break before fading out and eventually hitting the shore break. On this particular day, I was at my university campus in Stellenbosch, when Kyle let me know that Silkies was pumping. Luckily I had all my foil gear in the car with me, so when I finished up for the day, I drove straight to the beach and we scored this epic session.

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RIDE R Jonathan Pooley LOCATI ON Guernsey, Channel Islands PHOTOGR AP H E R Bryan Metcalfe-Perez Jonathan: After a rare couple of weeks with no wind or waves on Guernsey, we took the foil boards out to tow behind a RIB on some smooth water between the islands. We couldn’t help noticing the waves rolling towards us from the passing ferry boats. We soon figured out how to slot the rider on to the wake so they could drop the rope and ride the endless wave. It’s a twomile crossing from Guernsey to Herm, and we managed some mile-plus rides.

It seemed to entertain the passengers, looks like the skipper was filming us from the wheelhouse too!

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RIDE R Zane Schweitzer LOC AT ION Oneloa Bay, Maui P H OTOGRAP H E R Erik Aeder Zane: I think the Nitro Freewing is the most exciting wing to hit the market yet with incredible performance and control from a new innovative technology that we have helped design called the “Ho’okipa” material.

This innovation is not only allowing for performance and control but also gives a unique sensation of a light feel in the hands despite the on-demand power. One of the key features of the Nitro that allows for these gains is the Ho’okipa material that can hold a much higher pressure, therefore translating to rigidity and a unique responsive feel with on demand power you can notice as soon as you start to pump the wing allowing for early flight…

R IDE R Pietro Kiaulehn LOCATI ON Lake Garda, Northern Italy PHOTO GRAP H E R Ronny Kiaulehn Pietro: That was a very special day for me. It was the first time I was officially riding my Naish gear and the first day as a member of the international Naish team. The location is north Lake Garda, the place I grew up. The part of Lake Garda where I am winging is called Ponal – the same names as the valley that comes down to the lake. It is so beautiful. That day I was out with my dad taking these shots to announce my team membership as a Naish rider.

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RIDE R Mateo Ell LOC AT ION Hood River P H OTOGRAP H E R Nate Volk Mateo: I had an amazing trip to Hood River, Oregon this past fall. If you don’t know by now, Hood River is one of the windiest places in the world. When there is wind, I usually end up winging. The Armstrong crew pulled up to The Hatchery, one of the places in the river where the swells are the biggest. It was about 15-20 knots and I decided to go out on a 3.5m A-wing, HA925, and my 4’5 board. I was practicing my backflips and Nate was able to pull this cool shot…

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RIDE R Balz Müller LOCATI ON Foil Festival 2021, Germany PHOTOGRAPH E R Frithjof Blaasch / Bulgenslag Frithjof: After many competitions had to be cancelled, a contest finally took place again in the summer of 2021. The contest was held as part of the “Foil Festival” at the Schönberger Strand under the leadership of the GWA. A good forecast for the announced race and freestyle disciplines attracted the top wingsurfers. Schönberger Strand is located on the Baltic Sea, an inland sea in Northern Europe, and has been my home spot for more than 18 years now. For me it was the chance to photograph the world's best wingsurfers at my home spot, so I just swam towards the competition zone during the contest while Balz Müller was warming up for his heat. After I was able to take some pictures of Balz, he winged directly into the competition zone and won his heat, as well as the event, later on.

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RIDE R Daniel Kereopa LOCAT ION Raglan, New Zealand PHOTOGRAP H E R Georgia Schofield Daniel: We waited for low tide to get tubed at this particular spot. It’s a super long left and long right. When the tide shifts, the barrels disappear, the waves still peel fast but a little softer and it’s perfect for foiling and going super fast on your gear. We had the North jet ski and Mike Raper from North was driving, and we towed for hours. We were the only towing/ surfing team out, and pretty chuffed to have the line-up to ourselves. We were letting go 150 meters out from the peak, gliding on the swells, before it hit the sand bar. Then we had to take the high line and commit to a crazy angle, near the lip, to just keep up with the wave. It was really exciting to feel the foil go faster and faster. We made some waves, we got bucked off some waves… it was very enjoyable time. A great day out testing North gear in my backyard, shared with friends.

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RIDE R Vinnicius Martins LOC AT ION Icaraizinho, Brazil P H OTOGRAP H E R Mario Nardy This picture was taken in Icaraizinho, a beautiful and small town in the northeast of Brazil. It was already late in the afternoon when we arrived there, during a road/downwind trip I was doing with my good friend and photographer Mario Nardy, but the wind was so good and the sunset was looking so special that we had to rush and set the foil and camera gear to get on the water! It was definitely worth it, the session was amazing and we ended up with great pictures like this one.

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RIDE R Steeve Fleury LOCAT ION Lake Silvaplana, Switzerland PH OTOGRAP H E R Marc Weiler Steeve: The sun was barely showing on Lake Silvaplana when we had an appointment for a little pumping session. The mayor let us build a cool dock for foilers in the spring. What an incredible chance to be able to share this moment at 1815m above sea level with the incredible athlete Balz Müller. I should not be in front of him in this shot, excuse me sir…

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RIDE R Josh Berry LO C AT ION Auckland, New Zealand P H OTOGRAP H E R Marc Weiler Josh: Another epic spring day of 30+ knots in Auckland, the City of Sails.

This session was pretty full on, we were lucky with the blue sky in the background, as squalls were coming and going. I saw this gust coming and I knew I had to go for the jump all the way. Stoked to pull that out of the bag, it felt pretty high. I was riding the 4.8m PPC wing and 4’4 Soar board.

The perfect combo.

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RI DER Tatiana Grant and Mateo Ell LO C AT ION Hood River PHOTOGRAP H E R Nate Volk Tatiana: Armstrong Foils flew me and fellow team rider, Mateo Ell, out to the Association of Wind and Water Sports Industries Board Sports Expo in Hood River, Oregon. During some of the downtime of the event, we experienced our first foil session behind a proper wake boat. While normal boats create a smaller wake, this boat had a built-in ballast system generating a larger wake resembling a standing wave. I will never forget the first wake the boat created as it left the harbor. Mateo and I looked at each other in pure stoke and simultaneously said, “EPIC!”. We spent the day weaving and carving between the first, second, and third wakes. A birthday I will always remember!

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R I D E R Dane Wilson LO C ATIO N Ventura, California P HOTO G R A P HE R Ryan Taylor Ryan: This was my first time shooting with Dane, I had messaged him about getting together to shoot and he mentioned they were going out in a couple days to catch some rare offshore winds in Ventura. We made the plan to get out at sunrise but the winds didn’t show. As we were about to switch gears from winging to prone at another break, the winds picked up. Within minutes we were in the water and Dane was catching waves. Between sets Dane threw a few airs that looked pretty rad. I had expected to shoot at golden hour, but the high sun made for some great black and white imagery.

E XPOS U R E

RI D E R Nathan van Vuuren LOCAT ION Big Bay, Cape Town PHOTOGRAPHER Ivan van Vuuren / Premier Productions Ivan: It’s been a privilege documenting many exotic locations around the world over the last 35 years of producing TV shows, movies and articles. Filming on the West Coast of South Africa is one of those places which can be totally breath-taking, but also have its hidden challenges. The sun sets directly over the Atlantic Ocean, and with this, most everything after midday is super bright with washed out colors and loss of detail. But the hidden secret is a few key minutes right before the sun fades out for the day, where the sky literally illuminates and everything comes alive. The next challenge is for the rider to line up a jump in exactly the right place at the perfect moment, and then hope that the camera settings are right and the focus is in. In this particular pic, Nathan flies out towards Robben Island, looks back to shore briefly to see the sun reflection off the telephoto lens, meaning that the framing is right, hooks into a gust, boosts and holds on to the Flysurfer 4.5 Mojo wing as long as possible to ensure enough frames are captured for that one epic sunset photo moment.

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E XPOS U R E

P H O T O G R AP H ER : SC O T T SIN T O N | R ID E R : D A N IE L K E R E O P A

Be the Water.

It Calls.

NORTHKB.COM

H YD ROFOI L PATHWAYS F E A T U R I N G

D A L E

S T A P L E S

There was plenty of good feeling in the office when this one got watched. A good insight into the former WQS rider, who’s worked out what works best

for him in his life as a professional waterman, and a father. We spoke with Dale to get some background on the film…

Nice video Dale. How did this come about?

good and foil when it’s not great for surfing, so they work handin-hand so you’re always in the water and making the most of all conditions.

Thanks so much – I’m very happy with how it came out. I was actually approached by the AK Durable Supply Co team with this idea and I was super stoked with what they came up with.

You talk of the perils of competitive surfing. Do you regret the time spent on that, or do you feel without it you wouldn't have had the epiphany you had?

I don’t regret the competitive side as I had some great times and really enjoyed it, but the losses and being a South African trying to accumulate the money to get to all the events with minimal backing is really hard, so the lows are really low… But I think that just made me a better person and made me appreciate other things in life.

How did you first come to foiling? Who introduced you to it?

I was actually out on my ski with Frank Solomon, tow foiling Dungeons [Cape Town’s big wave spot] and not knowing too much about it as I had never done it before. I tried to paddle into a sizey wave and got absolutely nailed and the foil got ripped out of the board, so that was a bummer! I then had to replace Frank’s foil so put out an Instagram post asking if anyone had a contact for a foil.

My mate Kyle Cabano got hold of me and put me in contact with the AK Durable Supply team, as he worked there, and they sorted us out with a setup each and from there I have been hooked.

We’ve heard from other pro surfers that they don’t necessarily see foiling as an alternative to surfing, but more like another tool in the arsenal to get out and have fun. Would you agree?

It’s definitely another tool in the arsenal. I surf when the waves are

Where are you riding in that film? Some pretty sick lefthanders in there…

It’s was all filmed in my home town of St Francis Bay and surrounding areas. There are some word class waves around there and I’ve been really spoiled with waves, especially with JBay around the corner.

What’s your favorite foil setup currently?

I’m really enjoying the 1300 High Aspect and the Phazer board by AK as I’m loving connecting as many waves as possible and enjoying the glide.

Do you miss the pro surfing lifestyle at all?

To be honest I don’t miss the WQS scene as you’re pretty much chasing shit waves 90% of the time! Now I’m enjoying my surfing way more, selecting speciality events I want to do and surfing good waves.

How’s the balance with riding, work, and your emerging family?

Does it get stressful at all?

I wouldn’t say it’s too stressful. It’s just about better time management at the moment, so I’m still getting my head wrapped around that with my small family and getting as much water time as possible. The hardest part now is to get my fiancé to sit on the beach and film me!

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Rider: Adrian Geislinger Photo: Benjamin Geislinger

KADEN PRITCHARD

If you want to see the epitome of winging stoke, just look at these shots of young Kaden Pritchard. Absolutely frothing on the sport, and passing those good vibes onto anyone he rides with, there’s no doubt Kaden is going to be one of the future shining lights of the sport …

PHOTOS: BRIAN CASERIO

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Hey Kaden! First up, tell our readers how old you are, where you live, and what you’re plans are for today…

Hi I am Kaden Pritchard. I just turned 12 years old. I live in Maui, Hawaii. My plan for today is to go surf at my favorite wave, Ho’okipa, which is five minutes away from my house. When I get back I am going to go winging with my grandpa at Upper Kanaha and have fun!

In order, which are your favorite foil disciplines and what do you love about them?

Wave riding is first on the list because it’s just so fun to really try to rip the wave to pieces. Downwinding is my second favorite because it’s just like riding a wave. Freestyle is my favorite thing to do when there’s a medium wind so you can get some height, but we only get days like that five to six times a month.

Where’s your local spot? Tell us about it and the crew you ride with.

My local spot is Ka’a Point. At Ka’a the crew are all my friends. It has the best waves for foiling – there are long rollers on the inside and steep waves on the outside. Since winging started there has been a crew down there every day when it’s windy. And basically I just hang out with who is there. Most of the time my friend Lane comes down to Ka’a. We have been going after school a lot so we are on the late session most of the time, but on the weekends we are there from 12-3.

Have you traveled much? If so, where’s your favorite spot outside of home?

I have not traveled much since the pandemic started but I went to California in July for three weeks and it was a blast. We went up and down and all around the coast. I winged at four different places and out of all of them I liked Arroyo Laguna the best. It has a good mix of wind and waves. I was super surprised by how windy it was and how good the waves were.

What’s your favorite gear setup?

4’0 Tabou board and a 2.8 meter Gaastra wing. The foil I am riding is a 36.5” in mast and a 12.5” short red tail, with the new GT 750 from GoFoil. I have been riding the setups for about one-and-a-half months and it has served me well. I have been trying some new prototype foils with Alex Aguera and learning a lot about foils with him.

I have been back and forth between foils, but this is my main set up.

Who have been your biggest influences?

Kai Lenny is my favorite winger, it is crazy how he goes out at Jaws and just sends it. Kai progresses so fast with any sport… he’s already doing back flips, front flips, and absolutely shredding in the waves.

Titouan Galea ties for first place as he is so good at freestyle and that double back flip that he did was insane! Titouan is always blowing my mind with every trick he does, he makes it look so easy and effortless.

Balz Müller does so many crazy tricks and is one of the best freestyle wingers in the world, alway pushing the limits with foiling.

Have you had any injuries while foiling?

Knock on wood, so far I have not had any major injuries. I have had some little scratches and little bruises but nothing major. I have been pounded pretty hard by some big waves. It can happen at any time, so you always have to be prepared.

It’s the year 2031... What’s Kaden Pritchard going to be up to in 10 years’ time?

Well in 2031 one no one knows what winging will be like then. I would want to be just the best I can be, maybe trying some double front loops, double backs, maybe even 1080s. It is just so fun doing this sport because the equipment is always getting better and the progression of the athletes is insane.

If you had the chance to go foil with one person, who would it be and why?

Titouan Galea, because he is maybe one of the best wingers out there. We saw Titouan out at Ho’okipa on the wing and he was boosting back flips and all kind of airs. It was crazy he made it look so easy.

I want to be able to wing like him and do all the tricks he is doing. He is also a very nice guy to be around, he is super friendly and gives some good tips.

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ET H E FE NOG L II SLH CIHNA N NGE L There are inherent perils in charging across one of the world’s busiest waterways aboard anything, and it’s definitely not a feat for those of a nervous disposition. Fliteboard rider Rob Wylie does like a challenge though…

This is the moment when months of planning our channel crossing attempt turned into getting our feet wet. Far off in the distance we could already see the white cliffs of Dover, I’ll be honest that at this point it didn’t feel possible, it looked such a long way.

PHOTOS: MARITIME FILMING

On August 12 I became the first person to cross the English Channel by eFoil. I was closely followed by my son Morgan, who joined me riding a second board. We set off from Cap Griz Nez, France at 11.20am UK time to take advantage of a following tide that would push us towards the Atlantic and then switch in direction towards the North Sea at the halfway point. The 37km crossing took 1 hour and 40 minutes of riding, and I arrived on the shingle beach at Folkstone harbour with only 4% battery remaining.

I’ve been riding a Fliteboard pretty much every day since 2018, but it was back in March 2021 that we started experimenting to see how far we could travel on a single charge. It didn’t take long to realize that the slower we would ride, the further we could travel. The trick is not to crash, because restarting uses a lot of battery power. Once we successfully reached 33km – the same distance as the channel in a straight line with no tide ¬– we knew it was possible and that inspired us to start planning the first ever channel crossing by eFoil.

The French coast in the background having just ridden through the tidal race off Cap Griz Nez. We quickly settled into a rhythm and tried to stay together, but when someone crashes you have to carry on, there is not enough battery to stop and wait.

To ride the channel took lots of planning. Getting a crew of six people in the right place at the right time with two support boats was a logistical nightmare. All that has to line up with the best wind, tide, and sea state you can manage. The summer of 2021 has been very bad in the UK so we had to be patient and flexible to find a weather window that would give us the best chance.

When the most promising day for weather arrived we were ready to go… And as soon as we set off from France we were thinking about battery life. Knowing that efficiency gains early on would pay back later, we stayed concentrated and focused on not falling or going off course, which was a big challenge in concentration. The sea state wasn’t ideal, not exactly waves but more like a lot of chop, coming from every direction and enough power and size to easily unbalance you. Seaweed was also a big issue, especially in the middle of the channel where it seems to collect into large ‘seaweed gardens’. Navigating through all this on the fly was tricky, I fell a few times hitting seaweed and other floating debris.

Other shipping traffic was not just a challenge but also a danger. We put the lead boat in charge of deciding if we go behind or in front of the ships in our path. Some of them are scary big…

After successfully making the crossing, it took a couple of days to sink in, to be first in anything is always special as a first cannot be repeated.

In many ways this is a technology achievement more than a human one, the finish line being the starting line for the further technological developments that we will see in the future...

E Y EW I TN E SS

My son Morgan riding as slow as possible to conserve the battery.

At these slow speeds (20kmh or less) the wing is a lot less stable, like an aircraft wing just about to stall. You can see the high angle of the board here.

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As your paths cross, making the decision to go in front or behind these monsters isn’t an easy one. We had constant VHF radio contact with the support boats to make sure everyone knew the plan.

The channel has three shipping lanes, it’s like running across a busy highway at rush hour.

In the middle of the channel there is a lot of seaweed, jellyfish and floating debris, which are all bad news for a foil. You need total concentration to avoid it all and be ready to thread your way through it without catching the foil and falling.

It’s a big relief when you get a chance to glance over your shoulder and see you’ve made it past something this size. These guys can’t stop or even change course, so it’s an extra stress for the crossing attempt. Swimming the channel must be terrifying!

When the English coast is this close you can start to feel the finish line. It was 112 years ago that Louis Bleriot became the first person to fly across the channel, I can get a small idea how he must have felt making a heavy landing in Dover.

Finally! A dream becomes reality, and to achieve it with my son amplified it a hundred times. Our two support boats sit and wait in the background. Big thanks to Tris at OTC for providing the safety cover.

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Wingfoiling is so much more than just a water sport, it is about experiencing new places on our oceans, no matter the conditions. When it all started I could not imagine the possibilities this sport has to offer. Flying over the ocean at spots like this one, that are completely off the radar, by myself... well, for someone who loves water sports such as myself, it's magic. And I guess I am addicted to it. Felix The magic of a secret spot is that only you and your friends know about it. Nowadays it is difficult with technology and social media to keep a site undiscovered by the masses. A clear example of freedom is this desolate and spectacular volcanic land that was active 15,000 years ago. It is in our hands to continue to maintain this spectacular place… Mario 77

S E C R E T S POT

New High Performance Foil Series coming soon! indiana-paddlesurf.com | info@whitewave.ch | A Brand of White Wave AG

Photo: @engadinwind.com & @marcweilerphotography

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BUILDING THE FREEWING AIR A perfectly timed collaboration between Starboard and Airush Kiteboarding saw them release the FreeWing AIR into a world that was curious about this new sport of wingfoiling… Cut to now, and the collab continues apace, with the FreeWing AIR v2 now on the market, the soon-to-be-released Nitro in the pipeline, and a world that’s hungry for everything wing. We got the lowdown from Svein Rasmussen (Starboard) and Clinton Filen (Airush) on how this partnership came to be, and where it’s headed…

T H E LOWDOWN

Firstly, where do the roots lie of you guys working together? Had you worked together before the FreeWing concept?

Svein: Clinton and I were both professional windsurfers, enjoying traveling the world and helping our sponsors develop cutting edge equipment from boards, fins, sails, masts, EVA textures, booms, even wetsuits and drysuits. We have a few lifetimes together in the water and in the equipment “think tanks”. In April 2004, Clinton joined our Airush R&D team in Perth as a designer and product manager, with Ben Severne who was our Airush kite designer at the time. We have been working closely on kiteboarding development and cross brand development for nearly 20 years.

How were the responsibilities divided up between the brands? Did either one of you take the lead on development?

Svein: Clinton took the lead on our FreeWing development with our Airush Kite designer, Mark Pattison. They started that early development in 2011 but this was prior to foiling, and we felt the FreeWing concept was perhaps not set for a huge take off, so the project was on ice for quite a while. Once back in action, our team here in Thailand had been lucky to receive loads of exciting prototypes to test in the lighter Thai wind conditions. It’s been a brilliant challenge for me to learn yet another water sport, and then be a

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part of its evolution. Over the years Clinton, Mark and I have developed a very productive process, we will all pick up onto various points on the product and input this into development.

For example, I might focus on the shape of wingtips and even the smallest details on a handle, while Clinton has been chasing new materials and Mark has been refining foil shapes and broader performance parameters with our team.

I understand you’re two continents apart, and a lot of the collaboration has taken place through a global shutdown. I take it Zoom calls have factored in pretty heavily.

Svein: Zoom and its competitors are life savers. After being on an intercontinental flight once or twice per month for 30 years, I celebrate wonderful sleep patterns, more time spent with Clinton due to frequent talks and all around a more efficient life. We connect better with the whole team and get more done.

What were the main benefits of your collaboration in terms of R&D and material knowledge?

Svein: Huge benefits, I will let Clinton elaborate on this.

Clinton: There is a wealth of knowledge within the R&D team from early product development through to refinement of the final products. As an example, we have been working on lightweight, stiffer kites and testing materials for over five years and much of this translates immediately into wings. Starboard has been developing the best inflatable boards for SUP for many years and have huge experience with new technology in high pressure seams and valve. This technology is immediately relevant, but that just scratches the surface. It’s all of that combined experience that has developed the best entry level equipment to World Championship-winning designs across three sports. All of the knowledge, design and development systems are all plugged into the FreeWing, resulting in supercharged development.

You’re now onto V2 of the FreeWing AIR. Have you made any significant discoveries from your collab, from a design point-ofview or even from a more objective level?

Clinton: The Air V2 is an amazing all-around product for us. I would say we are just getting warmed up with what we hope to bring to the wingboarding market, as there is really an open book of possibilities right now and we are exploring some very interesting avenues. The nature of our development locations with the lighter wind and very racing-oriented team working in Thailand brings certain ideas to the table, and then the team in Cape Town are more focused on waves, downwinding and stronger winds. They say we are products of our environment, so this gives you some idea of where we might go.

So is this collaboration between Starboard and Airush set to continue? And if so, what can you tell us...

Svein: From my side, working with Clinton and with Airush is the perfect setting, we complement each other in many ways.

Our goal is simply to develop the best FreeWing equipment ever, always have fun and get more people into water sports.

Clinton: Yes, we have already been working together on a few key new products. With the original Freewing Air remaining in the center of the range, we are planning a very exciting summer… We introduce the Freewing Nitro early next year. This features an ultra-responsive, high pressure leading edge and strut, along with a load frame stabilizing and supporting the high-tension canopy. At 30% lighter than a traditional wing, with greater stability, this is one of the most exciting products we have ever developed. All this is made possible through the introduction of the new Hoókipa material. Developed in conjunction with Challenge Sailcloth, this all new Ultra PE takes a reliable woven structure and supercharges the material through the use of Ultra PE, instead of traditional polyester fabric. Ultra PE is up to 32x stronger than polyester, so the gains are really huge. We also have some amazing things coming in terms of absolute ease of use and pure fun.

Svein: Also, with every FreeWing sold, we plant a mangrove tree in Myanmar, making the FreeWing at least 25x climate positive. We also pick up 1.1kg of ocean and beach plastic trash per wing, the annual average per person in ocean plastic pollution, making sure that our Freewingers contribute to a healthier planet.

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B U I L DI NG T H E F R E E WI N G A I R

D REAM Y C HOCOL ATE WAVE L AND

If your plan is to escape the crowds of one of the world’s busiest water sport locations, then heading to deepest Peru is a pretty sure bet for scoring some isolated water time and world class wing conditions. And don’t forget to visit the jungle…

WORDS JEROME CLOETENS PHOTOS: GIANCARLO ESCOBEDO FLORES

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"MY LEGS FELT LIKE THEY WERE NOT PART OF MY BODY ANYMORE AND IT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I HAD TO TAKE A BREAK WHILE STILL BEING ON THE WAVE."

he land of the lefts? The land of infinity waves? The dreamy chocolate wave land? I don’t know how to name Peru and how to start telling you about this trip: Peru just has everything. Coast, mountains, jungle… It’s simply insane. Peru post covid was one of the best trips of my life. No tourists around, more waves than I could handle, and just insane wildlife and nature.

Let’s perhaps start by saying I took around 20 waves of around five to eight minutes each in just one day. My legs felt like they were not part of my body anymore and it was the first time in my life I had to take a break while still being on the wave. Here you can literally surf the wave for two minutes, relax for a couple of minutes and then surf it again for another three minutes.

Or perhaps let’s start at the start, and I’ll tell you how my trip went, so if you ever want to go you know what to do and mostly what not to do… So I left the crowds of Tarifa at the end of the summer for the empty waves of Peru. I flew into Lima and went straight to Punta Hermosa (one hour from the airport) to check a few surf spots. I stayed there for two days, and I don’t recommend it. I mean, it is good, but the north of Peru is 10x better…

My first mission of the trip was to get to Pacasmayo from Lima which was incredibly easy. A night bus leaves almost every night from Lima and in just 12 hours you are two minutes away from the surf spot.

Every day is a dream over there. The weather there works like a Swiss clock, changing exactly on time every day. No wind in the morning, so perfect for surfing, then at 12 o’clock the wind kicks in with the perfect side/side-off wind direction for kiting, and last but not least it turns offshore so the wave gets even cleaner and it becomes perfect for winging. I literally spent around five to six hours a day in the water during my stay there. I was never bored because I could change disciplines three times a day!

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"THE VIBE AT PACASMAYO AND CHICAMA IS ON POINT. EVERYONE IS NICE BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE WATER. NOBODY IS STRESSED ABOUT GETTING WAVES SINCE THE WAVES NEVER STOP OVER THERE."

