Foiling Magazine #7 Free digital

B E L H A R R A BLOWS UP

CHAS ING T HE P O RO RO CA

S MO O T H O P E R ATO R

Big wave foiling in The Basque

Vinnicius Martins heads into the interior

Matahi Drollet’s epic Tahitian season

TESTED AXIS + STARBOARD + NAISH + TAAROA + SPG + LIFT + TAKUMA + PWRFOIL + SLINGSHOT 1

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On Starboard Foils’ Quick Lock: "Extremely convenient for someone who wants to build their gear simply and quickly. In fact, it's a foil tester's dream. Ridiculously simple and fast process. Threaded sections all sit in small removable stainless steel casings. It's an incredibly well thought out system." Foiling Magazine, Issue #6 Visit www.starboardfoils.com to discover the complete Starboard Foils collection.

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FREEDOM IN MOTION

ELECTRIC FOIL UP TO 35-40 KM/H 1- HOUR FLIGHT MINIMUM ABSOLUTE SECURITY ENGINEERING & ASSEMBLY 100% FRENCH CUSTOMIZABLE WING AND BOARD SIZES

W W W . P W R F O I L . C O M 7

Better by Design.

Wing Foil Sup Our range of Wing Sup Foil boards are lightweight, stable and manoeuvrable.

Careful attention to volume distribution means that they are stable on the water, easy to paddle and take off early due to the accelerated bottom shape. Our “Forward Geometry” mast track reduces swing weight giving the boards a more responsive, agile and fun to ride feeling.

:: Construction

Engineered with every fibre maximised to cope with the high leverage forces that are encountered with bigger boards and larger sized foil wings.

This Includes our industry leading dual carbon sandwich stringer system with full Inegra sandwich box reinforcement. Plus a 4 layer carbon/ Inegra / PVC /carbon sandwich deck and rails. The result is ultimate stiffness and ride response.

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Solid... Balanced...

Powerful. :: 6’6”

Dimensions: 30 1/2” x 5” Volume: 132L Weight: 7.1 kg

:: 5’11”

Dimensions: 28 3/4” x 4 1/2” Volume: 99L Weight: 5.9 kg

:: 5’5”

Dimensions: 26 3/4” x 4 1/4” Volume: 80L Weight: 5.3 KG

a-Wing :: Solid…

The solid airframe of the A-Wing is the prime ingredient of it’s power and performance.

All handles are connected with shear web stiffening - increasing connection and control of the wing.

:: Balanced…

We refined the A-Wing design to be well balanced in a wide range of conditions. It is strong in terms of construction and durability but as light as possible in design for that perfect balance.

:: Powerful…

The A Wing is powerful! This is primarily because the aerofoil section has been carefully developed so meter for meter the A-Wing is one of the most powerful wings on the market.

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GeorGia Schofield RIDER: armie armStronG

A L L

N E W

AIM HI HIGHER SPEED HIGHER JUMPS HIGHER PERFORMANCE SPEED | POWER | BOOST In a category all its own the Slingshot Dart sets a new standard in wings.

Finally, a hard charging speed machine capable of rocket airs and unlimited hang time. Push the Dart and the Dart pushes right back. Designed to escape the monotony of low power wings meant for cruising swell, The Dart is an animal all its own. #AIMHIGHER #DARTv1

LEARN MORE AT SLINGSHOTSPORTS.COM | FACEBOOK.COM/SLINGSHOTFOIL | INSTAGRAM: @SLINGSHOTWING

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IGHER

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New Mast Geometry Easy control at any speed Lightweight Aircraft Grade Extruded Aluminum Up to 25% lighter than 2020 Stiffer in both Torsion & Bend Direct response to rider input Bonded Board Mount & Fuselage Connection Sealed with no water leakage

100% Pre-Preg Carbon Fiber Wing & Stabilizer 25% lighter

Naish.com

Naish Foiling

naishfoiling

North America: Pacific Boardsports LLC . pbs@naishsails.com . (509) 493-0043 Europe: Kubus Sports BV . info@kubus-sports.nl . +31 (0) 88 5525200

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LIGHTER STRONGER Faster Modular Stainless Steel Hardware Superior torque + corrosion resistant CNC Precision Cut aluminum Fuselage With corrosion resistant helicoil inserts

The Naish Design Team - working closely with

our global team and ambassadors - developed and refined a new line of lighter, stronger, stiffer foils for riders of all ability levels. Whether surf, SUP or Wing foiling, Naish has the right set up between our Jet series and expanded HA (High Aspect) range. Our complete foil packages come in multiple wing options which can be customized for optimum performance and specific riders’ needs. Weight is dramatically reduced on all components of our modular system. Our new alloy mast is lighter and stiffer than 90% of the carbon masts on the market yet retains the durability and integrity of aluminum.