The wave’s usual size is between one and three meters, which is the perfect size for kiting but sometimes it gets a bit too big for the wing.

When that happens, you just have to go to Chicama. The Disneyland of foiling, and only one hour away from Pacasmayo.

There you can get a boat for 30 dollars that takes you three kilometers out into the ocean and lets you foil right into the shore. Then you get back on the boat and do it all over again till you can’t breathe anymore.

The vibe at Pacasmayo and Chicama is on point. Everyone is nice both inside and outside of the water. Nobody is stressed about getting waves since the waves never stop over there. I strongly recommend staying at El Faro, which is right in front of the surf spot and it is the best place to meet the locals, which I believe is always important when you get to a new spot. If the hotel El Faro surpasses your budget, staying in town is also on an option, and the place I’d recommend is El Mirador / @paccasmayosurf. It’s very old school but I loved my time there as well.

After two weeks, 3,293,229 waves and 2291 wipeouts, I decided to go to the other side of Peru to do a 120km trek over the mountains. Two things I can definitely say about that: the first is don’t underestimate altitude, and the second is bring your foil, because there are some insane lakes on top of the mountains around the Cuzco area that get windy enough to wing foil. So after sleeping in a tent and barely surviving my experience at 5000m height, I went into the Amazon jungle, which was definitely one of the best experiences of my life. I know it’s not related to foiling but if you go to Peru, you just have to go into the jungle man…

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Efoil Carver 2 THE NEW WAY TO EXPERIENCE INTENSE FREEDOM The first Efoil completely dedicated to carving. The Carver model is designed for riders of all levels looking for a heightened energetic sensation and an incredible gliding experience. The new design focuses on minimizing drag and maximizing comfort for a sublime carving experience.

• New board shape G-Deck innovation

FEATURES

• New lighter mini ESC • Enhanced remote control • New ultra-thin propulsion • Kujira Helium 1500 carbon wing set

KOLD KOAST Here’s one to get under a warm blanket for… Desperate to score some adventure time and seek out some empty waves, KOLD’s Mario Rodwald and a few friends leaped across the Danish border at the first opportunity, and went wind and wave hunting, enveloped in suitably thick neoprene…

W O R D S : M A R I O R O D WA L D P H O T O S : L A U R I T Z K U N T S C H E R & L I N U S K R I WAT

T HE O UTE R B A N KS

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f you book a cabin on a 5-star cruise ship or an all-in vacation in Spain, you'll want to find the pool area and drinks just like you do in the Insta ads. No nasty surprises, everything five-star comfort. Relaxation is virtually guaranteed.

A road trip up north, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. When wind and waves are your compass, you usually won't find any relaxation. There's rarely even time for an extensive breakfast…

A good coffee and a banana are the ultimate in luxury before getting back into that wet neoprene. And despite the inconveniences, uncertainties and exhaustion in the evening, every day holds adventure. Unforgettable moments that we would never exchange for 14 days of ultimate relaxation on a cruise.

We, myself and two KOLD team riders, Jan Mühlenberg and Jonathan Arndt, and the surfing photographers Lauritz and Linus, have been waiting for a year for the border into Scandinavia to open.

The longing for the endless dunes in the Thy National Park and real waves was so great that we were most likely the first five surfers passing over the border. Only the seals were there to witness our unforgettable sessions. Maybe the loneliest waves we’ve ever surfed are up there.

While in sunny Hamburg the thermometer rose above 20 degrees, the west coast around Agger greeted us with 9°C and lashing rain. Horizontal raindrops from the southeast, and a wind direction that was unthinkable for any kind of wind sport just two years ago. But for wing foiling, it is a paradise. Perhaps like a perfectly mixed Piña Colada at the pool bar for our all-inclusive tourists on the cruise ship.

The south-easterly wind and the low-hanging rain clouds held for two days and with every wave ride Jan and I gained trust in our skills to make tighter turns. On the third day the fine raindrops from the southeast were replaced by heavy downpours from the west.

Even though the grey spray of the clean waves against the near-black sky fits well with KOLD shapes, we were all very happy when the sun came out on the last evening. After putting our new smaller sizes of the NØRDLAND through its paces for hours, we still couldn't get enough. Even long after the last rays of the sun fell on the crests of the dunes, you could still find our wings on the horizon. The highlight of the trip?

A gang of large bottlenose dolphins surfed the last waves amongst us. While the dolphins continued to look for their evening meal at the head of the pier, we stood on the beach in our winter jackets for a long time and reflected on the recent waves…

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KO LD KOAST

"ONLY THE SEALS WERE THERE TO WITNESS OUR UNFORGETTABLE SESSIONS. MAYBE THE LONELIEST WAVES WE’VE EVER SURFED ARE UP THERE."

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Rider: Florian Daubos Picture: Arthur Samzun

CS Wing Bar for intuitive hand positioning and easy handling

Light Carbon CVC construction optimized for wing foiling

Carbon front and back wings for outstanding performance

Sizes :

Sizes :

Sizes :

3/4/5/6

5’8”

/ 125 Ltr

5’0”

/ 72 Ltr

5’2”

/ 90 Ltr

4’10” / 56 Ltr

W W W. E L E V E I G H T K I T E S . C O M

950 / 1200 / 1400 / 1650 / 1950

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TO BUILD A FOIL… Rio Imperato represents the new guard on Maui’s foil scene, coming into the sport via the emergence of the wing and now fully invested in pushing the sport forward on different levels, both on and off the water. With an interest in engineering her very own foil wing to further enhance her riding, she called upon the expertise of Naish’s chief foil designer, Nils Rosenblad, for some professional guidance to kick off her journey into foil design…

DY N A M I C S

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RIO’S PERSPECTIVE Hi, my name is Rio Blue, I am 16 years old, and I am currently making a hydrofoil! The massive foiling community here creates a constant drive for improvement and new ideas. I have been winging since the summer of 2020 and building friendships through learning with the rest of the community here. I have had the privilege of testing out all brands of foils, boards, and wings. This gave me so much insight and narrowed down my preferences to what gear best suited my riding style, comfort, and future goals. Once I became a Naish team rider, I had a whole new world at my fingertips…

After a few weeks of riding I realized that racing and speed are where I find myself having the most fun on the water. I wanted to give myself the best chances at keeping up with the gang in drag races up and down the coast. This is the first wind-water sport that I was involved in and I fell in love with it immediately! I wanted to be more involved than the “weekend warrior”, and I knew that making a foil, or attempting to, would give me more appreciation for the engineers and developers of this new sport.

Nils Rosenblad is the foil designer at Naish International and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to question him on every foil I ride.

I constantly ask about sections, aspect ratios, functionality, and so much more. Though I was interested in foil design from the very beginning, I did not think I would be able to create my own foil. I then found out that my school had a CNC (computer numerical control) machine and I was eager to be able to make my own foil as a school project because that means I could receive credit for something I am truly interested in. After Nils agreed to be my project mentor, he introduced me to Rhino, a 3D modeling program, and I began designing a foil.

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The process of making a foil seemed simple at first. How did I ever think that?! Walking into the Naish office I had a thinner, more high-aspect foil in mind. I was under the impression that I would download Rhino, watch a few quick tutorials, whip out a foil in about a week, and go zip around on the water. However, that was not the case at all. The majority of the Rhino tutorials that were recommended to me and the ones that I found were either in another language or were directed by individuals with accents that I had trouble understanding. After Nils figured out I was struggling, he recommended “The Famous 3D Duck”, which is a user-friendly guide to understanding the software.

After feeling the accomplishment of making a bathtub rubber ducky, I told myself that making a foil couldn’t be much harder. But boy, was I wrong. My initial design was 457 square centimeters, but through the scaling process, the CNC machine wound up cutting a 600 square centimeter foil. As the first few prototypes were made out of foam, they cut quickly and I would sit with my nose pressed up against the glass, mesmerized by every cut, anxious to see the results. Generous wingers and foil designers gave me multiple slabs of G-10 (high density fiberglass laminate) which is the perfect material for functional prototypes.

Cutting what I thought would be the final product was so exciting, but as the sport continues evolving, so does the vision of my ideal foil. I have continued to return to my ideas and alter them and take notes on what I believe will be the best possible foil for my personal style. I am so grateful to better understand and appreciate the engineering process behind this new sport. Thank you Nils for being a helping hand throughout this process and I hope to continue designing into the future…

TO BU I LD A FO I L

NILS’S PERSPECTIVE A few months ago, Rio Imperato – Naish team rider and rising star in the wingfoil world – reached out to see if I would be interested in advising her on a high school project to design and build her own hydrofoil using her school's CNC facility. I said yes of course she is an intelligent young lady with boundless enthusiasm, and I am all about bringing more diversity into a design field that could really use it. We had a brief chat about which design software to use – I suggested she try Rhino 3D - and from there it was game on.

At our first real project meeting, she had already done considerable design work – she had intuitively figured out the relationship between wing surface area and top speed, for example, and sketched a planform and chosen a section. The first step was to evaluate what she had and help her unpack the trade-offs inherent in her initial design choices. From there, we could look for areas where she could make some gains in terms of achieving her performance objectives.

We began with a quick look at how I select preliminary dimensions based on rider weight and target speeds using an interactive program that also helps determine optimum lift coefficients. Overall, the dimensions and projected surface area she was working with seemed to be quite good, but not necessarily in conjunction with her section (which was very thin). The next logical step was to dive into the CFD modeling I use for foils (not America’s Cup level rigor for beach toys, but still interesting!). We loaded the section she had chosen and compared it with some other NACA foils that I thought would be a good baseline. We quickly determined that she should change to a section with a higher T/C (thickness) that would also resolve potential structural issues with a foil that was going to be milled from G10 (rather than molded with carbon prepreg like Naish production foils). Of a group of sections, I showed her how we could pick the best one by matching the drag bucket to the lift coefficient requirements dictated by her weight and speed goals.

After that, it was pretty plain sailing – her planform looked good to my eye, so it was just a question of sorting out details. I made a few suggestions about developing a better workflow to create smoother surfaces within the software, and how to resolve wingtips. Pro tip for anyone looking to make their own foil: wingtips are the bane of any foil designer, but fortunately – when you’re milling a foil out of solid G10 – you have the option of smoothing things out with a sanding block after the fact. That is the path of least resistance, and the one we chose here.

It was a fun project, and really great to see a young team rider not just interested in the technology but engaged enough to go the full nine yards and build her own foil. I’m looking forward to seeing how Rio progresses as both a designer and an athlete and expect we will be hearing a lot more from her in the future!

TO BU I LD A FO I L

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AXIS PNG 850

The PNG in PNG 850 stands for Pump and Glide, and these new wings from AXIS are built to do just that. Combining their medium and high aspects with a thinner foil and a high camber, the PNG series are fast and efficient. So much so they even have a time challenge under way: #foilpumpchallenge

02 NORTH SONAR CF85 CARBON EDITION

An 85cm carbon one-piece mast, C600 carbon fuselage and an S01 Stabilizer make up this stealthy, modular number from North, and features their patent-pending GeoLock system for effective load transfer between the mast and fuselage. Light, durable, with improved pumpability and earlier takeoffs assured.

03 FFB WINGNUT

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Freedom Foil Board’s dedicated wing board is designed to help you get up and stay up and have fun. The board’s new Quad Micro Channel bottom reduces friction and allows for a quick release on take-off, while gradually tapered rails reflect water towards the nose and assist in avoidance around the tail of the board.

04 PPC UFO

PPC conceived the tow/kite-focused UFO foil board after plenty of prototype testing from the back of a ski, giving them a good feel for what was needed by a rider in these disciplines: responsiveness. The board’s as thick as the foil tracks, allowing plenty of feedback for the rider, but also built with a custom molded HD foam, so it’s a sturdy little number too.

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NAISH WIND/WING HA 914 COMPLETE

A speedy little crossover number this. Naish’s wing/windsurf wing will also find itself comfortably positioned in medium to large prone surfing situations. It’s 914cm2 span is thinner than other wings in the range, providing plenty of speed with fairly low lift for its size.

Comes with 95cm mast, 80cm fuselage and the Jet HA280 stab.

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OPTIMISE YOUR FOILING EXPERIENCE ppcfoiling.com

06 SLINGSHOT SLINGWING V3

The pace of change in this sport is well reflected in the fact that we’re onto the third generation of wings already, and here from one of the original wing brands comes V3 of their popular SlingWing. More intuition and power on tap per size, and also featuring a new elongated handle system so riders can adjust their hand positioning without having to let go.

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07 GA FOILS MACH 1

GA Foil’s wing-oriented foil is so named for its speedy credentials, featuring a 90cm carbon mast and the ability to switch up front wings between the FREE wings (stability, control, comfort) or the HP higher aspect wings (maximum velocity, agility and control in high winds). There are also three different fuselage options.

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08 ELEVEIGHT EVOLVE

This eye ctaching two-tone number has been developed by the Eleveight team for those of a winging disposition, whatever your level of expertise, factoring in some nice easy glide, with a light carbon CVC construction, beveled rails and multiple footstrap options. Classy.

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09 FANATIC SKY WING TEAM EDITION

Fanatic return with the latest incarnation of their Sky Wing Team Edition, crafted by expert shaper Sky Solbach.

Described as a “stylish mint stick”, we’re inclined to agree. The Team Edition comes in full carbon prepreg construction, offering high-end weight vs. strength efficiency, and is available in five sizes between 4’8 to 5’6.

10 RRD EVO WING

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RRD’s signature colorway comes into its own in the new EVO Wing, marking this freestyle/freeride wing out in any crowd.

The characteristic leading edge is built to enhance speed and handling, with the three handles on the center strut built for easy grabbing while throwing all manner of shapes. A new double inflation system optimizes stiffness and gets you on the water quicker too. Bonus.

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Running a foil school, minus all the running.

OFTWARE BOOKING S CHOOLS S L I O F R O F

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11 ARMSTRONG HA725

It was touch and go on whether we could feature the new high aspect HA725 wing from the Armstrong team, such is the freshness of this product. Safe to say our test team were straight in there for a test request though. Promising high-end performance, speed and glide for experienced wing riders, we’ll have more on this soon…

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12 TAKUMA WK WING

Compact, rigid and light, Takuma’s new WK wing has been built for simple accessibility by all levels of rider, but with that solid performance punch there for the experts. A triple ripstop canopy and Kevlar® in the leading edge means this wing will take a battering too, as no doubt it has on occasion, having been tested hard in Tahiti…

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13 VAYU FLYR

Deceptively high volume for a short board, Vayu’s FLYR is a one-board-does-it-all wing foiling board and a dapper little thing, again striking a very nice aesthetic. Pitched for winging but equally at home on the waves and for freestyle, it’s a high-performance number with plenty of maneuverability on tap. Available sizes: 4’6 to 5’2.

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AK PHAZER V2

You’ll find a whole lot more info on AK Durable Supply Co’s v2 of their popular all-rounder Phazer foilboard over in our Inbound section later on in the mag. Suffice to say, AK have simply improved upon something which was already very good indeed, and we expect this versatile board to be around for many more generations yet.

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15 SIGNATURE GAME CHANGER 300 / 1935CM

Glide is the name of the game here, whether winging, SUPing or being towed by a boat, Signature Performance Gear’s carbon GC300 pairs up high aspect glide with high performing capability very well indeed. We’ve had the 1260 on test previously and it absolutely sang. We’ve no doubt the 1935 will hit the high notes too.

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16 FLITEBOARD TRUE GLIDE PROP

Fliteboard’s patented True Glide 3 blade propeller is built so that you can throttle down from your record attempt speed runs and ride ocean swells as they appear, without the use of the board’s electric motor. When engaged, there’s no compromise at all to the power delivery for full-throttle riding. One for those who like to mix it up.

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17 REEDIN FEATHERWING

Reedin’s FeatherWing boards are optimized for freeride winging, and ideally paired with Reedin’s SuperWingX which you can read about further on in this magazine, but of course equally at home under any decent wing. It has a concave deck for stability and comfort, and plenty of volume up front so that getting up on your feet to fly off into the sunset is made very user-friendly indeed.

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KOLD NØRDLAND

Winner of the coolest name goes to Kold for their Nørdland foilboard, and like many boards in this section this issue, it looks the absolute business. The carbon laminate offers supreme stiffness and durability against those hard knocks. Furthermore, it claims to have the strongest core of any foilboard, using closed cell foam. It’s a sturdy offering indeed from Kold.

19 TAAROA IUP

Ahh, the iUp – something we’ve featured a couple of times in the magazine, and now it’s finally here. We’re in the process of organizing a test of this fancy new bit of a AI-assisted intrigue that’s inspired by drone technology no less, but until then you’ll just have to sit patiently… or buy one: pre-orders are open now.

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20 STARBOARD TAKE OFF

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A lot of thought has gone into the new Take Off board from Starboard. It’s the board you’ll want in your arsenal if you just love to foil, be that downwinding, winging, SUP foiling or all the little niches that sit in between the three. Its boxy design and high volume yet compact shape mean this is a board that’ll suit first timers right through to the rippers.

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Wing Foil - Kite foil - Wind Foil - Surf Foil - SUP Foil - Wake Foil

R I V G ER N I K Having long held a siren song for all manner of water (and bike) sport

enthusiasts, the Columbia River Gorge is at once as versatile as it is beautiful. But no-one could have predicted that this river would come to hold an attraction even to those from the home of wave riding itself…

W O R D S M AT T E L S A S S E R & J A C K H O P H O T O S M AT T Y L E O N G

Matt: Hood River has been a Mecca for windsurfing, and then kitesurfing since the 70’s, when it was first discovered as a wind lover’s heaven. Enthusiasts from all over the world flock to the Columbia River Gorge during the summer months to enjoy the strong winds and rolling river swells. Windsurfing and kitesurfing allow you to ride these swells with the assistance of the wind in your sail, but we’ve never been able to freely surf the swells without a kite or a sail. It was simply a pipe dream… until now. With the advent of high aspect foils, the Gorge has taken on a new light as one of the most unique surf spots in the world.

Sure, the surf purists will scoff at that last sentence. They’ll tell you that there is no such thing as real surf in a river. They’ll also tell you foiling isn’t surfing. What I’ll tell you is I’ve heard more Hawaiian pidgeon on the banks of the Columbia River this year than I have heard at most surf spots around the world. Typically, Hood River is flooded with summer visitors from Canada, Europe, and all over the US. The Hawaiians traditionally had it better at home though.

Growing up in Oregon, I always looked at Hawaii as the home of ocean sports. It was a dream come true when my parents decided to move our family to Maui when I was 16. I was so excited to live in Hawaii that I could not sleep for months in advance. I loved where I grew up, but Hawaii seemed so much more “real”. And it was, the power of the ocean in Hawaii is on a different level to anything you will feel on the Columbia River Gorge. Coming home to the Gorge in the summer after living in Hawaii, the river had lost its luster to me. There were no lips to hit or barrels to hunt. You couldn’t purely harness the power of the waves like you could in Hawaii while surfing.

And then foiling came along. The first foils in the Gorge were for kiting, I immediately bummed one off the beach to try. The feeling was incredible, but it felt quite limiting with a kite in your hand. The efficiency of the foil felt overpowered by the tug of the kite. When the first surf foils came out, a small group of early adopters learned how to SUP foil, some of us also experimented with paddling in prone, towing in with a kite, etc. It piqued my interest and I thought I was having about as much fun as I could on the river.

In the summer of 2020, Nick Leason shipped me one of the first Lift 200 High Aspect wings to test in the river. This was the “ah-ha” moment. My friend from California, Patrick Rebstock, was visiting town.

We got off the water one afternoon after trying the new wing for the first time. Patrick looked at me and said “The Gorge sure feels a lot more surfy”. Patrick is a diehard surfer, he wasn’t in town because he wanted to experience riding in the river. He was in town to visit his inlaws. But his ear-to-ear grin and referencing the word “surfy” in the same sentence as the Gorge made me think: Patrick was right. The Gorge just became a lot more fun with one new piece of equipment.

It also might have become one of the longest waves in the world…

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Over the past few years, a handful of Hawaiians had made the trip to the Gorge to downwind foil. The sport of downwinding was still relatively small in Hawaii, as was their pilgrimage to the Gorge. Come spring of 2021, things changed as more and more photos and videos of foiling in the Gorge surfaced. Every foiler I know in Hawaii was asking when to come, where to stay, what to bring, and what to expect.

16-year-old Hawaiian foiling prodigy Jack Ho reached out to me looking to come visit. “I don’t care what we do, I just have to come see it…” Jack told me. It felt a bit like déjà vu to me, but in reverse. At 16 all I wanted to do was surf in Hawaii, but with the invention of foiling, Jack was now frothing to come surf my hometown river in Oregon.

Unfortunately for Jack the first few days of his trip were windless. Luckily the Gorge also offers one of the most unique foiling wave machines on the planet.

The Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler is a 120ft triple deck river boat. But what makes surfing behind this boat different than any other is it’s powered by a 17 x 18ft paddle wheel. One of the only true paddle wheel powered stern wheelers left on Earth.

The paddle wheel creates more of a wave than a wake. Instead of the wake being created by the hull of the boat slicing through the water like a traditional boat, the Sternwheeler’s paddle creates dozens and dozens of waves for a quarter mile behind the boat. These waves run perpendicular to the boat, and you can do full cutbacks, pump from wake to wake, and ride for miles at a time. It really is the ultimate novelty wave.

Jack didn’t come here just to ride the Sternwheeler, he came to ride the truly endless wind swells the Gorge has to offer. So what’s the set up? Well, 120 miles to the west of Hood River is the cold and rugged Oregon Coast. To the east lies hot and dry desert. The massive walls of the Columbia River Gorge act as a funnel for this pressure gradient between temperatures. The wind gets sucked straight through the Gorge from west to east in the summer months. The river current runs towards

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the Pacific Ocean, while the wind blows to the desert. This combination of opposing wind and river current creates the phenomenon locals like to call “River Swell”.

On a big day, when the wind blows 35mph+, the swells can be the size of a school bus. If you surf foil, downwind foil, and/or wing foil this is something you have to experience at least once in your life. These endless rollers provide more power than you could ever imagine. On a nuking day you can foil downwind for a mile at a time without pumping once. With downwind runs varying from a quarter mile to thirty miles, there is truly fun for any level of foiler on any given day.

Jack wasn’t super lucky on his trip, and flew home with just a taste of what the Gorge has to offer. Moderate winds plagued his stay, but I have no doubt that he will be back. The Gorge is not a place you come just once. Famous for kitesurfing, windsurfing, mountain biking, dirt biking, and kayaking, it just so happens to also be one of the best foiling spots in the world with wind or no wind. But don’t take my word for it, ask your friend that was here this summer. They’ll tell you the same thing...

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The gorge has become a novelty downwind run that is getting a ton of attention through social media! It wasn’t until the release of performance high aspect wings that the idea of downwind foiling came into play. The Gorge is a kiter’s dream destination, therefore the idea of foiling in the Columbia River was a no brainer. There are two ways of foiling the river… SUP foiling downwind is one of the more popular and practical ways of flying. With the paddle, you can paddle into a swell and get up on the foil. Some guys prefer the smaller prone board feeling but this means finding a rock to jump off to start. You can go off a ski but not everyone has access to one. This is why the SUP comes in clutch! If you fall, all it takes to get going again is to stroke into a bump. The way the river flows and the way the wind blows is super perfect. With the wind blowing from the west and the river flowing west, it creates a conveyer belt of bumps that stack super hard. The water is rushing against the wind and this causes the water to come alive! Coming to the Gorge, I had no idea what to expect. I was really psyched to see so many people downwind foiling and winging. It is great when you see another local community of foilers so stoked on the sport. No bad vibes and an amazing group of athletes is what made my trip!

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The Sternwheeler is basically a glassy downwind run! The boat creates about 5-10 big lumpy wakes back-to-back of each other and at the perfect speed for the foil. Around 6pm, the boat launches from the dock and starts its dinner cruise. With perfect timing, you can dock start from inside this little harbor and attempt the 200-yard flat water pump to reach the wake. Once you’re flying on the wake, the smoothest carves and most stylish turns are being thrown down, along with a ton of hoots and hollers to your friends on the other wakes. When the wind is still and the river is sheet glass, this is the most fun and satisfying activity in the gorge. While the kiters and wingers sulk in sadness on the banks of the river, you’re basically doing the equivalent of huge S turns on an 8ft open wall on the North Shore of Oahu!

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W A T E R FA L L

Punchbowl Falls is a beautiful waterfall about 2-3 miles into the forest. After a 30-minute drive west of Hood River, you hike through the dry and hot summertime Oregon forest. We were told that it was a casual 15-minute walk but that was not the case! That casual walk ended up being an hour hike along the ridge of a burnt valley. We made the trek into the mountain with only sandals, a foil, and camera gear. By the time we reached the waterfall, our moods were sour, feet sore, bodies dripping in sweat, and a few scratches were marked on a brand-new foil. Looking around, all we could see was a few rocks in the shallows and a huge log. I wondered if a log start could get me up and flying so I gave it a try. Luckily on my second attempt, I was able to get enough speed to lift my 1095cm wing. The sour moods were quickly flipped upside down and smiles grew across our faces. The five other people on the side watched in shock as they were essentially seeing a hoverboard fly across the pool of water at the base of the waterfall. After a few more circles of pumping, we called it a day and hiked back down the ridge. As the bright orange sun was setting behind the valley, we felt accomplished and successful. The outcome was worth the struggle at the beginning and I was so stoked to experience that afternoon.

MR BRIGHTSIDE An Adam Bennetts interview

As one of the most stylish prone foilers in the world, Adam Bennetts is another name that will forever be etched into the granite wall of foiling luminaries who are blazing a well-documented and well-respected trail of progression and discovery through these halcyon days of the sport, with his infectious stoke and hard angle turns pulling in plenty of fans across the disciplines. Foiling Magazine contributor Paul Burnett caught up with Adam at home to find out more about his journey into foiling, and his recent work with the UniFoil team…

WORDS ADAM BENNETTS P H O T O S R YA N K E N N Y ( U N L E S S S P E C I F I E D )

Hey Adam. Let’s start at the beginning… How did Adam Bennetts get from being a young lad who surfed to being a young man who is one of the best foilers in the world?

My brother had been foiling for a year or two before I started. At the time I was living in Bali, and I never got a chance to really try it because he was living on the Gold Coast. He posted a few videos and I saw it, but it was still at those very primitive stages with pretty much people just going straight, and it looked kind of fun but also looked kind of boring. I was living in Bali, getting barrelled, surfing pumping waves most days.

So I first tried it when I’d moved back to Australia. I was at Wategos one day with Matt Wilkinson, and he had a foil and was kind of into it. I tried to catch two waves and just ate it and that was my first go.

I did get like a little bit of a glide which kind of got me intrigued but I also ended up on the foil and cut my back.

Then I was living down the south coast of New South Wales, and my brother came down to visit us for a week and brought his foil. That was when I had a whole session. I spent a whole hour out there and got a few glides, and I was hooked from there. Literally the next day I went and bought a foil. I bought one online on the Friday and it got delivered to me on the Monday. I don't know if I surfed over the weekend but from that Monday when I got it, which was late February or early March 2019, I haven't set foot on a surfboard since then.

Two-and-a-half years ago.

You were a professional surfer before being a foiler. How did you grow up into that? And then what was happening with your surfing career when you got the foil bug?

I was living in Bali. I wasn’t living there full-time, but I’d always spend at least eight months there, since I was about 18. I used to surf professionally and then I just started going to Bali and basing myself there.

I never really did any contest winning, I was just over there chasing waves and doing little video clips and all that kind of stuff. I wasn’t getting paid that much money, enough to live over there. I was DJing on the side as well. It’s not like I was on some lucrative contract, it was enough to live a lifestyle over there. I pretty much did that for nearly 10 years, I think, and then I met my wife over there and we started our swimsuit business, Fae, making bikinis, and then I kind of transitioned out of surfing. I just kind of lost interest and I was really focused on the business. We were just frothing on it, you know, and we were making heaps of money from it. I never thought I’d be the director of a swimwear company!

So going back to that first foil that you bought, what was that?

That was the 2019 Naish Thrust medium wing which is the orange and black version they did.

What made you choose that one? Is that what your brother had?

Yes. That’s what he had. At the time it was one of the best surf foils out there, so he just said get that. I was literally getting out there for an hour or so a day. Sometimes two sessions for like about three weeks or a month and then I just outgrew the foil. Kai Lenny was riding the MFC, and a couple of other guys were riding them, and they seemed to be able to do more than what I could do, so I bought the MFC and I was on that for about 6 months. I started talking to Pio (Marasco) from MFC, and he was giving me some discounts and stuff, and I was coming back to where I first started when I was surfing, getting these semi sponsorships. It’s kind of a good sport to be sponsored in I guess, because it's friggin’ expensive!

Friggin’ expensive, yes.

Yeah, Pio was hooking me up. I started trawling Instagram for videos and trying to get better, and you’re just watching all these guys and you start looking at all these hashtags and I then I found Miso Fernando on Instagram. And I also found Kane, and they were both riding the same foil. Miso was riding UniFoil and Kane was riding Signature…

So I just thought I’d go straight to the actual designer. I messaged the UniFoil Instagram account, and I was like, “I've seen your stuff and it looks unreal. Is there anywhere I can demo one in Australia?” Clifford (Coetzer, UniFoil founder) was running the Instagram account. He wrote back, and he was super cool. He put me in touch with Matt (O’Rourke), who is now one of the owners of UniFoil, and I messaged him, and he was like, “Yeah, I've got one got one in my garage just 40 minutes up the road from where you live. If you want to grab it, go for it.” So, I just went and got it from his garage. He wasn’t even there. He said just go round the back…

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Round the back, break the window… ha!

I went, “Yeah, sick!" It was a Vortex 175. It was so good. I was frothing on it to Clifford and Clifford says, “I've just made this new prototype, can I send one to you?”

And you went, “Oh gee! Can you?”

It was a Vortex 150 prototype which is now one of their best-selling foils. He sent it to me and I got on it, and I was like, “Holy shit!”. The 175 was awesome, but yeah getting on the 150… it was smaller, faster, turned better but still pumped pretty much the same, so I was in heaven riding this wing. From then on, I was hooked. I switched to Uni as they offered me a deal, and they had a broad range of foils and a lot of the high aspect movement was inspired by Clifford's Hyper design. I got onto the Hypers and it opened up a whole new can of worms. You could surf these wings, but you can also just pump around for 10 minutes. Basically, that's where I got to where I am now at UniFoil. I've just been working really closely alongside Clifford, Matt and Toby at UniFoil, developing new prototypes.

So, tell us about how the Vyper came about.

We did probably three versions of each size and the goal was to make something in between the whole pump and turn. We were looking for that and Clifford did a few drawings, and he was telling me what each would do. Clifford is the expert, but I've learnt a lot about foil sections through my journey… I know what feels good and how to push stuff, and I can push it to its limits. After a few protypes, going through different sizes of the different models we were able to finalize the designs.

I think you’re downplaying it a bit. You were saying you’re not the guru of foil design, but obviously what you brought to the table is that you've got a good ability to communicate. You can have a pro

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surfer that says “it doesn’t go” but that doesn't cut it. You’re able to say, “this is where it’s going well, this is where it isn’t. What can we do to change that?” And together you guys have come up with something that you feel is brilliant right?

Yeah. Because I've learnt so much about what foils actually do, like what they do underwater while we're riding them. It’s been really cool to talk about it, knowing what certain things do and what they feel like and then what you need to change to get to where you want to be.

Even in the very late stages of the prototypes, I had Cliff put an extra degree of angle of attack in the front wings, just to give more pressure on your front foot, without having to use a base plate shim, because I was fine-tuning everything so much, shimming base plates, shimming tails, just doing all kinds of shimming to fine tune it so precisely. It was cool to put that extra angle of attack in the front wing and then getting the next prototype and going, “wow!”. I fine tune my stuff so much, and I spend so much time tweaking stuff to get it exactly how I want it, but you know your average person probably doesn't do that.

So, you've told us about the wings which are obviously important, but I saw recently that you're on some boards that definitely have a different plan shape to them. Tell us a bit about those.

I bought a second-hand JS off Paul Stacey who's designing all the foil boards and it was an old 25 litre 4’6”, pretty primitive. I bought that because I didn't know how I was going to like it. Then since I started progressing through the sport, JS started giving me a board here and there and said they’d make me protos. They were working with my brother and with Parko, developing new foil boards, prototypes, just before they release them. They started sending me one of each proto. From six months in, I’ve been really involved in

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developing these boards and I'm giving heaps of feedback, like I was doing with the Vyper.

What I've found through my progression in the sport is that I really like a thin board. For a while everything went real boat hull shaped and I never liked that because I found it was very unresponsive, having a lot of foam between your foot and the mast. I found that having a thin board that has as much of a surfboard bottom as possible was really helpful in the wash. For me, all I wanted to do was surf a foil like a surfboard. Once you get good enough and you start turning, all you want to do is draw simple lines… the same sort of lines as if I was surfing and doing roundhouse cutbacks, hitting the foam, trying to do carves in the pocket, and stuff like that. Then when you touch down and you're going back to shore, the foil should lift you out of the water again and you're away. I learnt a lot through the videos I made with Aaron Smith from Earth Kitesurfing.

“I WENT, “YEAH, SICK!" IT WAS A VORTEX 175. IT WAS SO GOOD”

He is a great driver and videographer by the way.

He’s the best driver and filmer in the business. In my videos I would notice that when I'm really leaning into a really deep carve, it was always the back third of my board that would be touching the water.

I worked out through making a couple of prototypes that you don’t need all the area at the tail of the board.

Just take it off.

Haha, yeah. You might think you need it for volume or whatever, but what we did was basically turn the board into something almost like a teardrop…

Put the foam up front…

Yeah. So, you have your foam under your chest for paddling and also for stability when you do your foam rebounds or whatever, because you need to get stability under your front foot. Any time you

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come in contact with any foam or anything, you’re pretty much on your front foot because you tend to accelerate once you get in that foam and it pushes you out, so you’re kinda leaning forward anyway, just keeping the foil in the water. Then you know if you're doing your snaps or carves and you’re coming back down the face, you’re definitely leaning forward. So having a wider area under your chest and then pulling the tail area in so much has helped a lot. I’ve been talking to Kane de Wilde and when I posted that we started talking about the narrowness of the tail and he said “yeah, I just made a board, and I measured my foot and just made the tail as wide as my foot.” Just got a ruler out and measured how long his foot is and made where he stands the width of his foot. His foot just fits on his board. So yeah, he has the same sort of ideas as me.

Let’s look at what you're doing with your foiling. And there's two things that I'd like to talk about in that respect. The first time your foiling came to my attention was when you were on that MFC, and unlike everybody else, including myself, who were running for the hills when it came to anything in regards to the foam, you were hitting it like a banshee. What enabled you to do that? And given it is still a goal of a lot of foilers but it's beyond their abilities, tell us how you do it.

The MFC was a real game changer for me. It was really good between turns. It was fast. It felt real surfy. I also moved down to the shorter fuselage as well. A 58cm fuselage. That definitely helped because when you shorten your turning radius you've got more time to look at the wash. When you turn sharper, you’ve got more time to assess the situation, where if you have a longer fuse or on a bigger wing that doesn't turn as good, you generally go into a turn and you don't really know where the whitewash is because you’re going through this big long arc. It’s pretty daunting. But if you can do a really sharp turn, you’ve got a lot more time and you can really gauge what the whitewash is doing. It gave me a lot more confidence to know whether or not I'm going to hit that section. Having more time to look at the wash is, I think, what gives me more confidence. A short fuse can do that for you.

Funnily enough, I don't like riding a short fuse anymore. Over my time progressing, I've experimented with a few crazy short fuses.

Clifford's made me ones that are stupidly short. They’re fun and novelty, really rippy, but at any kind of speed they get squirrelly. They’re probably fine on entry-level “generation 1” foils that are generally pretty slow, but anything in this current development of pro foils are so fast that at speed they’ll become pitchy with a short fuse, and it ruins the whole experience of the ride, because she's going up and down like a pogo stick. What I've found now is that the best way to achieve a tight turning radius and have a smooth ride is to ride a longer fuse with a with a smaller tail and a shim, a big shim. So I'm riding an 11 1/2 inch tail with a 1.5 degrees shim in it, but it's still on a 63cm fuse, which is the UniFoil long fuse…

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Let's talk about THE TURN. The Turn? Oh. The Turn. Haha!

It's like when you talk about pipeline and you're talking about The Turn at Pipeline, everybody knows what you're talking about.

The Tommy Carroll turn?

Yes. The Tom Carroll snap. You have reached Tom Carroll snap status with that turn. Tell us about how that felt. Tell us what enabled you to do it. Just talk us through it.

Yeah, that was unreal that day. That was the day when I got the last proto version of the 130 Vyper that is going into production. I hadn’t actually ridden it yet, and that was the very first ride on it. I had to go somewhere and I only caught two or three waves on it, and that was one of them. It’s just one of those things. The Vyper is really stable at high speeds but turns so good. I had the perfect section, and everything came together, and the wing held so well through that turn. A lot of times, foils at a certain speed want to nosedive, but the Vyper allowed me to turn really sharply.

The amount of torque in that turn must have felt awesome.

Yeah, it felt unreal. Arron was in the perfect spot to capture it. He whipped me out onto it. It was this peak that I was like able to come in behind with heaps of speed. The wing allowed me to turn really sharply. It felt like one of those really nice carves off the top that you can you do shortboarding.

Thanks for your time bud, any parting wisdom for the Foiling Mag readers?

The biggest thing I can say in regards to progression in this sport is to try heaps of things and move stuff around. Shimming has definitely been a game changer for me, so get yourself some shims from whatever company you're riding. If they don't have one, make some out of credit cards. For shimming the base plate, I was using window packers like builders use. It's crazy how shimming something half a degree can change the whole feel of the whole ride, and make it feel so much better.

A lot of these companies, they've all got different backgrounds.

Some are kite guys some are SUP guys… So if you're a surfer and you want to get a surf feeling, try changing their angles, because different angles can change the whole ride. They might have designed it to be a winging wing and just go fast and straight, and if you change the angle of the tail or the base or even the front wing by tuning the base plate, it can change the whole feel of it and make your experience more enjoyable for you. You know, for me, my goal is to surf foil and try and surf the wings like I would a shortboard. So that's my biggest takeaway. Muck around with your shims.

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FUN CENTRAL For big wave riders Olivia Jenkins and Annie Reickert, Maui’s gentle summer season brings little in the way of juicy swells upon which they can get a much-needed surf and foil fix. Consequently, the lure of long and empty waves elsewhere is strong, and only got stronger after they put in a call to their friend, James Jenkins…

PHOTOS FOIL NICARAGUA

Our favorite time of year on Maui is from September to April.

This is the winter season, when storms brew in the north, bringing big swells and a multitude of waves. However, when April rolls around on Maui, the North Shore goes dormant, and we find different ways to keep ourselves busy. We fill our days with foil downwinders, mountain biking, kitesurfing, training at the gym and, if we’re lucky, waves on the south and west shores of Maui. However, as the summer continues, we both begin to get antsy for proper waves and adventure.

At the start of May, we Facetimed with James Jenkins (no relation!), a close friend and all-round talented water sports athlete.

James told us that in June he was headed to work for Surfari Charters, an all-inclusive surf and fishing lodge in Popoyo, located on the southern coast of Nicaragua. Surfari Charters was established in 2002 and had been running surf and fishing charters since. He explained he had been working for Surfari every summer since he was little and that it was one of his favorite places to travel to in the world. In addition, this year, James partnered up with Lance Moss (founder of Surfari Charters) to establish Foil Nicaragua, an all-inclusive foil experience. Foil Nicaragua is a week-long experience where guests get towed into the best waves of their lives on foil. James said the waves had been pumping there all summer, and that they had an amazing set up at the lodge – a perfect wave right in front of the accommodation, a few boats to find waves along the coast, a jet ski to tow-foil with and, most importantly, an amazing crew. We were fiending for surf, so following this conversation and receiving encouragement from James, we began to plan a trip.

A month rolled by and the next thing we knew, we were on a flight to Central. As a result of the pandemic, the main airport in Nicaragua had limited international flights. To get there we had to fly into Liberia, an airport on the northwest of Costa Rica. It was near the border of Nicaragua, so the final step was to drive across. We arrived at the airport midday and fortunately Surfari Charters had prepared a driver to take us to the border with our mass of bags. Together, we had two foil bags, two board bags, and two suitcases. As most know by now, traveling these days proves a bit more challenging compared to a couple of years ago. To get into Nicaragua, we had to get a Covid PCR test back in Hawaii within 72 hours before arrival into the country.

However, with different time zones, this can get a bit confusing.

About 30 minutes before arriving at the border, we realized we had less than an hour before our Covid test results would expire.

We had also heard that crossing the border was a bit difficult.

We both speak little Spanish, so we tried to communicate to our driver our mishap and the severity of our time parameters. We arrived at the first checkpoint of the Nicaraguan border where they checked our passports. We then drove to the next stop, to which our very understanding driver informed us that this was as far as he could go. The final step was to take the bags off the

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car and walk across the border. This was about a quarter mile across. At this point, still no one had checked our Covid tests.

We quickly removed the board bags off the roof and headed towards the border with haste. One board bag didn’t have wheels, so it was quite a comical experience. We made it with minutes to spare, drenched in sweat.

Having passed the border control, we found our next ride organized by Surfari Charters, and drove off towards the Nicaraguan coast. We arrived at the compound late at night, bleary eyed and ready for sleep, so we went right to bed.

At 6am the next morning, James knocked on the door excitedly.

Still jet-lagged, we slowly crawled out of bed. Since we had arrived in the dark we had not yet seen the view. Upon opening our door, we realized the bunks were right on the beach, overlooking an amazing barreling beach break wave. “We’re going out on the boat, so get your gear ready!” James exclaimed. Realizing how good the waves looked, we rushed to get the foils assembled and the fins into our surfboards. We had breakfast with a view then proceeded to meet Lance and Kristin Moss, the owners and operators of Surfari Charters. Lance and Kristin are two of the most genuine people you will meet; they are truly stoked on life and stoked on providing others with an epic time! We also met the other surf guides, individuals from both the U.S. and local Nicaraguans.

After assembling gear and meeting the crew, we took a quick car ride to a small bay around the corner, where the Surfari boat awaited us along with Gray Gardner, a friend of the Surfari team, with his jet ski. We loaded everything onto the boat and set off from the beach. The boat was packed full with a massive amount of gear – with assembled foil boards and surfboards for every condition that might arise.

Two minutes straight out from the beach was a perfect foiling wave. We watched from the channel as huge sets rolled through.

The waves would pitch up far outside and make for a perfect empty face. We watched for about ten minutes, but then the boys decided that there would likely be better waves up the coast, so we continued onwards.

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After continuing about 20 minutes along the breathtaking coastline, we arrived at another wave. For a few minutes we watched the left. It was a large barreling slab that broke onto a shallow shelf. At low tide, if you straightened out, it was likely that you would end up on dry reef. At higher tide, Lance said it was less critical with respect to the rocks but would still lead to a pretty heavy wipeout if you didn't make the wave. There were a few guys surfing on step-up boards, so we then went to check out the right. It was truly the perfect tow foil wave. There was a mellow roll in from the outside that would be easy to tow into, then the wave stood up once it hit the shelf. The shoulder was slopey so it was easy to play around on. It was also glassy, which is something we are not very used to coming from Maui. We jumped in the water and traded off tow-ins for a few hours. Everyone got some insane rides before the wind began to pick up around midday.

This first day was supposed to be the biggest day of the swell for the first week we were there. It was honestly the perfect day to tow foil on the outer reefs because it was too big for other surf spots around the region and the bigger surf spots were still not ideal for surfing. The following few days, the waves dropped a bit, so we had fun exploring the coast and surfing different waves. Whenever we weren't on the water we were hanging around the Surfari compound. We had such an amazing routine going – wake up at around 6am, surf, eat breakfast, surf again, and then hang around on the porch listening to music and playing card games until we had enough energy to maybe go and surf again. It was a dream, and truly the best setup.

At sunset, about a week into the trip, after a long day of surfing we were all drinking a beer on the porch of the beach house. The waves were not as big out front as the prior days. However, there was still some remnant swell and we all had a difficult time sitting still so we decided that it would be fun to try and catch a few waves prone foiling out front. It was a bit of a difficult place to foil, as it wasn’t that clean, the waves were

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“IT WAS HONESTLY THE PERFECT DAY TO TOW FOIL ON THE OUTER REEFS BECAUSE IT WAS TOO BIG FOR OTHER SURF SPOTS AROUND THE REGION AND THE BIGGER SURF SPOTS WERE STILL NOT IDEAL FOR SURFING”

peaking everywhere, and the waves were breaking close to the beach where it was shallow. We were cracking up and we paddled endlessly catching a few fun short rides. It honestly felt as though we spent the whole session duck diving. After about 30 minutes of foiling and as the sun was setting, we started to make our way in. Annie will explain in her own words what proceeded to happen next.

Annie: “I was paddling in with my board upside down to prevent my foil from catching on the bottom because it was fairly shallow. A wave hit me from behind which made my mast hit my hand. This then caused me to punch myself in the face right below my nose. I immediately felt something pop loose in my mouth. Not knowing exactly what happened I spat into my hand a whole tooth, root and all. Shocked, I quickly rushed over to James and showed him the gaping hole in my mouth.

I then made my way to the beach and called my dentist/close family friend back home on Maui. She explained that because the tooth came out in one piece it could be put back in, but that I only had a limited amount of time to do so. Very unhappy and in a lot of pain I pushed the tooth back into my mouth as Olivia laughed from the other room.

The following day I went to a Nicaraguan dentist and they glued it to the surrounding teeth. I didn’t mess with the tooth for the remainder of the trip and when I got home to Maui I got more dental work done.

Fortunately, everything worked out as well as it could have and the entire group at Surfari was very helpful. Not wanting to knock out the tooth again or have it get infected I took it as easy as possible for the remainder of the trip. I enjoyed some mellow foiling and surfing and cheered on the rest of the crew.”

On our last day, we took the boat about 45 minutes down the coast to one of the most picturesque waves we have ever been to. The wave was a left point break that broke along a towering rock wall into a large bay. On arrival, the tide was pretty high and the waves broke tight along the wall. It looked super fun to shortboard. We both surfed for an hour or so with maybe two other people out before the tide dropped. With the lower tide, the wave swung wide, generating an incredible foiling wave. It became a bit harder to paddle into and not ideal for surfing, so the lineup emptied out. We paddled back to the boat and got our foil boards ready. That day, we had two jet skis with us. We both hopped in the water whilst Gray and James towed us into waves back-to-back. There were no other surfers or tow foilers in sight; it was incredible to have the choice of any wave to tow into. We could catch the wave from the outside and glide all the way to the inside of the bay before pumping back out to the jet skis.

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Olivia: “I got a lot of fun, long, memorable rides on this day. However, I think my funniest moment of the trip also happened during this session. We thought it would be awesome for Annie and I to get a party wave together. So Gray and James towed us both into the same wave from way on the outside, and it was really fun carving around each other down the line. I got towed deeper than Annie. I was trying to go down the line while Annie was trying to go deeper.

I was a little less confident staying in the pocket and up to this point had been cruising more on the shoulder. I was laughing so much that I didn't realize I had to kick out of the wave before it closed out. Next thing I know, Annie kicked out, and I tumbled over the falls with the foil. I popped up and my foil had floated pretty far to the inside, and I scrambled to get it before it ended up on the rocks, as there wasn't much of a beach. I got washed up on the rocks a bit, and Jeff, a Surfari Charters guide, paddled the board back out for me. I couldn't stop laughing through the whole ordeal as I knew the whole crew would make fun of me when I returned back to the boat, as lighthearted banter of course!”

Overall, we got extremely lucky on this trip with non-stop waves, amazing conditions, and incredible company. We had multiple amazing tow foil sessions on the outer reefs and surfed to our hearts’ content right outside our bedroom window. We filled the void from the summer of no waves on Maui and returned home eager for the winter waves to return.

As we both observed, there are endless foiling waves along Nicaragua's southern coast, and these guys really do know the best spots to go to. We had such an amazing time, which we really attribute to the kindness of the whole crew down at Surfari/Foil Nicaragua including but not limited to Lance, Kristin, and James. For anyone who is looking for an epic foil, surf, or fishing adventure, these are your people to call!

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Ea st Coa st Ul tra

When our Contributing Editor Kjell van Sice got offered the chance to road trip out to some premium US shorelines to test out Fliteboard’s new Ultra board, it turned out there was nothing in his schedule that couldn’t be gently shuffled to a later date… The trip was on.

WO R DS KJ ELL VAN SI CE P HOTOS CECI LE VAN SI CE

Rain patters gently on the roof of the house. It’s a midsummer rainstorm forecasted to last only the next two days, but I’m already concerned our trip might get postponed. I call Rudi — he picks up on the first ring — and excuse myself as it’s quite early. Fresh off the boat from California, I’m not familiar with the local weather patterns yet. The consensus is that the system should pass just in time for us to be good this weekend. It wouldn’t be the first time a foiling trip of mine was delayed by poor weather, but I still cross my fingers as if it’ll help.

Rudi Miklosvary is the director of U.S. operations for Fliteboard. An Aussie transplant, Rudi’s one of those people I have the strange aspiration to be stuck with in a car, boat, or plane. His experience in a diversity of businesses across the globe is of keen interest to my design/business/systems/communications-oriented hamster wheel mind. When Rudi came calling with an offer to take me on a road trip packed with the latest and greatest from Fliteboard’s S2, I naturally said yes immediately and cleared out the schedule.

While the rain’s left us, the clouds haven’t quite yet. Time is a more pressing issue. After encountering heavy traffic on the way from Fliteboard HQ in Nyack, New York, to pick me up along the Connecticut shoreline, Rudi’s a bit concerned about making our ferry.

While the cross-sound boat ride to Orient Point rotates with departures every hour, we’ve got plans for a sunset session that would be a shame to miss. It turns out Murphy’s Law is in full swing today, and upon a 5-minute late arrival, we’re relegated to waiting for the next boat. Not that the wait would lack entertainment, though — we’ve got a new board, new wings, and an updated iOS app to dig into.

Swinging open the Fliteboard van’s rear doors, Rudi introduces me to my steed for the weekend: the new Ultra model from their S2

series. Designed and built in Byron Bay, Australia, this 4’2, 54-liter carbon fiber speed demon of an electric hydrofoil is dubbed an “expert level” product in a lineup of already high-performing machines.

Good thing I’m an expert with a grand total of 12 hours’ worth of prior e-foil experience! I make up for it with a few more hours than that on unpowered foils…

All jokes aside, the Ultra is a serious piece of kit, and a work of art at that. For those of you who’ve had the fortune of a hands-on experience with Fliteboard’s products, they are incredibly well designed and finished. Then again, for nearly $12,500, they had better be. In comparison to the Pro (the last Fliteboard I rode), the Ultra is a fair bit smaller. It incorporates system architecture updates leading to a reduction in the number of connecting cables, making setup even easier. With factory-installed footstrap inserts, getting air on this board is more than feasible for experts — it’s designed for exactly that. Although I probably won’t be practicing my e-foil air game anytime soon, it’s inspiring to know what’s possible on the latest generation of these machines. The Ultra’s silver topside and exposed carbon bottom are reminiscent of a Formula 1 car or offshore racing boat, two extreme machines it would look right at home alongside.

Released in tandem with the Ultra, there are a dozen new wings in the Fliteboard lineup this year. Rudi clues me in on the new Flow, Flow S, and Race wings. Seeing is believing, and in person I can now appreciate the subtle (and not so subtle) details in the shape of these wings; it’s clear they’re designed by a pair of Webb Institute-educated naval architects whose hobbies include going at mind-bending speeds on kite racing foils. With a quiver of the highest-performance foils at home, I can admittedly be a bit of a foil snob. These wings though, I can’t wait to ride. As for the controller, there are also updates to the previous generation. While I know

"A LOW-LYING SANDY LANDSCAPE WITH INNUMERABLE INLETS, CAPES, AND MARSHES DEFINE THIS PENINSULA."

there’s more in the pipeline from Fliteboard on this front, Rudi tells me experienced users are enjoying the subtle changes for the new generation. The entire system links up to the Fliteboard app, giving users all sorts of data about their board, riding, and software info.

Eventually we make our way onto the ferry. Although I have my doubts at first, Rudi’s Sprinter van does indeed fit in the deceptively small car hold. Walking between other parked cars, we make our way to the upper decks for the 90-minute crossing. Chugging out of Groton harbor, we pass a half-built submarine. I recall a program I’d watched as a child about how a fair number of the U.S. Navy’s subs are built in this very spot. Suddenly, electric hydrofoils seem much less complex…

Orient Point, situated at the tip of Long Island’s North Fork, is only 100 miles/160km from lower Manhattan in New York City. In fairness, it feels like ten times that distance. A low-lying sandy landscape with innumerable inlets, capes, and marshes define this peninsula. In spite of the Twin Forks’ rather uninhabitable-sounding topography, it’s quite a popular place. If you’ve heard of The Hamptons, Sag Harbor, or Montauk, you’re already familiar with the Twin Forks area. Rolling off the ferry, I’m genuinely surprised to see vineyards reminiscent of those I know in California. A curious mixture of centuries’ old farming plots interspersed with colonies of old and new city money is the norm in these parts, and something that’s got me absolutely fascinated. Rudi mentions it’s not uncommon to see Paul McCartney at the local café or Billy Joel working on his motorcycles. Until seeing water again, I’ve nearly forgotten I’m here to foil and not on an Americana history tour.

Speaking of foiling, we’ve finally made our way to Shelter Island and it’s time to break out the toys. Rudi’s got me on the Ultra with a Flow 1100. The Sport battery pack keeps things light and tidy. Meanwhile, Rudi takes a Pro board with a Flow 1300. Shelter Island is home to one of the highest end real estate markets in the U.S., Rudi tells me as we walk into the water. I’m frankly unsurprised given the pair of 100+ foot-long yachts anchored right off the beach!

Compared to the previous generation of Fliteboards, arming the motor is especially easy on these: a couple of button pushes and we’re ready to go. While I may be on the lighter side at 155lbs/70kg, I still find getting the Ultra up onto foil a very approachable affair.

By simply sinking the tail slightly (not difficult with the board’s low volume) and leaning over my front foot, I’m up and planing. When not on foil, the board planes very competently, and feels much 1 41

more akin to a surfing hydrofoil setup than I’d expected. The sizable stabilizer paired with the Flow wings makes coming onto foil an equally straightforward process. Of course, the smaller Ultra is more pitch sensitive than the larger boards, but as an advanced foiler, I love this responsiveness.

Cruising is a real pleasure on the Ultra. Banking is telepathic, and the progressive sensitivity of the throttle unit is terrific. Not a bad rig for scooting about between yachts on a fine evening such as this. From around the bend comes a wakeboard boat with a fantastic wave behind it — the perfect opportunity to test the Ultra’s new True Glide prop. Once I’ve hooked into the first wake, I cut the throttle and the prop windmills, creating a good impression of an unpowered foil. The Flow 1100 wing glides impressively well given the weight of the setup plus myself. Of course, I immediately get a bit too creative in the turns and go down. Rudi promises a better opportunity to test the True Glide tomorrow.

I wake from a restful night’s sleep eager to explore Montauk. This fabled East Coast surf town is a wave magnet. While the surf isn’t exactly sizable today, it certainly is clean. Clearing the shore break, while daunting at first, is quite manageable given the Ultra’s compact size and lighter weight than bigger models. With good timing and a bit of skill, it’s no big deal. Up and riding, we chase down an outer reef that’s just picking up swell lines. Though unbreaking, they’re enough to get a sense for the True Glide prop. It’s a rather awesome experience to motor into a bump, then ride for a distance without the need for power. While we agree some larger surf would better do the True Glide feature justice, I’m stoked to get a sense for the possibilities it opens up.

Packing up from the morning session, we’re on the hunt for a flatwater spot. Half an hour west, Rudi’s got a client in need of instruction on how to use his new Fliteboard Pro. A nearby spot with an uninterrupted glassy surface presents the perfect opportunity for me to try out the long-awaited Race setup, comprised of a sub-700 sq/cm front wing and a 245sq/cm, ultra-high aspect stabilizer. At normal speeds, this setup is fairly pitch sensitive and feels most like an unpowered foil. At higher velocity, things become progressively more balanced and overall it’s a confidence-inspiring ride. Fast turns are on rails, locked in and loads of fun. After an hour of giving it all I’ve got, I see I’ve managed nearly 46kph/29mph (the claimed top speed is 50kph)! If I were in the market, the Race would be my personal choice. I love speed and this is the best setup out there for it.

They say time flies when you’re having fun. It sure does. Soon enough, we’re back on board a ferry to the mainland. I take the chance to pick Rudi’s brain some more about the state of the foil industry, how technology is driving Fliteboard’s product development, and key issues of sustainability and the user experience. Although it’s been on display all weekend, it’s especially obvious to me now why Fliteboard’s product is so revered by owners from all walks of life. Quality means more than just the newest tech, or attentive customer service, or even the best product design. It’s about how these various parts integrate together, and the people bringing the brand to users. Take Fliteboard’s Fliteschools, for example. These highly vetted, professionally organized locations set the bar for onboarding new e-foil riders in a way that nobody else is currently approaching. Fliteboard understands that safety is an integral part of a quality experience, and recognizes that promoting sustainable ways of using their products benefits everyone. In a world of shortsightedness, Fliteboard’s thinking for the long term.

Special thanks to Rudi for sharing his insights into the development of the S2 family, and his guided tour of the Twin Forks. If you’re in the Long Island area, reach out to Hamptons Fly, the local Fliteschool.

And of course, check out our previous issue (Summer 2021) for my in-depth technical review of the Ultra!

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Lake Powell on the Colorado River set the scene for some high-level sit-down and wake foil fusion back in June, as prolific foil engineer Armie Armstrong joined forces with Airchair inventor Mike Murphy, organizing a meeting of some of the top talent from both disciplines to collaborate, share experiences and – top of the agenda – have a lot of fun… Joining them on the boat were wake maestro Noah Flegel, sit-down foiler Alvaro Lewin and all-round foil frother Austin Tovey.

PHOTOS DAN JENKINS (UNLESS SPECIFIED)

"FIVE BOATS WIDE, THREE JET SKIS, AND LAKE POWELL AS THE BACKGROUND WHILE THESE GUYS ROCKED THROUGH THE RINCON WAS NO LESS THAN ABSOLUTELY EPIC"

Photo: Alvaro Lewin

Alvaro Lewin Any Lake Powell trip is an amazing experience. It is a vibrant, serene, and almost alien landscape and truly a wonder of this world. Now, throw in houseboats, ski boats and hydrofoils and you have the making on an epic trip. How do you up the game from here? The answer is, you add foil godfathers and legends, then let their worlds collide...

When you disappear off the grid for five days with foil legends like Mike Murphy, Armie Armstrong and Brian Schumacher, no foil was ever going to be left untested and untouched. These guys are the founders, innovators, and riders that have defined sit and surf foil technology; not to mention invented the sport as we know it. Combined, they have over 100 years of experience designing, testing, and riding hydrofoils.

With sit foil legends like Tyler Narans, Torey Narans, and Al Lewin on board you could name a trick, any trick, including mobes, spins, and doubles, and it would be thrown on command and with mind blowing amplitude. Five boats wide, three jet skis, and Lake Powell as the background while these guys rocked through the Rincon was no less than absolutely epic. Noah Flegel and Austin Tovey... Legendary water-men who are now defining the sport of wake foiling, were pulling strapless 3s, backside 3s, backflips, mobes, and the most epic wake poach ever, at dawn in Iceberg Canyon. And not to be outdone by the boys, Sierra Stack was also on deck showcasing the grace, ease and depth that makes surf foiling so inspiring to watch.

In between sets the crew managed to do some sightseeing all the while trying new things. Tyler and Al took out the hand wings, Noah got some barefooting in, and Armie learned how to sit foil and even jumped his first time out. It was five days of riding, tuning, and testing new foil gear. Five days of collaboration and cross pollination between disciplines. Five days that forged new understanding and new alliances. Five days that will impact the hydrofoil world, both surf and sit, both wake and wind. It was not only an epic Powell trip, but the trip of a lifetime for a hydrofoiler.

Mike Murphy Over the years I have taken many exciting water sports adventures all over the world and I must say the houseboat trip Armie and I took to Lake Powell this past summer was absolutely epic. It is one of the most beautiful lakes I have ever seen and seeing these shots I think you would have to agree. We couldn't have asked for better hosts than the Narans family and the weather couldn't have been

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L E GE NDS ON L A K E POWE LL

Photo: Alvaro Lewin

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Photo: Alvaro Lewin

better. I know that Armie was absolutely blown away by the extreme riding on a sit-down foil that Tyler and Corey Narans and Al Lewins demonstrated. Massive double back flips, huge airs and soft landings directly to foil. Not to mention the amount of talent his team riders Noah Flegel and Austin Tovey brought to the party. It was almost unbelievable to me to see spins and mobes being thrown without a rope at wake surf foil speeds. It's truly mind boggling where the sport of hydrofoiling is going just in these two disciplines.

Not to mention winging, kiting, tow-in surfing, SUPs, prone surfing and downwinders…

We were riding in the most surreal place called Iceberg Canyon, which was like riding in a deep, buttery crack in the surface of the earth. It’s hard to explain in words, but it was definitely the most unique and breath-taking place I have ever had the pleasure of riding a foil in, and it was great to hang with Armie and Mike Murphy.

These legends have such a high level of stoke, immense amounts of energy, and incredibly good jokes that had the boys dying laughing.

Armie had the back deck of the houseboat looking like a full-blown foil workshop. Constantly chopping and tuning foil setups to keep us all dialed and riding at our highest potential.

It was so cool to introduce the world’s best wake foil surfers to the world’s best sit-down foilers. I think a lot of respect was gained by all. Wouldn't it be awesome if we could have an annual houseboat event on Lake Powell, bringing as many of these foiling disciplines together!

We had some pretty progressive sessions as Noah was stomping his flip and nearly rode off with his signature “dirty dancer”, which is a combination of a backflip with a backside 360. But the highlight of the trip for me was riding off with my first foil backflip that I stomped in the canyon. I was so hyped that I backed it up with a nice line of a frontside slob grab and a frontside 360 after. Stoke levels were at an all-time high. Another pretty epic moment was when I pumped away to hijack the wake of a massive yacht that was plowing at a perfect foil speed through Lake Powell.

Austin Tovey The Lake Powell trip was one for the books! We took a little private plane fully loaded with foil gear over Moab with our great pilot/photographer/foil frother friend, Nate. From the plane looking down it looked like Mars. Nothing but beautiful red rocks and Grand Canyon like features. We landed and were greeted by the legends Armie Armstrong and the founding father of hydrofoiling, Mike Murphy, the inventor of the airchair. From there we got on the Narans’ houseboat for the weekend. The Narans are a family full of absolute airchair senders, it was unreal to watch Ty and his brother Tory going massive (sometimes 30 feet high across the wake). They were throwing double backflips, frontflips, and back-mobes. It was super inspiring to watch those guys ride, and it stands as proof that our sport of stand-up foiling has a long road of progression ahead.

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We rounded the days off with delicious dinners prepared by Mrs Naran and then checking out the football while partying under the stars on the top deck of the houseboat. It was a sad day when Noah and I had to head back to Florida, made even harder when the wind came up and Armie said “That’s your call to stay!” as he proceeded to pump up his wing and score a session on the lake. I can’t thank everyone enough for such an unreal trip that will never be forgotten.

And to anyone who is thinking of checking out Lake Powell for a shred-fest: all I can say is do it, because it’s the most unique and breath-taking place you can ever go ride…

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FRE E D O M FOI L B OAR D S Sun-drenched Southern California provides the backdrop and the influence to a foil board brand which should be on everyone’s radar: Freedom Foil Boards. Their hot pink number featured on our cover (and under Brian Finch’s feet) for issue #9… so this time around we got in touch with founder Chris Sayer to find out how things came to pass…

Ph oto : K je ll van Sice

RIGHT Chris Sayer – Freedom founder, firefighter, and all-round stoked human being.

P ho to : Kj e l l van S i ce

Hey Chris. So let’s start from the beginning… tell us how the concept of Freedom Foil Boards first came about and who were/are the main players…

later I completed building my first foil board and headed straight to the Colorado River to learn to fly from one of the very first foil pioneers, Mike Mack.

The journey of Freedom Foil Boards is really about the collision of good old fashioned hard work combined with a pure froth and passion that only those who foil understand. For years, the back of my garage had been used as a personal shaping bay, and a place to daydream while shaping classic California cruisers. Those shapes and dreams were flipped upside down to images of endless high-speed foil carves about three years ago. Up to that point I had only seen some random Instagram videos of Kai flying and linking waves in Fiji, however, I really didn’t grasp the full essence and spirit of foiling until I saw it in person while surfing at local outer reef break. I vividly remember Chuck Patterson showing up on a ski with a buddy and asking if I would mind a little company. I recall seeing their foils and quickly agreeing as I knew something special was about to go down.

Once I learned to glide behind a boat, I quickly turned my attention back home and to the surf. San Onofre and “The Dog Patch” quickly became my new home away from home. My continued run of good foil fortune was solidified when I realized that San O was also home to foil royalty. The West Coast Foil Club (WCFC) is composed mainly of Jeff Hurley, Ryan Hurley and Punker Pat. They were often found linking waves at San O with an edgy style that was only superseded by their creative presence on Instagram.

So that lit the fire?

Yeah, from then all I could think about was shaping a foil board and figuring out how to get my hands on a foil. It was literally only a couple of weeks later that my path crossed with James Casey.

James was kind enough to humor me with his time as I tried to suck as much foil knowledge out of him as possible all while downplaying my growing anticipation to learn the secrets of flight. I don’t believe in manifestations as I’m a different kind of believer, but I do know that the more you visualize and believe in a path towards something the more likely that something is to occur. Little did I know my path and search for a foil and a first flight was closer than I ever imagined…

Take us through the next steps.

Liquid Force was headquartered directly across the street from where I worked as a firefighter in Encinitas at the Moonlight Beach Station. Don Wallace is currently the GM of Liquid Force and was also ironically my old roommate while I was wakeboarding for them in the late 90’s. After a fair few unannounced visits, he along with Jimmy Redmon basically gifted me my first foil. A short time

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As my dedication to foiling grew so did my desire to build a better board for myself and my growing crew of foil friends. One board turned into three, three into 10, and it was my wife who convinced me I should consider starting a company. The name Freedom means a lot to me as it does to many people, especially in this strange period of time we are living in, but there is not a single expression I feel more than freedom when I’m foiling… Hence the beginning of Freedom Foil Boards. Up until about a year ago Freedom Foil Boards was run out of my garage. As the company rapidly expanded, I knew the one-man-show operation wasn't sustainable. I presented my best Shark Tank pitch to my friends at Liquid Force and we agreed to a deal that would allow me to continue to run Freedom but with the support and backing from the parent company of Liquid Force, Kent Watersports…

Amazing story! So bringing things right up to today – what’s the outlook for the business now, and where do you see the most focused areas of growth?

I couldn’t be more stoked to have the backing of Kent Watersports and the Liquid Force team to help drive the FFB brand globally through their network of reps and distributors. We have been hyper focused on using new designs and materials to build our boards and equipment as light and strong as possible. Being located in Southern California, our main focus has been prone foiling, but we have also been very committed to the wake foil scene. I see it as one of our biggest markets that we obviously carry as a strategic advan-

F RE E DOM FO I L B OA R DS

tage being teamed up with Liquid Force. Our accessory line of bags, foot straps and deck pads are going to really turn some heads as our team of designers have years of experience and really know what they are doing!

Winging has obviously proliferated enormously these past couple of years. Has that been and does that continue to be a big driver to the business?

Yeah, we were at the AWSI up in Hood River. It was an eye-opening experience seeing all the wings and foils everywhere. The interesting thing about the wing is that it really brings so many people into the sport of foiling who otherwise might not have been interested.

All the age groups were just killing it up there. It really is a massive market when you combine all the lakes, rivers and oceans. Up to this point we haven't had a wing, just our Wingnut boards, but… I can tell you our Hood River Crew has been super busy, and we will be excited to announce some very cool new products in the near future!

Which other sports are you guys into and how does this feed into your development process?

Ph oto : J a s o n P h illip s

Jason Miller is one our most stylish team riders, and we are lucky to have wrangled him into the marketing and design end of Freedom.

He summarized it perfectly “The environment you live in really motivates the direction of your focus for whatever discipline of foiling you are into.”

Being located on the coast here in SoCal, the surf is our home which is why we have been primarily focused on that aspect of foiling.

As much as we love prone foiling, we are committed to being the one-stop-shop when it comes to foil boards. We currently have five models of boards with 16 size variants. I could very easily see those numbers double in the near future. I also love shaping and designing custom boards – it means a lot to me personally coming from the surf world and will continue to be a big part of Freedom as it’s one of our competitive advantages moving forward.

Can you talk us through the layups you are using and your process to finding the perfect materials for your boards?

Ph oto : Ke it h Kip p

Now that Freedom actually has an R&D budget we have been sampling a bunch of new materials and builds for our line of custom and production boards. Anyone that works with carbon knows that not all carbon is created equally. Jimmy Redmon from Liquid Force has been designing and building wakeboards literally since the beginning of the wake market. It’s been so fun to learn from him and have the opportunity to work with someone who has been at this for decades. I don't want to give too many of our secrets away, but I can tell you this… our boards continue to get lighter and stronger. If there is one thing I have learned over the last few years of building foil boards, it's that you have to build boards for where the sport will be in two years. If you’re building boards for what's happening now, you're behind the curve.

You have a pretty formidable riding team and ambassadors, including Brian Finch, Tom Carroll and Julia Mancuso. Who’s out there testing the prototypes, and do you get feedback from the team that feeds into the R&D process?

Being teamed up with Liquid Force, we’re fortunate to have access to the best wakeboard boats in the world and we love to prototype our gear behind the boat before we take it to the surf. All of our team riders and ambassadors are heavily involved in our testing of prototypes. From Dylan Fish and Julia Mancuso on Maui, to Trevor Isabel and his dad Rick on Tavarua, and of course Brian Finch who up until recently lived over on Kauai.

And a surf legend too right?

Yeah! Being a surfer at heart, I have to admit it's been such a pleasure to get to know and work with one of my heroes growing up, Tom Carroll. He’s such an amazing human and truly cares about the people he surrounds himself with. It’s all these team riders and ambassadors that really embody the spirit of Freedom Foil Boards, and who really help us at Freedom to test our gear in different waves under all sorts of different conditions that ensure our builds are up to the unique forces that the sport of foiling requires of its equipment.

Foiling consists of such an amazing community of friends and we all work together and inspire each other to enjoy the ride while hopefully creating some amazing gear along the way.

Ph oto : B o B r idg e s

B AC KSTO RY

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P ho to : S hawn Par k i n s

"BEING A SURFER AT HEART, I HAVE TO ADMIT IT'S BEEN SUCH A PLEASURE TO GET TO KNOW AND WORK WITH ONE OF MY HEROES GROWING UP, TOM CARROLL. HE’S SUCH AN AMAZING HUMAN AND TRULY CARES ABOUT THE PEOPLE HE SURROUNDS HIMSELF WITH." 159

F RE E DOM FO I L B OA R DS

Ph o to s : Sh aw n Parkins'

Have you been tempted to cross back over into building boards for other board sports?

I grew up here in San Clemente, California. It wouldn't be a stretch to call this place the action sports capital of the world. Surfing, snowboarding, wakeboarding and motocross were all an influence on me as a kid growing up. But if I was to pick two sports, it was wakeboarding and surfing that stole the majority of my free time. I was hired by the Encinitas Fire department about 16 years ago so now my priorities are my faith, my wife and four kids, Freedom and the Fire Department. As far as shaping goes, our slogan pretty much sums it up… “We are dedicated to flight.”

San Clemente. Definitely worse places in the world to be based, we imagine?

There are bumper stickers that say “San Clemente World's Best Climate”! We also have some of the world's best surf and foil waves… I love San Clemente!

So tell us Chris, what’s the next chapter in the FFB story?

I’m going to keep this short and sweet… We want to be the best all-around foil board company in the world!

B AC KSTO RY

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F RE E DOM FO I L B OA R DS

PART 2 HE 101

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D OW N W I N D S U P F OI L I N G

Ready to fully nail your downwind SUP foiling? You’ve come to the right place… Coach James Casey returns with his follow up to part one of our expert’s guide to scoring your best foil sessions with a paddle…

PHOTOS SA M B R ISBY

T HE 1 01

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STEP 1 READING THE BUMPS

ST E P 1

•T he best way to learn to read these bumps is to sit out the back and watch the bumps roll past you. Instead of looking out to sea (upwind) look into shore (downwind) and follow the backs of each of the bumps. The steeper and shorter the trough behind the peak the easier it will be to use it to paddle up and onto the foil. The big drawn-out troughs look like they’d be the ones you’d want but don’t be fooled, they move too quickly and are near impossible to paddle onto.

• I dentify the short sharp troughs... sometimes you can’t even see them but only feel them. The best way to feel them is by not overpowering them by paddling too much. Drift downwind, in a body drag style float just paddling every so often and feeling it out. When you do get glide on a downhill, take note of it. When you come to a stop during an uphill, take note of that too. Once you identify when you glide and when you stop, you can put all your effort into that glide and stop continuing to paddle when you are on an uphill.

ST E P 2

STEP 2 T I M I N G O F YO U R PA D D L E P U M P •P atience really is the key for this, don’t pull that trigger too early. You are best off waiting for that perfect bump than wasting energy on the wrong one.

•Y ou need to be able to time it between bumps, start paddling when the nose is just about to be angled down into a short steep trough in front of you, not when the nose is angled up to the peak of a big drawn-out bump.

•Y ou will know within three or four strokes whether your timing was right and if you are going to have a successful paddle up. If it doesn’t feel right, abort it before you expend too much energy.

•W hen you time it right you need to go for it. Think speed, then bounce, then pump and you will be up and flying before you know it.

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DOW NW I ND S U P FO I LI N G PA RT 2

ST E P 3

ST E P 4

STEP 3 YO U ’ R E U P B U T I T ’ S N OT OV E R …

STEP 4 S TAY I N G I N B E T W E E N T H E B U M P S

• Once

you have lift you need to think about turning to keep your glide going. Do not keep running straight as you will run into an uphill. Instead think about turning across the bump or even behind the bump you were going for in order to continue that downhill feeling.

•O nce you are up and practicing the no-pump drill you will find that you will want to be on the downhill side of the bump as often as possible.

• In terms of pumping, you will need to continue paddling and pumping until you are up to a comfortable speed. Generally once you make that first connection and you are on your second bump you will then be up to speed and you will be allowed to let the board run. Once you get to this point, see how long you can go without pumping at all. I call it the no-pump drill… glide for as long as possible as high on your mast to find the bottom end speed of your foil. Don’t allow it to stall out but get close to that feeling and only then do one or two pumps to get back up to speed. Too often I see people get up and paddle and pump for too long and actually make it harder for themselves, putting themselves in the uphill section and in general working too hard.

T HE 1 01

• I f you go too fast you will run into the uphill on the bump in front of you. If you go too slow you will run into the uphill on the bump that just passed you. The trick is gliding across the wave, the same as we would surf a left or right hander in the surf zone. Think about staying high on this bump for as long as possible, taking a high line, to get the most speed out of the conditions.

•W hen you find yourself in an uphill section you need to turn left or right to let the downhill section of the bump catch you back up.

This is like doing a cutback on a wave, cutting back to the power source in order to regain speed.

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This is something that you shouldn't expect to nail the first or even the second time. It takes time getting yourself used to the feeling and the larger equipment (board and foil). I recommend trying this first at the end of your local downwind run, or just a short section (no more than 3km). Do not go for longer than 2-3km as this often results in a lot of paddling, a lot of hard work and not much joy. If you are a masochist and like suffering, go for it, but everyone else keep things short until you are getting to the point that you are getting lift off and linking a few bumps together.

or wrong and the whole idea of it is to speed up the learning curve and get you flying downwind sooner. If you are interested in signing up or have any questions head to caseyaus.com

These two 101 editions are the first two (and a bit) steps of my online Downwind Foil program, The Coach Casey Club. Having access to the program allows you to go through the steps at your own pace but the addition of an online community allows questions directly to me as well as to fellow foilers who are learning to do the exact same thing. Weekly group coaching calls allow me to go through video footage of what you are doing right

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DOW NW I ND S U P FO I LI N G PA RT 2

WEAPON RIDER HEIGHT RIDER WEIGHT

OCEAN RODEO GLIDE HL-SERIES

GLIDE HL-SERIES 182CM 75 KG

Recently confirmed as the first recruit to Ocean Rodeo’s ‘Wing Division’, Mathis Ghio had been previously spotted putting their ALUULA-infused ‘Hybrid Light’ wings to good use on the GWA circuit. We found out why he’s convinced this new material is the way forward...

P H OTOS : L AC I KO B U L S KY

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I’ve been riding the Glide HL-Series wings since I was given a prototype at the beginning of April 2021, so that’s about six months now.

My favorite one for big freestyle maneuvers is my 4m. It has a smaller span, so it’s better for landing the tricks without putting the wing in the water.

I have seen the Glide evolving with the different prototypes that I’ve tested on the water. But I have to say, the first prototype was already pretty perfect due to the Ocean Rodeo R&D team’s prior 20-year knowledge in developing kites for kitesurfing.

For racing, racing the 6m HL-Series is one of the best! I used it in my last Race Wingfoil European Championship in St Moritz, and it was incredible how fast I was accelerating in the gusts. For me, the ALUULA central strut is a must have for wingfoiling… It is exactly like in windsurfing with a carbon boom.

The 5m is also my favorite wing for doing some very high and long raileys! When I’m jumping, the wing continues to pull me up like nothing else, and I’m planning my next move while I’m coming back down…

The Matrix handle system is a big advantage because it allows me to tailor the handle lengths to what I need. With such a tight trailing edge, the wing is always stabilized when I grab the neutral handle during my surf and pumping sections.

The windows on the wing are also very important because it helps to see if the downwind zone is free for a jibe. For me, it will never be on an equal footing as a quick look behind the leading edge of the wing, but it does make life easier with the window and helps me avoid crashes and to check on other riders when I am racing.

I’ve been traveling to different countries for training and competitions this season. Just within these last three months I’ve been to Corsica, Sardinia, Portugal, Silvaplana and St Moritz in Switzerland.

My favorite session so far was in Guincho, Portugal. I woke up at 9am, I looked at the spot, and I was like: “It’s gonna be a good and long day”. I had my 4m Glide HL-Series, my medium Levitaz board and 1100HA foil, totally ready for the side onshore conditions. I was on the water at 10am, and I had so much fun in those waves! Eventually I got tired, and the wind was decreasing. So I took a break, and meantime the wind died but the surf got cleaner. So, I tied my wing to a pole on the beach, and I went surf foiling with the Shaka S from Levitaz. It was a long but perfect day on the water!

For racing I need a very stiff wing that can accelerate in small gusts.

The wing also needs to be light, allowing me to put all my effort into gaining speed and not in maintaining my wing’s position. I need my wing to be built with very strong material too to remain stiff and sustainable, even after a lot of sessions. For freestyle I’m looking for a stiff wing to hang in the air so I can send some good tricks. The ALUULA material ticks all these boxes.

I love working on prototypes with Ocean Rodeo because they always listen to my input. Richard Myerscough, the CEO, is also testing the wings and it allows us to compare our impressions and feelings on the water. It’s always really satisfying to both help in the development of a product and to race with it during competitions.

I use my wings in some pretty specific conditions. conditions Firstly, I use my 7m with my biggest board (75L), and due to its incredible traction I can foil in extremely light conditions (the lightest wind I ever foiled in was 7 knots!). I change to the 6m when the wind is above 12 knots.

This wing is my weapon for races in light conditions. I’ll use the 5m when the wind goes above 17 knots with my medium board (43L) and the 1100HA frontwing from Levitaz. I use this wing to be as fast as possible in stronger winds, but I also use it when the wind is tricky or gusty. The 4m is my favorite wing for freestyle in 22-25+ knots. I often use it with my smallest board (29L) which is so light that I forget it’s even there when I’m foiling.

The 3m is my smallest and lightest wing and is saved for strong conditions with the smallest board and foil possible when I want to push my limits in freestyle. When I’m using this setup, I’m free to do any movement in the air, and that’s a plus when this sport is evolving constantly…

I’m just starting to receive the A-Series Glide wings from Ocean Rodeo, with the full ALUULA frame, and I can already tell you that they're going to blow minds... I've never felt anything like it.

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VAV E ’A WORDS

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LOCATION DATE

PAULINE

PHOTOS SECRET

FRIDAY

LE

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TEFAAFANA REEF,

AUGUST

TAHITI

13TH,

2021

ven photographer Pauline le Meur admits there was an element of being in the right place at the right time on this sunny day on the west coast of Tahiti, when conditions aligned and she witnessed (and captured) one of the largest swells to hit the island all year, with rider Ariihoe Tefaafana front and center. But truthfully, it’s testament to her commitment, steel nerves, and the trust she places in her jet ski pilot that put her there…

Early morning, somewhere on the west Tahitian coast, the sun was slowly rising, and the air was already charged with the mist from the waves. The whole team was there: jet ski pilots, riders, all friends with each other, all both excited and scared at the same time. The waves were so big we couldn’t get out of the lagoon because of the closeouts. The forecast had been right! The pass was almost saying “Welcome riders, come if you dare, but if you fall, I will catch you!”

But we did it, and we arrived at the peak, and the atmosphere was unreal. Everyone was in awe of the waves and were humbled by the strong show that nature was putting on. Especially so this day; all the elements had come together… no wind, beautiful sunlight, and of course insane swell conditions.

"IT HAS TO BE SAID THAT GETTING BEAUTIFUL PHOTOGRAPHY DURING THESE KINDS OF CONDITIONS IS NOT THE EASIEST THING I HAVE DONE…" 1 69

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I don’t know Ariihoe Tefaafana very well. I’ve only worked with him a few times as a photographer. But this man is a force of nature. He knows the spot and the waves intimately. Everything between him, the curling waves and his foil seem to flow naturally… even if he is riding something that’s the size of a hefty building.

It’s pretty fun to think that Arii’s front wing is just a little bigger than his stab! It’s specially made for him and his kind of riding. And it works… the size of his set up perfectly matches him up with the power of the wave. He can take a hard descent without being ejected off the board, at full speed, full commitment. It’s pretty incredible to watch.

It has to be said that getting beautiful photography during these kinds of conditions is not the easiest thing I have done… Even if it might seem quiet in the pictures, it’s actually pretty hostile and extreme. At any moment the pilot can pull back the jet ski around to avoid a huge closeout, or risk finding the jet ski upside down and losing everything. It almost happened to me at the same place last year. A pure moment of adrenaline. It was unbelievable! And this is exactly what makes the challenge so exciting. You know perfectly well that you can lose your gear… but you can also win the shot.

It’s all about that perfect timing between the rider, the wave, the jet ski pilot and the photographer. You have to be at the right place at the right time to get the right shot, no matter if it’s risky for your camera or yourself. You’re fueled by adrenaline. You can’t keep watch on your surroundings to check everything is safe, or check if a giant closeout is about to dump on you. You have to focus on the rider and your shot, and give 100% trust to your pilot.

And in this session it happened… Ariihoe was pulled into a majestic wave by the jet ski. Everyone stopped breathing for few seconds: Is he going to get barreled? Will he be eaten by the beast along with 30 inches of foil mast? Ariihoe took plenty of waves this day. Some successfully, and others that could have cost him his life. Those seconds underwater are like minutes, and when it happens, you don’t know if he is safe or not. Luckily, everything ended well.

On this day, limits and records had been broken by brave (and some reckless) riders. There was no water patrol or mass of media, no public, no pretentions. Just the passion and thirst for riding, gifted by a little paradise called Tahiti.

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BOX FRESH RIDER

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KEAHI

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WEDNESDAY

AUGUST

ABOITIZ

MOONA

WHYTE HAWAII

25TH,

2021

Christmas arrived in the summertime for Cabrinha team riders Keahi de Aboitiz and partner Moona Whyte, with the arrival of some new foil gear and a shiny new drone too. Both were ripped from their packing and put to immediate use…

From the moment I started surf foiling four-and-a-half years ago, I was hooked. Finding something that gives you the ability to turn an unbroken wave into a playground was a dream come true and opened up a whole new world in terms of what I would consider a fun wave. In the past, summertime in Hawaii was a drag as the whole north shore goes pretty much flat. It’s either drive to town and fight it out with all the other hungry surfers on Oahu for some slow south swell or pick up some small wind swell scraps on the north shore on a longboard or SUP. With the progression of foils and especially the new aspect of wing foiling, those days have become so much more inviting, and I find myself even looking forward to them now!

Over the past year I’ve been working closely with Cabrinha on a new high-aspect wing design and after experimenting with a bunch of different prototypes, I’d finally got my hands on some of the first production samples to test out. With some decent wind and some good summer wind swell in the water, it was the perfect day to try them out and see what they could do! We’d also just acquired a shiny new Mavic Air 2S so it also seemed like a great time for Moona to show off some of her drone skills and see if we could bag some final content of the new wings just in time for launch.

We decided to start the day off early with some photos as the morning light is always a really nice addition here in Hawaii. Although it looked a little light, I decided on my 5m Mantis which is the size I use 90% of the time over here as it’s a very versatile wing with a lot of power, stability and good control even in the stronger gusts. I also set up my Autopilot 4’6 with the new H1000 wing and 80cm mast as the waves were on the smaller side.

This particular spot is one we spend a lot of time at over the summer.

Although its location on the coast makes it seem like it shouldn’t pick up swell from that direction, the shape of the reef just funnels it in so it’s become our go-to while nothing else around it is really breaking.

Sure, it’s a little fat for surfing, but that’s what ends up making it perfect for foiling. The biggest issue for wind sports comes from the gusty wind as it’s quite close to the beach so with the side offshore wind it can be very patchy. For me this is what also makes this spot so special as the wave faces stay incredibly clean compared to somewhere with more side onshore wind.

Sure, it can take a little bit of practice learning to ride more gusty conditions, but for me that’s one of the best aspects about winging.

Even with a small board, you can use those gusts to get up on foil and once you’re up you can use that glide and efficiency to ride through the lulls and pump the wing and foil to get through the really light spots. I’ve also found it’s become the best way to test the new foils as it’s the closest you can get to doing fair back-to-back testing with the most similar variables as possible.

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I ended up spending the morning on the H1000 and falling in love with the way these high aspect shapes work for winging. They still have great early lift, but have that effortless glide mixed with a great top end that helps handle the extra speed winging and bigger waves give you. It was some dreamy conditions with clear skies and some perfect clean waist-high rollers, but after a couple batteries spent shooting photos, I decided to switch it up and try the new 800 wing and see how that compared… Instantly, I found myself falling in love with this wing and it has pretty much become the only wing I use now. Looking at it on land is always a trip with the high-aspect ratio, but every time I try it, I’m blown away by the performance. The wide wingspan mixed with the high-aspect tail wing still gives you fairly early lift, but the top end and glide feels amazing and is very addictive. Even with the gusty winds, it has the glide to push through the light spots and the ability to ride a swell long before it breaks. It’s tow-in foiling without the need for a jet ski and just becomes endless waves until your legs can’t handle it any more.

After my 100th wave of the day, the fatigue finally set in so it was time to call it a day. Overall, I’m very stoked on the new collection and can’t wait to put some time on the smaller sizes over the winter! To check out a full video from this day and the day after, you can check out the clip on my YouTube page.

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SMITH COLIN PHOTO:

MISSION TO MARS WORDS PHOTOS

PARKER

LINDSEY

LOCATION DATE

WEDNESDAY

MATT

(UNLESS LAKE

SEPTEMBER

MANZARI

SPECIFIED) POWELL, 22ND,

USA 2021

Pro wakeboarder and 14,000-volt electric shock survivor (seriously – go and Google it) Matt Manzari lays out why this large desert lake has a unique charm beyond the flatwater fun it offers…

If you’ve ever been to Lake Powell, you know that no matter how clear the pictures are, nothing does it justice. It really feels like you went to Mars and discovered a lake on it, or like if the Grand Canyon had a lake at the bottom for you to explore and enjoy.

I’m not one to get super “out there” or psychedelic, however there is a deeper connection when you’re in this place. Whether it’s gazing into the deep blue water that can be 400 foot deep one step from shore, or sleeping under the sky looking at the millions of stars, in complete silence, there’s definitely a deeper sense of peace then I’ve found in any other place. My favorite time is later in the year, like this day, when the summer crowd is gone and you can go down to the lake to be completely secluded. In the time I’ve spent here, I’ve never slept inside a boat or anything, I always sleep under the stars to take in the vastness of the sky view and the cold crisp desert air throughout the nights. You awake to the sunrise, and a large sheet of glass-like water as far as the eye can see…

There’s also something very rewarding about getting to this point in the trip. It’s not easy to get to Lake Powell. I usually start with a trip to Salt Lake where everything has to be planned, from a week’s worth of food, fuel, logistics of boats, Sea-Doo’s etc. Then starts a six-hour road trip. Upon arrival at the marina, everything is packed into the houseboat, with the understanding that we need to be self-sufficient for the next week. I was super excited for this trip, and thankful to Centurion boats for lending me a new Ri-245 (24.5ft boat) to use down there, but we still had to pack it out for the journey. A pretty great aspect of riding behind the boat is you can bring your favorite wave with you anywhere. I especially love how long the Centurion wave is, giving you more possibilities of where to move around and explore. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

After a flight there with a full day of prep, we have this travel/pack-inday, followed by a few hours of sleep in the marina before a 5:30am departure for our journey down lake. We get up to drive all boats and Sea Doo’s to the channel to hook up and tow them down with the houseboat. Towing everything conserves fuel and we leave early in the hope of calmer passage down lake. So when you finally wake up the next day to this incredibly peaceful moment, you have this feeling of relief that you’ve finally begun a trip that actually started days ago.

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I have a background as a wake athlete, and one thing that first attracted me to foiling was this idea that every day is glass. Even in whitecaps you can effortlessly and smoothly glide along as if you’re flying. And when you’re actually riding in glassy water, it’s that much better. Again, not to get too spiritual but there’s also a deeper connection with the water you’re riding on. Those of you that spend a lot of time on the ocean know how dense and buoyant saltwater can be, and freshwater is the total opposite. Freshwater isn’t so forgiving, it’s less often that you feel light and lofty, but more often that you feel you’re fighting against the natural laws to keep moving. That’s part of why I have always loved to find a calm bay, and wakeskate in saltwater, or in ocean surf. I love foiling because of the freedom that it gives you, in any water. There’s something deeply spiritual about being able to have no motor, no wave, yet propel yourself through harsh water, simply by your own body’s energy connected with a board that’s connected to the water! You can explore parts of the wave, pump away from it and come back in on a completely different wave, multiple rollers back, or to a rogue wave from another boat.

When Signature sent me the Game Changer 1260 wing, those possibilities opened up even more as I was able to pump faster and further than I ever have. I also love the community aspect… you can get multiple people out on foils and because you don’t have to be in one perfect pocket on the wave, everybody can enjoy it and ride together.

On this particular day, my friend Willow was working on learning shuvit’s on the wakesurfer. I love that we were able to ride together. I could ride the washy side of the wave, or crossover to her more powerful curling side of the wave. When she fell I could pump around and explore. I can stand on the other side, being in that moment to celebrate when she lands the shuvit. The possibilities are endless. This trip was incredible, to be in this surreal and powerful place, experiencing it with a group of people I love, all while being constantly awestruck and connected to my creator by the breath-taking artistic landscape.

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SWELL SEASON RIDER

&

WORDS

PHOTOS

ROMAIN

LOCATION DATE

SUNDAY

SIMONNOT

CHRISTIAN

12TH

CARRO,

SOUCHET FRANCE

SEPTEMBER,

2021

There can’t be many people out there wishing away their summertimes in the south of France. Romain Simonnot, however, is one person who is. But to be fair, it’s for a good reason…

When you are living in the south of France and you are passionate about water sports, you definitely have to manage your planning according to the weather. During the winter, south-easterly storms are the sessions we chase. This direction of wind coming from the middle of the Mediterranean Sea provides strong winter conditions and a solid swell.

This session happened on a Tuesday, between two courses at school.

It was in September, the winter storms were not there yet, but the forecast looked good for a week now. I just received the brand new Eleveight gear and trying out this foil, board and wings was my only objective of the week. The night before I called Christian, who’s a former wave windsurfer, and a pioneer who ripped all the local spots when he was young. Now behind the lens, he knows where to stand to get the great shots…

Christian was on, the launch window was short, we had to make it quick. I loaded all the gear in the car, picked him up, and drove down to Carro, a peaceful town with a small fishing harbor on one side, and a solid reef on the other. Before arriving there, you have to drive through a hilly landscape, which allows us to see the ocean and the rising swell which was already in. No doubt it was going to be fun. In the parking lot in front of the beach you can see many vans and a lot of windsurfers. Historically it’s been a windsurfer’s spot, but it’s also fun to drive some lines on the foil.

Gearing up my wing, my foil and my board, the south-east wind brings warm gusts and summer is still here, just, and the shorty wet-

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suit is perfect. Out I went for my first session on the 4m WFS Wing, HSX 950 foil, and a prototype board made with the Eleveight team and a local shaper. The reef is perfectly oriented to welcome the east swell, making the lefts perfect to ride, with many maneuvers possible. First I warm up, passing through the white water with my board in my left hand and the wing in my right, trying to figure out some kind of duckdive. Alright, it’s done, let’s ride. Then I take off, everything looks to be working well, a few carves, some jumps…

When I feel my legs have warmed up, I engage in the upwind bowl.

The way the reef turns, it creates a shallow, hollow wave, with just enough depth to dig in the front wing while doing the bottom turn.

I feel like I'm not far from the ground below, but it went well, carving up to the top and I made my first jump, pushed out by the lip.

The WFS wing’s still in my right hand, still stable. Escaping from the bowl, crossing the water, back up on my foil and this time it’s much easier. Using the wing wishbone makes it pretty easy to pull back the wing.

I head back to the shore a few times to set the position of the foil, the stab too, and each time I get back in the water it gets more and more fun. I also draw a few lines without the wing, starting upwind, prone surfing down the reef until the end and walking back to the upwind wave. Fun too, but I needed one final wing run before leaving. This time I felt I was really in control of the foil, and I can push harder and harder in the turns and carves.

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Like all good things, it must come to an end. I threw one final air rotation before getting out of the water. Christian was there, smiling, I knew he had some great shots. After a small debrief with the local guys, I went straight back to school for a two-hour class, which I didn’t really attend mentally – I was still flying down a wave. In the evening I met up with Christian in the local Irish pub to share a well-deserved beer. We debriefed the session and he showed me some pictures. It was cool to see how well I was carving with the new gear.

Now I just have this crazy feeling of wishing for winter, welcoming every storm with open arms…

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I N DI A N A D O C KSTA R T P U MP F O I L 1 1 0 0 P L E V I TA Z B O O M B OA R DS M F C A LU F U S E L AG E AX I S A R T9 9 9 CABRINHA RANGE A K DU R A B L E S U P P LY CO P H A Z E R V 2 S L I N G S H OT S H R E D S L E D TA KU M A E F O I L C A RV E R 2 R E E DI N S U P E RW I N GX

AXIS ART999 ART stands for Axis Research Team, which sounds like a covert ops department. Axis tried something a little different with the launch of the ART999 wing – they snuck a handful of wings out to a few key riders without any fuss to see what would happen. There were strict instructions to keep it under wraps until they formally released it, at which point the internet went berserk with YouTube froth. We were lucky enough to get one pre-release.

mance will far surpass your expectations, not only with regards early lift, but also how gradual and controlled this is; it’s nothing like your normal slightly choppy high-aspect low-end experience which can take a while to dial into.

What surprised us most was perhaps the SUP performance; attaching a foil of this size and aspect ratio to a high volume board looked absolutely daft, and we didn’t fancy our chances of it working well in small swell. This was a great experiment for its true low end heavily loaded, and we perhaps had some of the most enlightening SUP foil sessions to date with a level of speed, carving and pumpability we didn’t think we’d ever get on a board that size. With less board, this transfers over into prone use in an even more amplified manner. We also did a fair bit of testing behind the boat, where it sits really happily on the second wake, and you could continue pumping until your legs gave out.

First of all, let’s examine the stats. Axis title their front wings from their span, so we’re talking 999mm wide, and a range topping aspect ratio of 9.9. Projected surface area comes in at 1010cm2, so certainly not a massive wing, bolting on to their thinner black fuselage. This means, visually, it’s an intimidating wing to behold, reminiscent in shape of some of the high-end kite race foils from a few years ago, but there’s some subtleties to the design that belie its shape and stats to turn it into something that performs and appeal to a far broader audience. In plan form, rather than tapering the tips out to a point, the width and surface area is carried all the way into the tips which are squared off. There’s also a subtle, but important downward twist in these wide tips, to smooth out the low-end stall speed.

Winging is a great test for speed range and aggressive carving, and the 999 seemed to handle everything we threw at it. As the sails are evolving into faster and more efficient beasts, the foils need to match.

Likewise the ART999 prefers a board that planes and makes speed early; it jumps up on the foil quickly and remains very pitch stable, which is great for critically timed foot swaps, in a massive bandwidth of usability. When powering into a wave with a wing, you can depower earlier, and link tiny faces that you wouldn’t have though possi-

The ART999 rides nothing like you’d expect it to. Go in with high aspect presumptions, and you’re going way off the mark. Regardless of your propulsion method, for a 1010cm2 wing, the low-end perfor-

REEDIN SUPERWINGX The SuperWingX is a revolutionary new design from Reedin that is focused around optimizing every last bit of power and efficiency the wing can generate. Diverting from the conventional dacron/rip stop nylon construction, Reedin has an all-new X-ply canopy material. The X-ply canopy has a similar look and feel as many wing or windsurf sail windows yet does not have the weight and bulk of traditional window materials. Overall, the SuperWingX does not feel significantly heavier, or lighter than many other wings available on the market. The unique panel design is visible in the canopy stitching, and the X-ply material allows the canopy layout to be optimized for both strength and performance. This X-ply canopy is more resistant to small tears from foil contact than traditional nylon, and is easier to repair with tape.

This 3.6m wing was tested using a 52L Reedin Feather Wing board, 1280 Reedin Autopilot foil, wind 25-30mph. Rider 6'4, 170lb. Wind chop waves.

The Reedin SuperWingX definitely stands alone on the beach, and this aesthetic is backed up by raw performance on the water. Riders will immediately notice an incredibly stiff profile that has virtually no deflection when pumping, even in significantly overpowered conditions. The 3.6m wing has power generation and low-end performance on par with most 4m wings. The X-ply canopy has next to no slack, dead spots, or flutter. Riders will notice the X-ply material does allow for some visibility through the canopy, but it is not a full window.

Other wingers and large obstacles are visible, but not perfectly clear as the X-ply material is primarily designed and reinforced for performance, not window visibility. Power delivery to the rider is smooth, consistent, balanced between both hands, and easily controlled through the two large handles. There is no slack or slop in these handles, just direct input and feedback. This control allows riders to point a few degrees steeper upwind, and make riding overpowered even easier with minimal fatigue.

As expected from a designer with years of experience, Damian and the Reedin team have put attention to all the details, large and small.

The backpack style bag is appropriately sized to accommodate the SuperWingX with ample room for a pump, tools, or other personal gear. The inflation system is a high-volume inflation system which will require a pump hose adapter. Two oversize strut connection hoses with isolation clamps allows for quick inflation and easy deflation after the session.

Overall the SuperWingX will perform for all riders; freestylers and boosters will appreciate the stiffness and control throughout the wing. Wave riders and beginners will benefit from the stability, control, and the capacity to ride a wing size smaller than most others. ST

The wrist leash is a soft double back cuff with an additional Velcro strap over the main leash cuff which will prevent the leash cuff from accidentally opening. Again, the details have been carefully considered with a plastic sleeve around the cuff double back point to reduce wear over time, and an option to extend the leash so riders can have two leash lengths to pick from.

REEDIN SUPERWINGX

Keeping with the concept of simplicity and performance, the SuperWingX has two large handles on the strut. These handles have a removable canvas cover that can easily be replaced as handles wear over time. The canvas cover provides ample friction even when wet and is comfortable to ride for extended periods of time. A unique S strut shape creates pockets around the handles to accommodate the riders’ hands which keeps the handles tight to the strut without restricting motion or rubbing. Even riders in cold water with gloves will have ample hand space.

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ble previously. The glide is absolutely phenomenal, carrying plenty of speed into maneuvers.

The other shock discovery was how well it turns, considering the reasonable span; it’s genuinely lively and snappy, you can carve it very hard, breach the tips and recover like a hero. The huge range of stabilizers available means you can tailor it depending on activity, pairing well with the faster tails from the Axis range such as the 380 and 420; these require no shimming. We also tested with the 400 flat tail and found this to give a decent boost in pumping when wave propelled.

For wingfoil use we found the 380 shined the most, which pushed the top end speed range, crisps up the turning and adds a little grip in a high velocity carve. Axis never shy away from releasing new wings, and there’s a whole host of new fast progressive tail wings in the works.

AXIS ART999

The ART999 brings a new level of accessibility to a high-aspect foil, and allows a practical entry for those looking to step up their game from something more middle-of-the-road. It’s taken all the positive top-end attributes of a high-aspect wing and removes most of the compromises, adding a massive chunk of low end and practicality, and what could be a new industry benchmark in glide. Cast your prejudice aside, ignore the statistics. Anyone intermediate level and above is going to turbocharge their progression across all foiling genres… RB

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NAISH JET 1050 + 1250 (S25) Maui: the land of big waves, stiff breezes, and of course, Naish. From this fertile testing ground came to me the Jet 1050 and 1250 (S25), a pair of high-performance foils touted for their capability in a variety of applications. Test conditions were waist to overhead surf, ridden both prone and behind a ski. My skill level is advanced and I come in around 155lbs/70kg.

other based on the size of the wake. My only small gripe with these foils comes when pumping: at least with the 320 stabilizer, connecting waves is quite a labor-intensive affair. The pitch stability that makes steep drops so manageable makes it a challenge to keep flying through the pump cycle. Compounding the issue is that narrow stall window, narrowing the range of use all around. If you’re powered up and at speed, you’ll be happy. If pumping and small waves are a critical facet to your riding, then consider looking at Naish’s high aspect lineup instead.

Out of the box, Naish provides an EVA foam slipcover for both the front wing and stabilizer. The mast and fuselage came without protection from the factory, though — it’s possible that in a retail scenario, the optional Naish cover for the mast might be included, so do your research. Let’s lay out the kit: two front wings, 1050sq/cm and 1250sq/cm, respectively, followed by Naish’s midsize 320 stabilizer. These wings are pure mid-aspect, with a gentle anhedral curve to them. No sharp points or thinned-out edges here, making these wings approachable from the onset. The tested 75cm carbon mast belongs to the newest S26 season, making it one year newer than the wings, stabilizer, and fuselage. Bound by standard M6 Torx hardware, the entire kit requires only one driver to assemble, which is a nice livability touchpoint not yet standardized across the industry. Fit and finish are beautiful, and the yellow and black color theme is distinctly Naish from any angle. In hand, weight feels nearly identical between the 1050 and 1250. In all, the impression is that this is a solid, beefy piece of kit. The mast itself certainly contributes to the overall weight of this setup. On the flip side, it displays excellent torsional rigidity for a carbon mast, which is a major benefit when towing at high speeds.

If weight is a concern to you, perhaps consider Naish’s extruded aluminum alternative.

In all, the Jet 1050 and 1250 offer a decent level of baseline performance that speaks to the needs of foilers in those early stages of tow and surf development. If you’re in that segment of the market, Naish’s S25 Jet should definitely be on your list! KVS NAISH JET 1050

On the water, this pair of Jets are well tailored to the needs of a rider in the early stages of either tow foiling or wake foiling. Alternatively, they're also a good match for those learning to surf smaller, more maneuverable hydrofoils. Dropping in prone, the stretched out fuselage and large stabilizer give these foils tremendously forgiving pitch sensitivity. Speed is moderate, but not fast. The 1050 edges out its larger sibling in this department, as expected. When towing, the speed range of the 1050 suits less experienced riders well, as it tends to stay in the pocket rather than shooting out ahead of the wave. In a bank, the 1050 performs noticeably better than the 1250, again, meeting expectations. These characteristics make either wing a good choice for wake foiling. I recommend choosing one over the

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SLINGSHOT SLINGWING V3

The V3 is immediately engaging through the arms and the relatively shallow profile means that the wing requires a high frequency pump to get going, particularly in lighter airs. Once your foil lifts, you’re immediately aware this is a wing that likes to fly forward and fast. Upwind performance is efficient, with the wing generally liking a positive input through those large handles. It likes to be shown who’s boss. The strut has both a high diameter and inflate pressure making it super stiff, making it an excellent platform to load up a jump against. The large amount of trim available by sliding up and down the massive handles really improves the user experience over the more locked in loops of the Slingwing V2. In waves, as long as you maintain your speed, the V3 luffs well and isn’t going to give you any surprises. Throwing the wing into a fast tack the shallow profile and battens mean the wing remains composed with little flutter and vibration.

Slingshot have been around since the very inception of inflatable wings and we’re now presented with a mature third generation product from the Hood River based US brand. It’s clear from the revisions immediately apparent in the new wing, in comparison to the V2, that they’ve been listening to user feedback as well as following market trends and aiming for an easier to use, lightweight and more performant wing.

The latest addition to the Slingwing series continues to be a solid product, and this year definitely gets an uprating when it comes to speed and upwind ability; the latest version offers some noteworthy upgrades from the V2 particularly in the comfort and ease of use improvement in the new handles and serves as a capable allrounder for mixed discipline wing sports. RB

From a build perspective we’re looking at the usual 4x4 tech ripstop which is also utilized in their well-established kite range. It has a high gloss coating and is proven to have great wear properties, particularly in high wear areas like the leech. A plastic batten has been implemented in the front of the profiled section behind the strut. This forces shape into the canopy and controls the cloth when air hits the top of it, translating into enhanced stability when luffed and it doesn’t drag too much when thrown hard upwind into a tack, where other wings can start to misbehave a little. There’s also some more flexible plastic battening in the trailing edge to give control here. The wing has a generally taut feeling over its span with both the weave and seaming of the ripstop running square on to the wingtips. The leash is a Dyneema affair with some bungee spliced through it which makes a good job of taking the shock out of your wrist when flogging. The wrist cuff is constricting Velcro and is a snug fit.

Shape-wise we’re looking at a medium amount dihedral and relatively squared off wingtip, with quite an aggressive and angular return to minimize the span per size, and quite a bit of thickness carried right into the tips. The wing sits at a relatively high pressure of 10PSI and its inflation is handled by a high-flow bayonet valve – again this is carried across from the current kite range; a high flow connecting tube and isolating clip make inflation a one-shot fuss free experience. There’s also a traditional kite dump valve on the strut. Three long and wide soft handles make up the business end of the high-diameter strut, which also have optional loops for a harness line. The handles have quite a bit of slack in each loop making them a simple target to grab coming out of a maneuver. The front neutral handle is stiff, nicely proportioned, and padded for wave play, and there’s an impressive coverage of Kevlar in high wear areas over the wingtips and framing each relatively thick leading-edge section. Between the two main strut handles is a smaller central handle which allows a good mid-point for swapping hands or balanced one-arm flying.

SLINGSHOT SLINGWING V3 5M POWER DEVELOPMENT

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CABRINHA CROSSWING X3 The Cabrinha Crosswing X3 is the latest iteration of Cabrinha’s performance wings. With a redesigned profile and leading edge, the X3 is an exceptionally stiff platform with on demand power delivery. Freestyle riders will appreciate the overall stiffness of the wing, and wave riders will benefit from the stability.

One of the most noticeable design concepts is the dual strut system, there are two thin struts that shape the airfoil instead of the traditional single strut design. This allows for a deep canopy profile that does not need a fabric spacer providing an incredibly responsive and powerful wing. There is no slack or play in the strut/canopy connection. The oversize leading edge supports the entire airframe, and even when pumping the wing there is minimal deflection to the profile shape resulting in an incredible efficient ride.

As expected from decades of experience in the ocean sports industry, the construction is first class. Every component from the inflation valve and strut hose to the handles and canopy are very robust and are designed to last. The X3 is not a featherweight wing that is relegated to flat water cruising; the X3 can withstand the abuse that comes with freestyle and wave riding.

Cabrinha has designed two large rigid strut handles, and one soft handle on the leading edge. The rigid strut handles allow for excellent control over the wing, every movement and input into the handles is instantly translated to the wing with no loss due to handle slack.

The width of the handles allows for a variety of riding positions and quick sheeting adjustments without a need to let go and re-grip or move handles. The soft leading edge handle was just large enough to hold onto, and solid enough to still control the movement of the wing when gliding.

The wrist leash is a simple, no-frills double back design that is easy to get on and off, and stays closed throughout the entire session.

Cabrinha’s one pump inflation system uses a standard one-way valve that does not need any adapters or fittings, the pump hose will connect directly to the valve. The strut inflation hose has very robust connection points that do not twist or easily disconnect, and an in-line clamp to isolate the leading edge from the strut bladders.

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RIDE ENGINE DEFENDER HF As more and more riders from varying sporting backgrounds and skill levels approach hydrofoiling, impact protection is without a doubt a very sensible idea. Originating in California, Ride Engine have developed a hydrofoil sports specific impact vest in the Defender, which packs a little extra beef. In line with their wetsuit range, the vest is mainly comprised from flexible limestone-based neoprene and some raised impact shell panels. Most of the protection is intelligently placed to cover your upper torso and ribs, and the tough padding is going to protect the vital organs from any foil and board impact as well as the usual hard slaps from water at speed.

The Defender is not horribly bulky, and you can still prone paddle in it without too much interference. We found the fit, which more or less aligns with your T-Shirt size, to be on the snug side initially, but this is definitely on purpose to prevent riding up, as we all know once wet, neoprene definitely gives a little, and the last thing you want is having a heavy impact, surfacing and ending up with it around your ears. The Defender HF has the flexibility to be used alongside a wing or kite harness without being obtrusive, as the lower waist section is more or less devoid of the high impact shell panels. For those learning behind a boat, where rib injuries are fairly commonplace, it’s a must have accessory!

As procedures and manuals for learning foil sports are starting to be set down, with wingfoiling a prime example, every governing body we’ve seen so far is sensibly recommending the use of helmets and impact vests. The Defender HF is a well-executed product that’s going to take the sting out of that initial learning curve, as well as help prevent injury for more experienced riders, and it spans well across the various foiling disciplines… RB

of the canopy. This allows for visibility directly downwind of the rider but does not help with visibility along the tack direction. This minimal functionality has led many wing designers to forego windows all together in favor of a lightweight, but non-transparent wing. The X3 is the first wing that gets windows right. Moving the windows to the front of the canopy, adjacent to the leading edge allows for the rider to see obstacles along the tack direction, bridging the gap between visibility and functionality.

tain the wing position on the wave, and the wing will ride flat with minimal rocking.

The X3 is perfect for riders looking for an all-around wing, capable of doing everything from flat water cruising wave riding, or boosting the biggest freestyle tricks around. ST

This 4m wing was tested using a 4'6 Cabrinha Autopilot board, 800 & 650 Cabrinha Fusion H series foil, wind 20-25mph. Rider 6'4, 170lb.

Small 2-3’ waves.

Immediately riders will notice the stiffness and power of the X3. Where most wings would require some pumping to get on foil, the X3 was able to just sheet in and go. When the X3 pumped, the power was smooth, consistent, and easy to hold down. The balance is almost even between front and back hands, occasionally leaning slightly back hand heavy. This balanced feel provided minimal rider fatigue even through multiple sessions. The rigid handles have a different feel than most wings, and may take a couple minutes to get used to and settle into a comfortable riding position.

CABRINHA CROSSWING X3

The X3 really excels in freestyle riding, with lofty boosts and soft landings, the X3 gives riders confidence to send tricks a bit higher and ride faster. The large rigid handles provide superb control over the wing when spinning through the window or backwinding. The freestyle performance is not unmatched by the surf performance. The leading edge handle is comfortable to use, provides enough control to main-

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OCEAN RODEO GLIDE A-SERIES essentials, which was great for more advanced wave riding. The handles are a comfortable diameter and made of a robust webbing. The front handle design is very well executed, stiff and easy enough to grip. It’s big enough to grab easily and its rigidity allows extra control when luffing the wing on a wave, and there’s some neoprene behind it to prevent any knuckle rub. The wing is so light, you can almost support it with just the front handle in no wind which means that, when waveriding, it has a ghost-like quality – particularly if you’re riding in onshore conditions – and you really can pretty much forget about the wing and focus on the wave. The change in materials means the future of winging is going to be lighter, easier to access and more efficient.

Ocean Rodeo’s first entry into the wing market comes with a wealth of knowledge gained from many years of kite design up in the freezing waters of British Columbia. A brand normally associated with robust equipment for gnarly conditions, the Glide A-Series is anything but heavy duty. This is the first wing we’ve seen made entirely from the lightweight and high stiffness ALUULA material, which has been pioneered recently with Ocean Rodeo’s inflatable kites.

Ground-breaking new materials aside, we’re presented with a relatively flowing sweep to the wing, a mid-depth forward biased profile and a gentle dihedral, making the wing relatively flat. Two arrow slit windows are present which allow some downwind awareness. The main visual difference that we see in a comparison with the existing marketplace from a shape perspective is in the strut diameter. This is very slim and exceptionally stiff with a high inflate pressure of 12psi; the front tube is pumped up to a more casual 8psi. But – without a doubt – this is the stiffest full inflatable wing we’ve seen so far. Physically trying to bend the strut is virtually impossible at full pressure.

There’s not a hint of standard Dacron on any part of the Glide; all small reinforcements (for instance the leading edge to canopy join), window frames, and trailing edge darts are all ALUULA. The canopy is then made from D2 cloth from Teijin which makes for a decent balance of weight and solidity. One of the key differences between a standard Dacron and ALUULA wing is in the usable wind range or sweet spot. In the top end we noticed the lack of flex in the airframe meant the Glide was exceptionally composed. Where a Dacron wing would start to get out of shape, deform and become less efficient, the ALUULA just seems to suck it up and point further upwind rather

Ocean Rodeo have implemented a modular handle system they’ve coined the Matrix, with an optional carbon boom on the way. There are some mid-diameter handles, which are really well placed with enough width to trim, particularly on the rear handle. For total minimalism, you can remove the center handle, stripping down to the bare

ARMSTRONG HA925 New Zealand is a hotbed of foil advancement at the moment, and after much development with input from Kiwi America’s Cup Helmsman Pete Burling, Armstrong have released a true high aspect foil, which sits as the little brother of the HA1125, aiming for a highly manoeuvrable and fast surf foil to market.

In the hands, the HA925 immediately feels light sitting at around 900g, It’s a high density foam core wrapped in exquisite high modulus carbon. Like it’s larger HA1125 sibling, the HA925 is compatible with the A+ modular system Armstrong established this year. The increased stiffness they have built into the A+ system more than comfortably accommodates a small high aspect ratio wing with very little play in the junctions.

For the average weight rider, the HA925 is going to be a quiver topper for wing and prone use when the conditions are looking aligned powered and perfect. For me at 90kg running it alongside the 1250v2 or HA1125 would be a sensible choice as a more of an all-rounder for variable northern European conditions. If you’re sub 80kgs, the 925 is going to have massive range of application and for intermediates and above, it could well be your daily driver, with limitless performance you are unlikely to grow out of.

Visually, the HA925 looks like some sort of futuristic dragonfly. There’s a light arc in the centre section of the foil over it’s span, and the tips curve back almost inverted, which allows you to whip your tips out and recover with a decent level of control and flow through the turn. The overall profile is noticeably thin, with the most thickness in the centre section, fading out to some skinny tips.

The HA925 feels extremely precise, manoeuvrable and glides exceptionally providing you maintain speed, and keep high on the mast. It’s a high aspect wing that really concentrates on precision carving, resulting in a true surgeon’s scalpel of foils, and proliferating the surfy feel that transcends the Armstrong range into a turbocharged front wing.

We paired it with both the 232 tail and Flying V200 which both yield quite different performances. If you want to tone down the experience or are a little apprehensive riding such a high aspect foil, the 232 is the way to go, this makes things more sure footed and grippy particularly noticeable when winging at high speeds. You need to be on your game to get the most from it, but the V200 really livens things up and makes for super snappy yaw turns, which will spice up prone foiling. It increases manoeuvrability substantially. Whether surfing or winging, we felt that the HA925 pairs well with an 85cm mast to get the most out of it. It likes to sit forward in the foil box a little with weight over the mast for optimum control through the turns. You can see the logic behind the new Armstrong board geometry

ARMSTRONG HA925

Winging on the HA925 is fast and furious, and the angles you can achieve upwind are extremely impressive. There’s no denying it’s a little technical to ride at first, but you can eek a massive amount of performance from it in straight line speed and turning. The initial lift is impressive for its surface area, as is often the case with these high aspect wings. In it’s extreme top speed range, the 925 refuses to build any front foot pressure, running very neutrally which gives you great control.

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than bend and drag. There is a complete lack of flapping and deformation even when completely stacked. It is more akin to a fully flattened windsurf sail. The expansion in wind range means even the most power-sensitive winger is going to have a more minimal quiver. You can easily skip an intermediate size and not feel uncomfortable.

Running into your maneuvers, the Glide A-Series has light and passive handling. The wing’s inherent efficiency means it’s not going to load irritating fatigue into your forearms. Running into tacks the wing behaves impeccably, with zero flapping even when quite overpowered.

What’s also noticeable is that to generate power and forward speed, you can use a much smaller angle adjustment than with a standard construction wing. This means the user experience is far gentler, nuanced and less tiring than a standard Dacron wing. At the other end of the scale, when really powering and loading up for a jump, the wing barely flexes and loses very little power, meaning that there’s a clean translation of forward speed into orbital levels of lift.

OCEAN RODEO GLIDE A-SERIES

This is perhaps the most effective application of the ALUULA fabric we’ve experienced. Making something as tactile as a hand wing from ALUULA is the perfect showcase of the new material’s attributes. It’s even more noticeable than when it is applied to kites. The stiffness and increase in efficiency achieved from the scarily rigid and low-diameter strut and far more gust-resistant airframe is truly impressive… RB

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RRD BELUGA 150 LTE It’s Y26 and the RRD Beluga is now in its second year with a whole array of smaller sizes added to the range for the building market of more advanced or smaller wing enthusiasts. At 55 liters, the 150 is going to be a sinker for the majority of users. In the hands, the LTE construction feels tough, and the matte finish doesn’t seem too sensitive to the usual scrapes from day to day use. A well placed and sensible thickness EVA pad gives you great grip and a decent connection to the board; the rear pad kick is also very useful for your rear foot placement, which works well with the relative position of foil track. From a practical perspective, the rear-mounted handle makes it easy to negotiate shore break and long walk ins.

Sensible footstrap placements mean that when adequately powered, the deep-water start is as easy as it gets; we managed to knee-start strapless with it in windy conditions without much hassle, as the buoyancy in the board is so evenly positioned and the concave deck sits well around your knees meaning it’s easy to perch on whilst it’s under the surface. It sits well underneath you even in fairly rough sea conditions.

The pronounced double concave in the nose with aggressive central spine runs over the first two thirds of the board, and means if the board lands hard from a jump, it displaces water with a minimum of fuss. In a wave scenario, the low swing weight also shines, and if you make any pitch misjudgments and nose dives, the board bounces out and recovers in a similarly dignified fashion, helping you avoid some big stacks. When throwing a rotation, the board pivots quickly and easily without having to skew the foil upwind too much on takeoff.

In a surf scenario the Beluga in this size feels dainty and agile, every small movement is translated down to the foil, making for instant pitch adjustment, and a nice lack of aerial drag and windage. The relatively narrow width means you can make a carve of consequence without clipping the rail.

RRD BELUGA LTE 150

The Beluga 150 packs plenty of volume into a minimal length, and is friendly enough to serve as a perfect first sinker board, particularly for a rider that has ambitions of learning freestyle, with its low rotational swing weight and ultra-forgiving bottom shape. It’s going to suit being paired with faster and more efficient hydrofoils to get the most from it, and for a lot of people will make for a sensible step down from a full flotation board. RB

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LIFT 200 SURF V2 I paired the 200 v2 front wing with a 25 Glide tail and 28”/72cm mast, which is how I’ve historically tested Lift’s other v2 foils. For a medium to large sized wing, it’s light on its feet. Pitch, roll, and yaw feel alive, yet controlled and very progressive. When allied to the 25 stabilizer, the speed range of this setup is quite good, especially on the bottom end. Handling is friendly in a tack, or when pumping back out of a slow phase in flight. To this end, the 200 v2 is quite beginner-friendly. The characteristics that make it accessible to beginners can be quite fun to the advanced foiler, encouraging progression with minimal consequences. To the average user, I’d recommend this wing with a 38 stabilizer. Cutting back on the extra pitch sensitivity of the 25 would make the early days of progression even easier.

While its smaller sibling, the 150 v2, might’ve received the lion’s share of media attention upon release earlier this year, Lift’s 200 Surf v2 is a terrific foil for riders looking to expand their Lift quiver or join the brand’s ecosystem. If you’re familiar with Lift’s preceding generation surf wings, the v2 iteration is broadly an all-round performance improvement from that series. The new family covers the gamut from beginner to pro with impressive consistency between models — in all, it’s one of the most diverse, high performing, and yet accessible ranges in the industry. Certainly something to consider if you’re in the market for either an upgrade or a starting point.

As always, starting with some numbers behind this test: I come in at 155lbs/70kg, and tested the 200’s capabilities while light wind wingfoiling and flatwater pumping. Boards were on the mid to lower end of the volume scale at 88L and 27L, respectively.

Those considering this wing may compare it to the 200 v2 High Aspect (HA). The primary advantage of the Surf over the HA lies in its turning abilities in surf along with greater pitch stability. A more advanced rider of comparable weight might be well off with the high aspect model, but the Surf is ideal for those wanting more balance and stability. If I were on a desert island with only one wing, I’d bring the Surf v2. KVS

In a phase when “high aspect” is an industry buzzword, you might argue it’s counter current on Lift’s part to release a new mid-aspect foil. On the contrary, I think the 200 (and the entire v2 surf series) addresses a real need for stable, approachable foils that are fun all around. That being said, let’s go over the physical properties of the 200 v2, starting at its outline. With traditional lines and a gentle leader edge taper, this wing has an aspect ratio of 5.4, slightly higher than its predecessor. In line with this update comes a thinner foil section, along with the gentle downward-sloping profile inherent to the Lift DNA.

LIFT 200 SURF V2

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INDIANA WING FOIL 74 CARBON you get a slight push from the wing it accelerates up to flight mode gradually. It is the perfect board to learn to wing as it gives you a lot of passive control on the foil and will ease the learning of all your transitions while being really forgiving when it hits the water, maintaining drive and speed and full control. The early planing provided by the wide shape and flat bottom will get you on the foil quicker than most of the boards of the same size on the market.

The Indiana wing foil range is based on a very compact wing platform, designed to offer the best volume/size ratio for beginners to advanced wing foilers. The heavy duty multi-layered carbon/PVC construction coupled with its compact outline and volume distribution gives an extra amount of control to get you up and flying as quickly as possible, and protect the boards against dings. It comes available in eight sizes from 4'4 (55L) to 6'0 (155L), covering a huge range of wind conditions, and has a full sandwich EPS/PVC carbon vacuumed epoxy construction with extra layers on the rails and boxes. The result is a compact, ultra-light and incredibly stiff board with a bulletproof construction. It is CNC-shaped with a very flat, square and straight outline, with a rounded square tail with hard rails. The round nose includes two inserts to fit a handle for beginners. The deck is as flat as a pancake, leaving a lot of surface area upon which to move your feet. The volume distribution is extended from nose to tail and the ultra-flat bottom helps the board to reach planing speeds very quickly.

Up on the foil it provides a really balanced and controlled flight. The very flat rocker and straight outline combined with loads of deck space and perfectly balanced footstrap and foil positioning gives you a lot of passive stability which is much appreciated when you want to lock in full speed mode. It is light, really well balanced and will help riders of any level perform better.

Although possibly a bit too flat and wide for ultimate control in the waves, this is however a compact performance foilboard that is suited perfectly to progressive wing riding, suiting beginner to advanced wingers, and is an excellent option for freeride, racing and entry freestyle. AB

This test took place on the 5’0 (74L) in open ocean conditions, with waves from 3-5ft and winds from 10 to 25 knots.

On the water and the board reveals itself to be a super stable platform. At 74 liters, it definitely feels like there’s another 15 liters in there in terms of accessibility. Even though there isn’t. It is super easy to get on your knees and feet even at very low speed. Once

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SUNOVA PILOT & AVIATOR Since 1976, Sunova has built a solid reputation in surf, SUP, wind, kite and more recently, has been a huge player in the emerging sport of foiling. I remember seeing Sunova SUPs and surfboards under the arms of many ocean-lovers like me since I was a kid. Fast forward 20 years and introduce a new sport where surfers are elevated above the water riding parts of a wave never thought possible, the landscape is no different. In my local area of Sydney, Australia, Sunova boards are the Toyota of the foilboard scene – available, reliable and shreddable in every way.

was its paddle power relative to size. In my case, I can paddle the 4’6 33L model easily up to speed, getting into anything from ridiculously tiny bumps to some enormous overhead lumps. Sunova have done a really great job in packing the right amount of float into a board that moves through both water and air exactly how you want it to.

For SUP and downwinding, riding the Aviator feels like riding a scaled up Pilot, bigger in all the right places. It’s like having a small sporty car to drive to work and a big 4wd ute for the weekend (I’ll keep both thanks). The 6’0 has been the perfect choice for me to learn the discipline, somehow finding a good balance between being longer and skinnier for performance but wide enough to make balancing and paddling a breeze. Paired with the AXIS 910/GoFoil NL190 while SUP surfing, and the GoFoil P180/GL210 for downwind, this board feels incredibly small, light and easy to pump. I can now pump my Aviator SUP around the lineup just as long as my Pilot (of course using bigger wings). When downwinding, the water-releasing hull shape of the Aviator has helped me successfully learn to paddle up on ocean wind swell and experience the joy of pumping and riding the ocean energy 9-10 kilometers down the coast. On the windy days I’ve pulled out my Duotone Unit wing and zig zagged the Aviator back and forth and around my local headlands.

It’s a textbook allrounder, a board that serves multiple disciplines within the sport in the best way possible.

In particular, the Casey signature range of Sunova foil boards are a common pick for anyone who knows good equipment. These boards were developed over many iterations by local legend James Casey and his Jedi shaper Marcus Tardrew with performance, not stability, in mind.

As such, they are notably skinnier than previous models – nicely pulled in at the nose and tail but with well-proportioned rails providing good float and paddle power. The bottom profile also features a beautiful quad concave shape which transitions down the board to cut-aways either side of the fin box. These attributes help the board pop out and release from the water without huge speed losses which occur on more traditional flat bottom boards with their large, wetted surface area.

I’ve been lucky enough to be handed both a Casey “Pilot” Prone foil board (4’6 x 33L) and its bigger brother the “Aviator” SUP foil board (6’0 x 96L). I should say that I’m a 6’2 rider weighing approximately 80kg.

I should also add that both my Pilot and Aviator haven’t dinged too easily and have held up well in the time I’ve had them. With high density stringers and a reinforced finbox area, all forming a composite sandwich, these boards can clearly withstand well the forces of foiling and the intense, everyday wear that goes with this highly addictive sport.

For prone surfing, the Pilot was paired with the AXIS 910 or the GoFoil GL140/NL190, depending on the conditions. On the pop up, a slightly concave deck helps your feet naturally find the sweet-spot on the board, and while flying, its narrow, lively feel provides full control at high speeds. If things are getting sketchy and you start touching down, the hull shape helps to glance up and away from the surface and the thick rails prevent the board from being steered by the water. It’s a lightweight board with a low swing-weight feel, allowing you to dial in the pump on any gear and fly around the lineup for minutes at a time catching wave after wave, after wave, and giving all your mates Hi-5’s as you glide past. What surprised me most when first riding the Pilot AVIATOR

I’m very thankful that these boards found their way to me. I’m relatively new to foiling like many other riders out there, and these boards have ticked all the boxes. The Casey range are performance boards that help you learn, progress and eventually shred, and I’d recommend them to anyone looking for a good quality board to hit the water with. JK

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AK PLASMA 1300 & 1600 AK Durable Supply have responded to the demand for higher performance surf foils as ability levels increase and wingfoiling continues to see a huge surge in take up. Clinton Filen and Zane Schweitzer have worked closely together to extend their range of surf foils into the higher aspect realm with the Plasma range.

As with most, it’s a completely modular system with cross compatibility for the main components. The connection system is a refreshingly simple and fuss-free affair. The mast slots into a sleeve in the top of the fuselage and bolts straight through with two large M8 bolts with hex heads. The sturdy M8 bolts hold on the front wing, and the fuselage tucks fairly neatly into a pocket in the composite on the top side. The stabilizers we tested both have a degree or two of pitch adjustment built where you simply adjust the angle by rocking the fuse to your desired angle along its chord axis, before tightening the two M6 rear bolts. This is a nice touch with no fiddly shims to misplace, and will work well on the fly at the beach. Two lengths of the CNC aluminum Stealth fuselage are available in 71 and 61cm. It has quite a pronounced spine running down the underside, which is certainly going to aid tracking. For the Plasma, we definitely think the 61 is the way to free up the turning and increase the pitch sensitivity to get the maximum out of these high-performance foils. We tested primarily on the carbon 80cm mast which is an extremely solid piece of composite. The track base has a large rubber buffer to protect your board, and is molded into the top. It’s thick at the base end and tapers off into a mid-profiled section for the remainder of the mast. It’s exceptionally stiff, with zero play at the mast base to board connection and comes in at a favorable weight compared to the aluminum.

The Plasma 1600 is reminiscent in shape to the Spitfire wing with friendly looking rounded wingtips and a relatively flat arc over its span.

It’s got instant lift at low speed and remains silent until really pushed.

It yields an admirable amount of maneuverability for its span, particularly when paired with the shorter fuse and Arc Down 300 tail. For most, it’s going to suit smaller conditions surfing and more marginal wind conditions on the wing. For SUP foil this is going to be your go-to size. Rather than build front foot pressure when it tops out, if trimmed neutrally on the stabilizer it just reaches full speed and stays there in a cruise control fashion, making it easy to lodge yourself in the pocket and not overrun the wave.

The Plasma 1300 takes a little more juice to get going and then provides full fighter plane performance. It has a nimble skatey turning character but balances that fine line successfully of remaining reassuringly stable and surefooted when thrown into a fast corner. For the intermediate and above rider of average weight, the magic is definitely happening in the 1300 size which is going to be the go-to front wing for a broad range of conditions. The 1600 and 1300 cross over extremely well to make a practical quiver you can quickly tailor to wave or wind conditions.

The AK Plasma system is unassuming, simple to assemble and extremely performant. It’s a flexible discipline-spanning modular system particularly suited to crossover riders who flick between surf, SUP, wing or even kite, thriving in a range of situations… RB

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RECENT SHOTS OF OUR COMMITTED TEST TEAM PUTTING IN THE WATER HOURS...

Photo: James Russel Gray

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Steve

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Photo: Tomoko Okazaki

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INDIANA DOCKSTART/ PUMP FOIL 1100P It’s a side of the sport that often gets overlooked, but dockstarting into a prolonged pump or some gentle waves is something Indiana decided to specialize in with their new 1100P Dockstart/Pump foil…

Dockstart and pumping is probably one of the smaller design niches in our sport but it’s so much fun. What spurred you on to build a dedicated foil for pumping?

We’ve seen Steeve put this foil to good effect in the Canary Islands. Do you have to be an expert like Steeve to get up and pumping?

Thanks to our ambassador Steeve Fleury who started foiling and pump foiling very early, we realized right away the high potential of it, especially for lakes. We wanted to create a foil for maximum dockstart performance and we ended up with the 1100P front wing. It is very easy to handle and easy to learn.

Steeve can start from everywhere, it is amazing. But normal guys can learn to start from a peer or a dock and pump around too. When learning to dockstart, it is helpful to have a boardsport background and even better when you can already foil behind a boat or with a wing or a kite.

It’s also built to surf too. What swells would you recommend taking the 1100P out in?

You’ve gone for some massive downturned wingtips on the front wing, how does this help with the dockstart discipline?

The special profile with huge volume and surface allows you to foil slow wind waves and decent ocean waves, as well as waves produced by ships and boats on lakes and rivers. It’s not built for steep and fast waves.

Reason number one is avoiding injuries. If you fall on the downturned tips, you don’t hurt yourself. And the winglets give you some stability as well.

What considerations are there for fuselage length and stabiliser design when aiming for extended pump performance?

Does it over into any other disciplines?

Yes, it is amazing for wing foiling and windsurf foiling in low winds. Paired with good boards and sails/wings, it can start below 10 knots of wind speed. It’s especially good for heavy foilers, who can very quickly get in the air and stay up during their maneuvers.

Our fuselages have three length positions for the stabs. Most of the dockstarters are placing the stabs in the mid position.

Beginners in the shortest postions, very powerful riders in the longest. In general, dockstarters use shorter fuselages/stab positions than foilers with a wing or a sail. We have noticed a trend to very small stabilizers, most of the customers are using our 370 stab.

Who’s designing your foils, and who’s out there putting in the R&D hours on the water?

Finally, anything else heading this way from Indiana that our readers should know about?

We have an R&D team with very experienced guys like shaper Andi Widmann and Jan Pütz a waterman and engineer from Constance, and foiling expert Gunnar Biniasch from Fuerteventura. In ocean conditions, it is Gunnar spending hundreds of hours testing and riding prototypes of boards and foils. On lakes we also have a few very skilled ambassadors like Steeve Fleury and Léonard Berner who give feedback to our R&D guys.

Soon we will offer the High Performance Foil Series with high and extreme aspect ratio front wings, new fuselages and carbon masts. Stay tuned.

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LEVITAZ BOOM BOARDS

The And bon out

Austrian foil brand always have something up their sleeve. the latest product to appear is their slick black carBoom board range. We spoke with the Levitaz team to find more…

Congratulations on a very good looking board range guys. We do love a bit of stealthy blackness… Who decided on the look of the line up?

So you’ve moved into the dedicated foilboard world with the Boom range. Could you first walk us through the range, and then tell us how the name came about?

Thank you, we can only agree! Nothing better than some carbon seeing through on the board. And that is exactly why we decided to go with this look. Less is more on the design side and we wanted to show that these boards are made out of 100% carbon.

Something that is very important to us – showing the high quality of the boards – we believe it needs to be reflected in the look.

At the moment we have our Boom108 and 94 as the fully dedicated wingfoil boards and a Boom48 as a hybrid wing/ surf-foil board. However, we have four more boards in the pipeline, namely a Boom75 in 5’1 which is a super fun board for our lakes when the wind picks up. We decided to focus more on performance riding in the smaller versions. So, the shape is significantly different than the Boom94 or 108. Admittedly we sacrificed some of the early planing abilities in

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the smaller shapes, but the idea is that they are meant to be ridden when it’s windy. Then we will add Boom versions in 58L, 44L and 29L. But we are also already working on some new shapes in the bigger sizes, and we hope to have them ready by spring. The name, well it was just too tempting to not call the boards that are ridden with the Shaka Foils, the “Boom” Boards. So now we have the BoomShaka Combo…

Very clever! It looks like you’ve steered away from any complex tail shapes and gone for something more simple, can you talk us through the logic behind this?

Yes, in the bigger sizes like the Boom108 and 94 we wanted to have a shape that starts planing early. These boards are meant to be ridden in lighter winds. The best shape for that is simply a full tail with a sharper trailing edge. Years of windsurfing have already shown us that this works perfectly. For the smaller sizes we sacrificed some of the early planing abilities focusing on a more performance-oriented riding style in stronger winds. For example, on the Boom75 the double concave in the nose is more distinctive for a quick and smooth recovery after a touchdown. In the tail we have a bit of cut-off for a quick release when jumping and tight turning in waves. The rails are steeper and increase towards the back with a rounder part in the front to not catch water when hitting the chop. But also on the smaller boards we tried to make them as early planing as possible because there is nothing more annoying than not getting out of the water on your foil.

Where are you producing the Boom boards?

We are producing the boards in Portugal at the Appletree factory. It was our strategic focus to shift our board production to Europe. As an Austrian hydrofoil manufacturer with 100% own foil production we work hard to make sure that the value chain is as sustainable as possible. We are super excited that we could agree a longstanding cooperation with Appletree Surfboards to achieve these corporate objectives.

This means we will be able to shift even more board models to Portugal in future.

The construction looks quite unique, talk us through the one-shot infusion process and how the lamination benefits from this?

Our production partner uses a unique vacuum technique developed in house, where they layer all the carbon fiber and reinforcements on the board dry. Then the air gets extracted from the bag following with the injection of the epoxy resin under pressure. This results in the tightest lamination possible, with the best traction between fiber and epoxy. It also gives 100% connection to the core, so the boards do not delaminate.

Your boards have a completely waterproof core, so if you ding them they don’t delaminate or get heavy. How does this work?

It all starts with the core and every Boom board starts with a foam core of a 50K closed cell foam. The foam can withstand 50.000kg per square meter, while staying very light, and most of all very flexible.

And obviously, the greatest advantage of this 50K foam is that it is closed cell, meaning that the foam will not take in water, and the board will not blow out when it gets hot. Any small crack or ding does not need immediate repair. Eventually a repair is advised, but you can first finish your well-deserved session or trip – the most important thing is having more time on the water!

Who’s out there putting the BOOM through its paces?

Mathis Ghio, our French team rider is mainly ripping our smaller Boom models which will be available soon for everyone. He is competing in the Wingfoil World Tour which means he needs the most versatile gear, from light breeze to stormy conditions.

Our local rider Lukas Haigermoser doesn´t miss any session on our nearby lakes, where he is usually confronted with lighter winds. Our unique Boom 94 and 108 models with its extraordinary efficient shape offer him a perfect base for unforgettable time flying over water.

And of course, our shaper and waterman Alex Schwab is rocking the boards. He is commuting between the Austrian lakes and his second home Sardinia in Italy to fly as often as possible over the water!

Finally, our owner Adrian Geislinger, when he finds the time outside of the office….

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MFC ALU FUSEL AGE

Pio Marasco originally sent us a few iPhone shots of the new MFC fuselage. Our tech team were keen to know more, so we got back in touch...

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First of all, tell us about the rationale behind the connection systems. It looks like the mast to fuselage connection is a sturdy bolt through?

The sport is evolving so quick... jumping, bigger waves, radical carving and so on. We decided to move towards marine grade Alu T6061 and then to design and add a 2X side bolts system lock to avoid any type of movement, play, and anything that a bad landing from a jump could create. The fuselage design also improved with a thinner and more hydrodynamic profile to increase speed and reduce drag.

How important is it to minimize any play in that area?

It is pretty much vital. There must be no movement; connections in general on hydrofoils need to be extremely tight. Any minimal play will result in decreasing performances and increasing breakage risks.

It looks like you’ve removed as much material as possible to keep the weight down. Do you calculate the tolerances or is there an element of trial and error during testing?

Yes, absolutely. The weight difference with the carbon part is extremely minimal, at approximately 150 grams. We can also calculate the volume of the part, to make sure the material we decided to use is compatible with current shape and design. The final water testing is the final answer. We fly for a while, and then we can decide if we’re going into production or not.

Hydros fuselages

What construction method are you using for the Alu fuse? Are they CNC’d or cast?

They are CNC. Our attachment systems have a very tight tolerance and CNC was the way to go for this specific part, to speed up the production.

The stabilizer looks like it will integrate well with the fuse.

How important is minimizing these drag points at junctions of the components?

There must be no spaces, no ridges, no step up and down on the front and back wing to disturb the water flow. Any of these kinds of issues will be felt during flight – the water must flow extremely smoothly. We use a CFD (Computer Fluid Dynamic software) to make sure we have the very best water flow.

So what would you say are the main advantages of the alu fuse versus carbon?

There is one main thing, the torsion. The front wing, especially when you start using high and mid-aspect wings, puts a lot of pressure on the front part of the fuselage, in between the leading edge of the mast/strut and the trailing edge of the front wing. This part has a major load during flight, and it should be as stiff and as rigid as possible.

The carbon has torsion in that area, versus the alu being extremely stiff if you keep the correct thickness in that area. Just think that the fastest windsurf hydrofoils have a full alu fuselage of one meter plus, and they are very close to the 40 knots top speed barrier.

Helios fuselages

Will all of your wings and fuses be compatible with the new system?

Yes, for sure. Hydros and Helios wings are compatible, the only difference is the mast/strut attachment and position. But any of our front and back wings are perfectly compatible in between the 2X set-up.

Are you guys pretty busy at the moment with orders?! It seems like the foil world is exploding right now…

Yes, absolutely; busy with the MFC brand in general and development there. The hype continues and lots of brands are approaching the market. It is great to see how the sport has grown in these last couple of years. I feel there is still a lot to learn, and this is just the beginning.

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AXIS ART999

AXIS recently released their new carbon front wing, the ART999, a direct result of (and named after) the many logged hours of prototype testing performed by the shadowy AXIS Research Team a group of advanced foilers who feed into the AXIS R&D. We got in touch to find out more about this intriguing new wing in the AXIS arsenal…

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Before we come to the front wing itself, tell us about the AXIS Research Team, and how this fits in with the rest of the AXIS foil development side of things?

Our Global research team includes a collection of riders from a variety of locations, conditions, foil disciplines, and skill levels. It’s interesting how we all have our individual visions for the future of foil and what our dream foil looks, feels and performs like. Merging all our views and ideas into existing collections didn’t really do justice to this new approach.

So the ART wing grew from learning experiments among our team, in an effort to create a fantastic wing, and it made total sense to us to call it the AXIS Research Team.

What were the main design targets for the ART999 wing?

We were looking for a low drag but still usable front wing. A foil with performance that isn’t restricted to a small segment of expert riders, but uncompromising for those that do challenge what’s possible. I feel like we have definitely achieved what we set out to do. The ART999 is a wing that almost anyone with intermediate and above skills will fall in with.

Is it compatible with the existing flat tail range, or will you bring out something specific to match it?

The ART999 works very well with our existing high-aspect rear wings, such as the 380, 400 flat and 420 rear wings. By the end of October we are releasing the AXIS Progressive rear wings, which are fast, loose and designed to maximize the surf and winging potential of our higher aspect front wings, such as the HPS collection and the ART999.

We were really surprised how much usable speed range the ART999 has, particularly its stability in the low end for such a high aspect and thin profiled foil. How does it achieve this in technical terms?

Just to give you an idea, one of the many parts of the ART999’s development is the squared-off tips. Everyone in our team has loved the HPS 980 which works amazingly across so many disciplines and conditions.

So, in developing the ART we started by scaling an AXIS HPS 980 to have a much narrower chord. While it worked great, we kept on finding limitations with the tips as they became so pointed and not functioning the way we wanted. By making the tips square we wanted to design a foil that worked all the way to the end of the tip. After a few iterations we feel that the ART999 tips do exactly what we wanted; in addition to the clean release and smooth performance, the squared-off tips make the wing ride even bigger than its actual size.

While we do talk about the tips as one of the many aspects of the ART999 development, the tips are by no means where the development started or stopped. We have obviously conjured up a bunch of magic, made some sacrifices and burnt any remaining non-believers.

AXIS has one of the most comprehensive foil ranges on the planet. Is it hard to keep up with all the product development, and do you think it’ll slow down anytime soon?

There is no chance we are slowing down. We have many ideas that we want to try, I think we are just getting started, striving to refine and perfect our products which is a huge driver at AXIS. Do you keep an eye on market trends and react to consumer demands, or are you on your own development tangent?

We have team riders globally sharing their foiling gear dreams of what they want, and what they want the equipment to do. That’s very important to us. But with our primary design and engineering being based in New Zealand, we don’t see a lot of the other brands and just do our own thing.

I think that is a standout with AXIS, if you look at any part of the AXIS foil you will see original engineering, not just copied design. You will see a lot of AXIS ideas and designs being used by other brands. We just smile when we see it, as they just copy our old ideas. Authenticity is very important, for us – this is a focus.

Anything else the AXIS Research Team are up to currently that we should know about?

We are building both our and your dream foils. Watch this space, and remember development at AXIS isn’t restricted to just the ART (AXIS Research Team)…

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CABRINHA

C R OSSW I N G X 3 , H -SER I ES FOIL R A N G E, C O D E B OA R D

Lots of new foil offerings from Cabrinha have recently pinged up on our radar, not least with Keahi de Aboitiz and Moona Whyte using them to good effect in warm Hawaiian waters as we saw earlier in the issue... We got in touch with Cabrinha’s Marketing Manager James Boulding to hear more about the new toys.

Hi James, so first up can you give us a bit of an overview about the new releases?

using the Crosswing’s innovative features to maximize the efficiency of the wing. It needs to be as simple as possible to get a novice up and foiling while being packed full of performance for boosting and freestyle as well.

This launch we’ve put together a full program of new products, each with big steps forwards in design, construction and performance.

Over the last few years, the Cabrinha development team has been expanding and a big part of that has been focusing on foiling related products. All these new products set the benchmark of the sports we all love and enjoy on the water and snow.

The Crosswing remains the only twin strut wing on the market as far as we are aware, talk us through the benefits here from your perspective?

You hit the nail on the head with the wording in your question: PERSPECTIVE! The amount of vision and spatial awareness due to the gap in the double strut added to the window layout gives the best field of any wing in the market. With clear lines of sight through the double strut you can keep an eye out while locked into your normal riding position. Then the rigid double strut is for aerofoil support, keeping a tight, efficient canopy and fast response.

This framework gives the rider the ultimate feeling in efficiency and performance both in ligher winds, where pumping and efficiency is required, and also in the higher winds where stability and control are greatly increased.

You are now onto the third generation of the Crosswing. What have you learnt along the way?

We have learnt a lot since our journey into wingsurfing began and the fact that we’re onto the X3 gives you an idea how much development the brand has been putting into the wing program. The dedicated wing development team have been putting huge amounts of energy and resource into the designs, construction, materials and testing. When you take a close look at the X3 in person it’s very noticeable. A lot of learning has come in the work on the aerofoils and

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We’ve seen the great footage of Moona using the Crosswing on Maui in idyllic conditions, how much feedback and influence does she have over the design process?

Moona rips hands down on all types of watercraft and lives on the doorstep of possibly one of the most fun looking foil spots on the planet. The reality though is that she is just a small cog in a big welloiled development machine that takes input from customers, team, dealers, testers and turn it into the products you see online by our Cab Design Works development team. Moona is probably the one that gets to enjoy it the most and gets to put it to the ultimate test!

Who would you recommend the Crosswing to over the Mantis?

The Crosswing is an incredibly versatile and easy to use wing. One key difference is its wide field of view. It has also gained a glowing reputation for exceptional low end pump-and-go power. The Mantis is slightly lighter and nimble, giving a touch more freedom of movement. For those not wanting windows it also comes available in a windowless version.

It sounds like Keahi has been integral in the development of your new H-Series high aspect foil range. Tell us about the design process and what sets your performance foils out from the pack?

Keahi has been instrumental in the testing of these wings. He’s been working alongside the development team to really maximize efficiency and pump performance across all the foil genres. As someone who tow foils, prone foils and wingsurfs in the waves it’s given the team a chance to really work on each size of wing individually and come up with a shape that maximizes not only efficiency and pumping but turning as well, something that is essential for Keahi when he is out prone or tow foiling.

We hear you’ve been working with a team of scientists in Norway on some of the foil development the past few years, can you tell us a little more about this?

This is another area that has injected insight into our foil program and stepped things up in the design of the X and H-series foil wings. It’s a collaboration between Cabrinha and a team of research scientists in Norway at SINTEF and Trondheim University (NTNU). The team have been performing various tests in their cavitation tunnel to give hydrodynamic feedback on the wing aerofoils and other design aspects. This valuable data helps give design feedback to Cabrinha’s R&D team while also embarking on a partnership where the SINTEF team can gain valuable data through experiences and problems that occur in real life foiling. This info and data sets give the team a chance to test and validate their numerical simulations in real life simulations and products already in the market. It allows for a more in depth understanding of the performance of the Fusion system and it allows for a design process where iterations of the design can be numerically validated. For us it brings a new level of theoretical and practical knowledge to the hydrofoil program.

How do the H-Series foils perform across disciplines? We’ve seen evidence of tow, prone and wing.

As mentioned above, versatility was a key goal in the design brief and the testing process took all these sports into consideration. The small size is also perfectly suited to kite foiling. With a lot of crossover in properties for these sports, a lot of time was spent refining each wing in all the disciplines to get an incredibly well rounded product.

And how do they complement the X-Series?

The H-Series is a more performance wing and will feel as such. The efficiency and speed can be noticed immediately so riders who are looking for something a little more sporty, while the X-series is a more versatile and all round freeride wing. Having both these options in the four sizes really offers the customer a complete range of products depending on ability and style of riding.

Then to finish off the release, the Code is a new addition to the wing board line up – what does it bring to the party?

The Code is an incredibly fast lifting, maneuverable platform designed to get you up onto the foil in a flash. Using premium materials including a carbon center stringer, the Code is available in six sizes ranging from 4’8 to 5’8. The Code represents Cabrinha’s flagship wingsurf board design and is intended for all-round use.

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AK PHAZER V2

Early frontrunners in rable Supply Co have their popular Phazer touch with the team in in v2...

the surf foilboard discipline, AK Dunow brought the second generation of foilboard to the market. We got in South Africa to find out what’s changed

What have you learnt since v1 of the Phazer that’s been implemented here?

more to improve the high-speed touch downs. We kept the hard release edges and flat rocker in the tail to keep speed and early planing. Then with the larger sizes (5´10 and 6´2) we introduced a stepped bottom rail to help the bigger boards get planing faster, as typically they would be used in lighter conditions.

As the level of foiling improves exponentially, so has the learning, while more riders are pushing the boundaries of the sport. A good example is the early belief that the board is not super important, because you are normally up on foil.

However, as riders progress to smaller foils and into more aggressive riding styles, they tend to need the board to function at higher speed as they come up onto foil and recover from maneuvers and transitions.

It looks like you’ve extended the range of sizes in the v2 range, including a range topping 140l, 6’2. You obviously consider it impotant to have a huge range of volumes for cross discipline riders, talk us through the thought process…

For v2, we made quite a few updates in the nose area by increasing the overall nose rocker and softening the rails even

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We see foiling more as a sport than as a discipline of surfing, kiting, winging etc. Many riders who come into foiling through one of the current sports they do will end up exploring foiling in at least a few different ways. The step from surf foiling to pump foiling on flat water or taking your surf foil board when you jump onto your wing is a very natural progression.

So as you move through the range we have really considered the waterman ideology – small sizes go through wake, pump, kite, wing, then into surf as they get slightly more volume, with sizes 5´3 to 5´8 being more wing specific and the 5´10 and 6´2 blending wing and SUP foil use. It sounds complicated, but as you zoom into your specific demands it narrows your decision making to between a few sizes. You also need to consider your skill level, primary use and local conditions.

It looks like the boards are slightly shorter compared to their equivalent volumes from last year, in which part of the board have you hidden that volume in the new range?!

Yes, we have made the boards around two inches shorter while keeping the width and volume unchanged. We stashed some of the volume around the top of the nose area and widened the tail marginally, essentially moving volume more towards the tips to help with stability when restarting and keeping the standing area as thin as possible to keep a good foil connection. Sometimes it just takes time through each version to get them looking balanced, it’s actually really challenging on the bigger boards.

The V1 boards were beautifully light and lasted well. Has the construction changed for the V2 As there is more demand on the durability in the smaller sizes with more riders using straps and taking to the air, we have had to beef up the insert areas for the foil and top deck. We have also looked at the very long-term test samples and optimized some of the reinforcing.

However, the overall construction is relatively unchanged as the market response and overall feedback has been very positive.

You were perhaps ahead of the game for the more traditionally surf-shaped wing board. Where do you think the development process will lead next? Will there be specific boards for surf and freestyle disciplines?

We got very hyped on surf foiling early on and just tried a whole bunch of weird stuff, concaves, steps, channels, square noses etc.

They all have their place but the things we’ve have learnt from surfboards is that ultimately, well resolved non-angular shapes are going to be predictable and smooth. Especially in a surfing application where you want the board to react like a surfboard when it touches down, mid turn or when coming off foil.

We have developed the new AK Compact as a board more oriented toward freestyle, flatwater and racing. I do think the more parallel and shorter shapes have their place when you want reduced swing weight, specifically as you get over the mid 4-foot length and have more volume. I do feel we will start to see increased differentiation in the specialist products and have been developing this, at the same time we see that all-around space being important.

We know this board is a particular favourite of Zane Schweitzer. Did Zane feed into the v2 R&D? Yes, Zane has been very involved with developing the smaller sizes, specifically the 4´6 and the 4´3 as his whole focus is having boards that he can do as much as possible on, with his focus being on surf foiling and doing some epic wing stuff. He is obviously also a really good durability tester. I really enjoy his attitude to just riding everything and charging as hard as possible. Brand Director Clinton Filen tends to focus on the mid sizes for surf foil and wing, and then we have a key tester based in Cape Town, Peter Petersen, who tests the wing and SUP crossover on the biggest sizes. It’s good to have people who are focused and passionate in each size group, to make sure they all perform perfectly. This is all backed up by a group of key riders who are hooked on foiling…

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SLINGSHOT SHRED SLED 3:1 FOIL BOARD

Slingshot their new money and We caught Miller to

cater for not one but three sports with Shred Sled board, meaning more fun for your a lot less to pack in the trunk of your car. up with Slingshot’s Wing Brand Manager Wyatt hear all about it…

Three foil options in one! Are you finding there’s an increasing market for crossover options?

Who came up with the concept of the Shred Sled?

Head Designer/Co-Founder Tony Logosz and I worked on the design of the larger 143L Shred Sled a few years back. It was a hit, and we were immediately getting requests for a smaller one. The 143 was perfect for entry level, but there were enough folks out there clamouring for a one board solution in a smaller size to green light more prototyping. Tony and I worked on quite a few shapes in the last two years, refining until they had a board that they both would be happy riding for all three sports. Foiling is becoming its own sport instead of a subset of another sports category. Because of this I think we will continue to see cross sport compatibility where it is a good fit, like windsurf/wing/SUP.

We have seen our windsurf foil boards work really well as wing boards over the past few years. Wingers and windsurf foilers are looking for a lot of the same things – early take-off, low swing weight in the nose and plenty of volume and stability in the tail. We have been refining all those factors in both wing and windsurf boards over the years. To make it work for SUP we needed to keep a good amount of width so you can stand there waiting for waves without paddling in circles to keep balance.

We think the volume distribution and outline of this board lend itself well to all three sports, there really is not a lot of sacrifice in any direction. The extra-long foil tracks let you perfectly place your center of lift on any foil for all sports.

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How have you balanced the different requirements on the board across each discipline?

I think all of the design elements that make a standout board for wind/wing/SUP are converging. As long as you don’t go too crazy far in one particular direction you have a very user-friendly board for all three. Footstrap inserts and track placement are the sticking points. With our longer 13 inch tracks you really solve the foil position problem. With footstrap inserts it comes down to prioritizing. SUPers probably are not going to use straps, but inboard style windsurf is the same as wing, so we went with an inboard tri-strap setup to satisfy the largest amount of users.

Talk to us about the foil track size and placement, how should this be tweaked depending on your sport?

I am a huge fan of the extra-long foil tracks, there is just so much variance in foil position due to rider weight, personal preference and foil geometry. I find myself riding the exact same foil 6cm further forward on the exact same board than someone of similar skill level and weight. Personal preference is huge! For windsurfing you will ride with the foil near the back of the tracks. For wing it will be forward of middle and for SUP depending on how steep a drop you have to make it would be somewhere in the back half of the tracks.

How did you choose the sizing of the board?

We wanted to get below 6ft for low swing weight and a compact design. It needed to be wide enough to SUP and climb onto easily with a wing, it’s 28.5cm width is about the narrowest most intermediate SUPers can stand on comfortably in the line-up with a paddle and not be paddling in circles for balance. This all came together with a thick enough tail to get to 110L which will support most riders 200lbs and below, and is easily uphaulable by most windsurfers.

Do any design influences from the rest of your board range carry into the Shred Sled, and if so, how do they weave into the final product?

We took a lot of the design element from our Wizard v3 windsurf foil boards. We found that thickening and narrowing the tail still left plenty of stability under foot, but helped it more quickly achieve sufficient board speed to foil. Then we really like how flat the bottom of the tail is on those Wizard boards and how that translates into a great planing surface for early release.

Where has the majority of testing taken place, and who’s been taking the lead on R&D? We did most of the testing down in Baja, Slingshot has a lot of rider resources down there and the conditions are next level all winter. We had Trent Carter testing its SUP ability in the waves of the East Cape region towards Los Cabos, while I tested the board in windsurf and wing along with all the guests at my wing/windsurf resort in La Ventana. Having my resort guests test the stuff and provide direct feedback really helps us get an eye for how the board will do in the hands of real end consumers.

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TAKUMA EFOIL CARVER 2

More exciting news from the innovative French brand, as they bring their latest incarnation of their Carver efoil to market…

Hey team. Firstly, what are we seeing in the Carver 2 that wasn’t in the first generation?

We have a completely new remote control design with a built in secure waterproof housing. It is quicker to connect and very intuitive to use. It has an integrated security system that shuts off the remote when it comes in contact with water. It allows you to set and maintain your speed for a continuous glide.

Actually, the Carver model has undergone a complete redesign, effectively minimizing any drag and maximizing comfort for a sublime carving experience. Firstly, let’s focus on the board’s shape – it is more compact and lighter than the previous model and provides a superb performance and an improved responsiveness underfoot. This new lighter setup is ultra-soft on touch down and with the combination of a seamlessly balanced volume, it is super stable prior to, during, and after take-off. For enhanced comfort we have incorporated our innovative Gravity Deck design. New deck handles have been added for easier carrying on land and mounting once in the water. A new external antenna maintains a consistent Bluetooth connection, even if the board sits under water before take-off for heavier riders.

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The USP for the Carver 2 is that it’s the first efoil fully dedicated to carving. How is it optimized for this?

It is the culmination of all the features working seamlessly together.

Our exceptional Kujira wings have become infamous for their astonishing glide and agility allowing for even tighter turns. The new sleek and compact propulsion is discreet yet powerful, allowing you to gain even more speed. With thinner and lighter components it eliminates drag and delivers an ultra-smooth hydrodynamic performance. The new curved deck contour gives a natural kick for the back foot for more control and stability.

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Do you see this becoming a good option in the waves? Are we getting close to being able to power into waves and then ride "naturally"?

The efoils are not designed for wave riding as such, their concept came about as a solution for the no wind/no wave days. That saying, the Carver model performs brilliantly in small chop and riding down wake, it is not made for breaking waves but you can enjoy the added speed gained by gliding through swell. The desire is definitely there to take the efoils into waves, hence eliminating the need to paddle.

For sure you won’t get the same feeling or satisfaction as you would when you paddle-in and pop up on a surf foilboard, but it could be a great alternative to catch that small swell that doesn’t quite form to be ridden naturally.

Do the foil wings crossover from your surf foil range?

The new Carver 2 comes with our latest foil design, the Kujira Helium 1500. Our revolutionary Kujira wings have become infamous for their astonishing glide. The Helium model is more lightweight, versatile and robust, fitting for any size and style of riding. It delivers unmatched control and stability, giving you the opportunity to foil confidently in swell and make aggressive turns at a high speed.

And who’s been out there putting in the best carves?

Our team rider Matahi Drollet is a true magician on the foil, while testing out the Carver 2 he conjured up the most sublime carves, one after another after another, it was nonstop, like a slalom skier bewitched on a slope. His level of skill at launching himself up into the sky from out of nowhere is also truly exceptional. If you don’t already follow him, he is definitely someone to watch, totally mesmerizing the way he is at one on a foil and his ‘no-fear’ approach taking on monster sized waves.

Tell us about the G-Deck design, and why that’s a benefit to riders?

This unique deck contour is curved for a natural lower front foot stance, this naturally forces water down as you take off giving you better control, acceleration and exceptional balance.

It is also extremely comfortable underfoot as it creates a natural kick for your back foot during maneuvers. You get a feeling of enhanced connection to the foil, that you instinctively know exactly how it will react with each movement.

Efoils can generally be pretty heavy units, but you’ve brought the weight down in the Carver 2. How’s that happened?

It is no easy task to reduce the weight of components, but we managed to radically reduce the size and weight of our Electronic Speed Control unit (ESC) and have a new ultra-thin propulsion that has been fully refined and reinforced. Together with the new board this makes the overall weight of the efoil much lighter and more efficient, which in turn reduces the battery consumption allowing for even longer sessions.

Do you see reductions in weight being a fairly constant process as tech improves?

Definitely, weight is for sure a key factor when it comes to performance. We continue to innovate lighter designs while at the same time maintaining a solid quality to cost ratio. As the technology advances so will our ability to build more revolutionary concepts.

What else has been going on in the Takuma R&D world, anything for us to get excited about?

We have some VERY exciting new releases coming out soon with new designer collaborations. For the moment we are keeping our lips tightly sealed but stay tuned for near future announcements.

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REEDIN SUPERWINGX

In an attempt to keep their new wing top secret, chief designer and co-founder Damien Girardin and the Reedin crew have been forced to sneak away to isolated spots late in the evening to do their R&D riding (and even requested that our test team rider run his test in clandestine conditions and away from prying eyes – you can find that a few pages back). Now they’re ready to reveal all, and we got the full inside scoop from Damien…

It seems like we’re entering the materials race for inflatable wings at the moment. Talk to us about the origins of X-ply and how you’ve integrated it in the SuperWing X… I have been designing wings for about three years now and as soon as I started to implement tensioned canopy designs two years ago, I realized that we had too much stretch in the regular polyester canopy material, so the wings were losing their shape too much. My solution to that is improving the panelling by making vertical seams, which works quite well, but there is a limit to it.

I then approached our different material suppliers and started testing stiffer materials. Very rapidly I oriented my choice toward windsurf inspired materials like X-ply. Two problems emerged from my first sample with these materials. One, they were too heavy, and two, you could not fold them, making the wing fit only in a huge bag when you wanted to store it.

So I worked with our supplier to make a thinner and softer film that would drastically reduce the weight and made it less brittle which consequently also made it safer to fold. Then I came up with our patent-pending Fold Strip® that allows SuperWingX to be folded in half before you roll it. This solved the second problem and we could

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then carry the wing in a relatively small bag.

Once I got to that point, the fun of design (and hiding for testing) continued. When I received my first sample almost a year ago, the first test was extremely exciting, right away the performance benefits were so obvious. However, I had to hide it from everyone here on Maui so I was testing early evenings in places where nobody goes!

The design process was extremely interesting because the X-ply canopy is not stretching, I could use different profiles than on our SuperWing and could achieve performance levels that were seriously impressive!

The seaming looks almost like a radial sail, tell us the design intention behind it?

Standard canopy material has only two strong axis you can use strength from: 0 degrees and 90 degrees, so you need to make some sacrifices in terms of panel position in order to focus on where the most load is and have your material positioned in order that it is along these constrained lines. The X-ply we designed has three main angles that the strengths are superior along, zero and +/- 45 degrees, and also has much more strength in all the other directions because the film it’s made off is isotropic, meaning it has identical

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properties in all directions at every given points. You can easily feel that by pulling on the material with your hands – if you pull on polyester canopy material at 45 degrees of the weaving compared to zero or 90 degrees you’ll notice a huge difference and can clearly see the weakness at 45 degrees. If you do the same on our X-ply, the strength is a lot more homogeneous in all directions. This allowed me to perfectly position my panels in order to follow the multiple load lines that I find on a wing. It was honestly a dream come true to be able to design this perfect canopy structure.

How does it improve the overall feel and performance of the wing?

The improvement in riding is mind blowing. The wing is a lot more direct and insanely more efficient which means that you have more power at the start, can ride faster, hold a bigger wing in more wind while at the same time use a smaller wing in less wind! You can point higher upwind than with other wings. Additionally, due to the lack of deformation of the X-ply canopy, there is barely any flutter even when you ride the wing neutral behind your back, so the wing is super stable and you end up with an impressively silent ride!

Do you have other unique/new features on SuperWingX? To further improve the direct feel and overall stiffness of the wing, we developed our new S-strut which is directly connected to the X-ply on the back 40% of the strut. This provides very direct response from your input. We also added a third layer of Dacron in the center of the wing’s leading edge for minimal deformation in the middle.

This translates into a very direct response too when pumping and all along the ride. Finally, we introduced new handles that are very stiff, made of a grippy yet soft material, and they really offer great control of the wing in all situations and especially during maneuvers, while being super comfortable at the same time.

In terms of the broader design, who is the wing pitched at? What level/style of riding?

I think every rider regardless of his level will benefit from riding the SuperWingX because of the gain in efficiency, and also the gain in strength – X-ply is a lot stronger than regular canopy, making it less prone to tears than canopy material. Certainly, I would say that the more experienced wingers are the ones that will most notice and benefit from the added performance, because they will be riding faster, jump higher, point higher upwind and have a more stable ride when riding swells with the wing neutral.

Does the X-ply require any extra care when storing it? How does it wear in the long term compared to standard ripstop?

X-ply is clearly a lot stronger than standard canopy material, both in terms of pure strength (i.e. measuring the deformation and destruction when you pull on it) but also to a shock (i.e. let’s say if you fall in it), and finally in terms of tear resistance (if your foil touches the material for example). Due to the glossiness of the film it is also easier to fix with a piece of tape.

In the long term, the beauty of X-ply is that your wing will not stretch, become softer and porous, instead it will keep its shape session after session, so that feel of a brand new wing will stay, and the SuperWingX will stay crisp and tight over time. However, yes there is some extra care to be taken, the first one is the way you roll your wing. The X-ply we designed is soft enough that it will support some folding but it’s not recommended to fold it. Thanks to our patented Fold Strip® you can simply fold the wing in half in the middle and then roll the wing from both wingtips towards the center so you don’t ever fold the X-ply. When you do that, you simply need to keep an eye to make sure you don’t make any creases in the X-ply. If you do this, your wings will last longer than a polyester canopy wing. Then we certainly don’t suggest storing SuperWingX under other heavy pieces of equipment, as this would create creases in the X-ply and would potentially damage it.

Where do you envisage wing design heading in the next couple of years?

I believe there will still be a market for regular canopy wings, however I am convinced that X-ply is the future and is where the market will be heading after people try the SuperWingX. I am so excited to finally share it with the world and to be able to go and ride it without having to hide anymore!

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FORESIGHT J U LIEN & CA MI LLE BOUYER The eternally stoked French siblings, fresh from a trip to Corsica, give us their insight into where the sport of foiling is headed…

e have no real and definitive idea where foiling is taking W us because it is moving so much, so quick and in so many directions. For example, one of the first revolutions with foiling was to pump, and to be able to take two waves in a row but now that’s seen as a very basic thing in foiling. Today, foiling is present everywhere, in all conditions.

You can foil in 20cm waves and yet see guys foiling huge waves in Nazaré. You can ride zero waves by doing dock starts, or use an eFoil, or even the wind to foil. Wherever the foil is present, limits of foiling are being pushed.

Almost any day that you open Instagram, you can see someone breaking the limits of foiling and bringing it to another level. foil looks very simple. It’s just a mast, a fuselage, a front A wing and a stab, but at the end of the day, even a small difference in shape between two foils can make it feel very different. What is not so easy to find is the perfect shape… because maybe something you like one moment will be

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something you will want to change a few rides later. It all depends on the discipline, which conditions, your style of riding, etc… What we would like to see is an improvement in the materials across the industry. At the moment really light foils are only available for a very specific kind of foiling. For example, you can have a very light foil if you are going to use one specifically for surf foiling, but as soon as you want to ride it for wing foiling too, it definitely needs to be stiffer and stronger to land all the big jumps without breaking it, which means it generally has to be heavier.

But on the other hand, building versatile foils is a good challenge for brands and very important for all those who are not sponsored and want to practice foiling in all kinds of different ways. That’s the kind of thing we help work on with RRD, foils like the Dynamic Pro model. You can use it for wing foiling, surf foiling, kite foiling, tow-in foiling… and we are always working on how to make it better!

J U L I E N & C AMILLE B O U YE R

I n the beginning, foiling was seen as a sport for a selection of elite international riders, something you’d only see on videos. But quite quickly it arrived in many spots around the world because it is very attractive, versatile, but also thanks to the development of the equipment that makes it easier to ride than in the past. Purist surfers were still reluctant to try foiling, but when famous surfers like John John Florence started foiling, they started to accept that maybe it is something cool to try, even if you are loyal to “regular” surfing. In the future more and more people are going to begin to foil, and the next generation are already fully accepting of foiling… To the kids, it’s almost a normal thing for them.

What is important is to be aware of your own level and choose the right spots and right conditions to go foiling. We think this is something that’s understood and respected at every spot in all the different countries we’ve visited. For us foiling is an addition to other water sports because we love to change up our riding, and the feeling from both surfing and surf foiling are great!

We can’t choose a favorite between the two. owadays it is possible to be a professional foil rider. There are N many different options as there are many different foiling disciplines, and you can become professional by doing competitions, creating content or even working on foil development. The fact that there are so many competitions now is logical as the sport grows, and it brings many positive points, such as the development of the materials as each brand wants to give its best. Also, all the pro riders are pushing hard in the sport, and in turn more events are created. But on the other hand, we like to think that foiling is about freedom, cruising and exploration, and it doesn’t need competitions all the time. It really depends on the discipline also… For example, a competition in windsurf foil or kite foil works well, but maybe competitions aren’t as necessary in other disciplines because the spirit is more one of freedom, and that’s the most important factor. But let’s see what happens… e still have a big job to do in foiling, and each time we think the W limits have been reached, they’ll get broken again. There’s plenty yet to be discovered, in terms of maneuvers, material development, shapes, events, exploration… We are only at the beginning for sure!

F O R E S I GHT

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DANIEL KEREOPA

New Zealand pro surfer Daniel Kereopa began his foiling journey by fitting a tuttle box into an old SUP board, and progressed from there to become one of New Zealand’s best riders. On the way, he’s inspired others to get involved too. Suitably intrigued, we got in touch with Daniel to find out why he’s so passionate about the sport…

PHOTOS GEORGIA SCHOFIELD (UNLESS SPECIFIED)

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Hey DK. We’re told under pretty good authority that you were one of, if not the first person to be out there foiling in New Zealand.

Is this a matter of fact? And how were those early days and what were you riding?

I started riding those alloy foils with snowboard boots and bindings.

Success was slow, and it was hard to convince my friends that they should give it a go. My friends preferred to drive the ski and watch me get hammered. I picked up a lot of knowledge in those early days, trying to foil. Laird Hamilton came to Raglan to tow foil, and we had the opportunity to watch the best foilers in the world ride my home break. They were still using boots and bindings, an alloy mast and G10 foils at the time.

Moving forward, J-shapes foils moved into town, creating foils specifically for kite-racing. I got a setup from them, stuck it under a SUP, and began another direction of foiling. I attached the foil under my feet where I stood when paddling... it looked weird as I was riding an 8ft surf SUP and the foil was 3-4ft up the board. Everyone laughed, but at the time, no SUP-foil-specific boards were coming into NZ. After working that out, I made my own 4ft prone boards...

What I loved most about the progression of foiling was the foils were getting easier to surf, and there was no need for boots/bindings, which meant I was feeling more natural on the board by having just my feet free to move around.

You’ve competed on the WQS for surfing previously. What lured you to foiling in the first place?

Curiosity. Being Maori, my lineage comes from the ocean. We are voyagers who sail the oceans. If it is made to use in the ocean, we can ride it. With foiling, my curiosity to move faster over longer distances meant my imagination was going into overdrive! Foiling added to my family-inherited passion for the ocean, so it was a natural progression.

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You’re a Raglan local. Has foiling been accepted there? And how has it been received more broadly out there?

Photo: Scott Sinton

Raglan is a ‘surfing’ town with deep roots of surfing culture. There were a lot of concerns around safety from the surfing community to foiling on the point breaks and beaches. So far, it has been ok. The local foilers know where the better spaces are to ride foils, although we need to remind out-of-town foilers not to go to some areas of the line-ups. They can’t seem to contain the froth. We all have to work together, surfers, longboards, and foilers, to enjoy the ocean together.

You’re now riding for North, and you’re a part of their R&D program, right? What does this entail?

I am stoked to have forged a relationship with the North team. My best attribute is I can give instant feedback on the boards and foils.

Raglan breaks every day of the year, with one-to-eight foot peeling left-handers. We are always riding quality waves. Today we could be on shortboards for breakfast, canoe surfing for lunch, foiling for dinner. Tomorrow we could be foiling for breakfast, kiting for lunch, tow surfing for dinner. It’s great for my family and friends as we all get the opportunity to foil together. We are all at different stages in our foiling, so their feedback is also valuable for North.

We hear you’re pretty proficient in both karate and jujitsu. Does the training here feedback into your approach to foiling?

Photo: Scott Sinton

Training in martial arts or any sports helps me enjoy all the other activities I do. Staying focused, mobile, strong and having good health all helps with foiling. When I am healthy in mind, body and spirit, foiling is a peaceful ride. On the flip side, you can be locked in 110%, going so fast that in a split second, you are smashing your face in the water. Foiling makes me laugh at myself too.

We understand you run a surf school too. Does foiling feature in your teaching here?

We teach the culture of surfing in any of our classes at DK Surf School. Take care of the ocean and all the creatures in it. We are guests in the ocean, so behave like one. Laugh, make friends, share stories. And when you fall, make sure to smile and get back on your board. Lately, I have been helping experienced foilers to progress into bigger waves and turn at super high speeds. I enjoy seeing the joy on clients’ faces when they pull off a 1-2km run.

You’re clearly a pretty driven and inspiring person. Do you think you’ve been instrumental in others picking up a foil?

I do what I do when I can. Some days I’ll foil one wave, and that’s enough. Or I might tow foil for six hours. If people are watching me, I hope they see the variety of boards I ride. Each board has a beauty to it, and foiling does too... I encourage people to find that beauty in the ocean every day they ride.

What would you say to anyone – surfers or otherwise – who might be hesitant on taking up the sport?

Bro... grab that board, and let’s go. We can patch you up later!

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The bigger picture of the environmental perils we’re all facing can feel a little overwhelming and hard to conceive, but occasionally it’s the little aspects that really drive home the reality of what we’re up against…

PHOTOS AMANDA BEENEN CANTOR

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What a broad term foiling has become. Is it prone foiling? Wing foiling? Kite foiling? The foil has grown into a water genre of its own and has caused a whirlwind of attraction in the past few years. To me foiling is just another way to enjoy the ocean, and here on Maui it’s a foiling mecca, as we have so many different ways to enjoy this incredibly dynamic sport because the island has wind and waves year round. It is accessible to the young generation as well as the old. It is accessible in the ocean and in other bodies of water. It is accessible in big waves and tiny ones. It allows people to get in the water and I believe being in the water is an important aspect of life.

When I graduated in 2018, I had plans to go to college in San Diego and study “something” although I did not know what that would be.

A month before leaving for the mainland, a light bulb finally clicked and reminded me of my intentions and passions in life. I started to take my life in the ocean more seriously. I found myself doing the sports that the conditions permitted. So when there was a small south swell I would foil or shortboard. When there was a big north swell, I would tow foil or tow surf. On medium north swells I would stand-up-paddle foil Ka’a Point, which is a beautiful, long foiling wave. However, the paddle back out is gruesome…

Last year in 2020, being on Maui during the times of Covid, myself and everyone else who are lucky enough to live on Maui were still able to enjoy the ocean and all of its healing properties. On one specific day in early October last year, I was SUP foiling at Ka’a Point with friends and family. It was a beautiful morning even though the north winds were starting to pick up. North winds on Maui are just about the worst wind for enjoying the ocean because this is straight onshore wind. It also has another weird property where it blows a lot of trash in from the open ocean. Every time the north winds come, you can show up to any beach on the North Shore and there is a much greater amount of debris. And every time I see it, it is always greatly saddening.

Anyways… on this fun October morning I was ready for my last wave before I went in. It felt like I had been waiting forever and there were only a couple of people left. The north wind had started blowing harder so every time I tried to catch a wave I struggled to keep my balance. I finally caught a really solid wave and it was lining up to be a really long one. “To the beach baby!” I said in my head. It was a perfect medium tide so the waves were going all the way into the inside. I was so excited to make it all the way in when I suddenly felt my foil turn from an ultra high aspect foil to feeling like a pretty inefficient slug. I was pumping as hard as I could but the foil just would not cooperate, until I ran out of energy and came to a halt. Confused, I inspected the area only to find a huge plastic bag wrapped around the shaft of my foil. As my initial annoyance for not being able to make it all the way to the beach subsided, I paddled in with this large STAT E OF P LAY

bag and the sadness started to grow. “How can we let this happen?”

I asked myself, over and over again.

I think that opening up the conversation is the best possible way to get everyone on the same page and understanding how in dire need our oceans (and environment in general) are in need of help.

So, let’s talk about it. When you see a piece of trash on the beach, please pick it up. I know it feels like such a small gesture and possibly insignificant but that will be one less piece of trash ending up in our ocean. Please use reef-safe sunscreens, not the ones that say “reef friendly”, because those sunscreens have just been modified to not have the banned chemicals in them but they often just put new chemicals in them which can be just as harmful.

I am lucky enough to be surrounded by like-minded people on Maui and maybe one day the whole world can be like-minded in putting our environment first, because the ocean needs us, our help, and our voice. Or else one day we’re going to wake up and it’s not going to be the ocean that we know and love. Plus, no one likes foiling with a plastic bag on their mast…

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