Jet Foil Complete: 1050, 1250, 1650, 2000, 2450 Jet HA Foil Complete: 1240, 1400, 1800

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CONTENTS F

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SMO OTH OPERATOR

GRE AT B RE TAGNE

H E ADING NORT H

Matahi Drollet graced the cover last

The rolling effects of the pandemic shelved

When your work meshes nicely with your

issue with a Ben Thouard shot that even

many a brand’s plans for product launches

favorite downtime hobby, are you living

he concedes was something extraordi-

and photoshoots. Thinking on their feet,

the dream? This is potentially the case

nary. We caught up with him following a

Manera decided to make life a little simpler

for North’s Brand Director Mike Raper, an

memorable swell season in Tahiti to chat

and do things closer to home, dispatching

avid foiler living on the swell rich north

about his growing passion for foiling,

team riders Paul Serin and Maxime Chabloz

island of New Zealand, working for a

how the foil scene is developing at

to go hunt down swells in the sleepy north-

water sports company who’ve just gone

home, and that insane barrel shot…

west French province of Brittany.

all in on foiling…

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E LE C TRI C AVENUES

AWAK E NING B E L H ARRA

AL P INE DRE AMS

The world watched as a swell bomb

Given the opportunity to head into

before lockdowns closed off travel,

exploded on the shores of Western Europe

California’s Sierra Nevada mountain

Alex Maes packed his campervan with a

last autumn, with most eyes focused on

range with a brand new electric foil in

couple of e-foils and set off on a circular

the world-famous big wave break, Nazaré.

the trunk, Foiling Magazine’s very own

road trip, accompanied by a few friends,

But a little further north, a handful of foil

Kjell van Sice stepped up and braved

taking in key locations and navigable

riders were paddling into the very same

frozen fingers, howling winds and

waterways in Europe and Scandinavia.

mega-swell, as the more unpredictable big

trash-hungry bears to go document the

Onlooking minds were blown.

wave spot of Belharra lit up…

adventure…

With a small window of opportunity

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26 EX POSUR E / 5 8 UP LOA D E D : C UR I OS ITY / 60 R I S I N G U P : DY L A N R OOS E / 62 S ECR ET S P OT / 64 T H E LOWDOWN: GWA / 6 6 T H E O UT E R BA N KS : T H E DEEP S OU TH & CHAS I N G THE P OR OR OC A / 74 R ED L ET T E R DAY: L IM ESTONE COW BOY & S O UT H A F R I C A N R OCK P OOL S / 8 4 THE G OOD STU F F / 1 3 8 B AC KSTORY: CA B R I N H A / 144 T H E 1 01: W I N GS UR F I N G BAS I C S / 1 4 6 W I N G COM M A N DER S : R OB BY N A I S H & N I L S R OS EN B L A D / 152 T E ST ED / 15 8 I N BO UN D / 178 F O R E S I G HT: JU L I EN F I L L I ON / 1 8 0 STATE OF P L AY: L A R RY F OI L E R

LEFT Paula Novotná and Clement Roseyro point downwind and enjoy a little respite from the blazing Canary Island sunshine…

Photo: Ronny Kiaulehn

C OV E R Few photos epitomize the range and versatility of water sports in 2021 like this shot does. Clément Colmas, harnessing all manner of energies in Tahiti…

Photo: Thomas Bevilacqua 15

The Phantom is unreal!

I love its versatility. It’s a wing that does pretty much all.. surfs, pumps, works great for winging.

The 1280 is very fast and easy to ride, very stable on all axis. It’s so nice to breach wingtips and hit white wash having absolute control.

Mizo.

Join the #foilculture.

F.onefoil

fonefoil 16

©Vanessa De Melo

Product.

P H A N TO M C A R B O N 12 8 0 Also available : 1 0 8 0 / 1 4 8 0 / 17 8 0 Rider.

MIZO FERNANDO Place.

TIBAU DO SUL, BRAZIL

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E D I TO R IA L

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EDITORIAL There was a concern, given the assumed consequences of a year spent amidst global chaos and uncertainty, that we might struggle to pull together content for this issue, published as it is at about a year after the pandemic really applied pressure to western governments to enforce necessary lockdowns, which in the most part often included beaches too. At some point, we theorized, this will come back to bite us…

I’ll be the first to admit I was (happily!) wrong. Quite honestly, we’re swimming in feature-worthy content. So much so, in fact, that issue #8 has already started building itself (we even had about four serious cover options lined up for this issue too… A record, being as we’re a pretty fussy bunch here at HQ).

So for those of you who like to travel and may not, like the majority of us, have had many chances to get on a plane, train or boat this past year, kick back with this magazine and pique that anticipation by mind-foiling your way through a range of epic locations… Want to ride a tidal bore in the Amazon? Page 66. Boost airs on a secret limestone lake in Florida? Page 76. Ride crystal clear Tahitian barrels with Matahi Drollet? Page 90.

And it’s not just been plenty of exceptional foil adventure that’s crossed our desks either. The amount of new gear that’s emerging from brands – be it A.I. infused front wings (page 168) to aeronautically inspired wind wings (page 166) – has been truly astonishing, and a clear indicator that this sport, with its variety of applications and niches, continues to inspire, excite and grow, and shows little sign of letting up. Given this influx of new kit, and the consequent uptick in tests our team are out there bagging, we’ve decided it warrants an entire section of the magazine. We’ve termed it ‘The Knowledge’, and you’ll find that in the latter half.

We’re a year on, give or take, from when shit got real weird, and there’s now a real sense of hope in the air. I’m optimistic that this will be my last editorial slot where a virus takes the center stage.

Therefore, drawing a line under it, I’d just like to pay tribute to any of you out there who’ve found yourself on the front lines of it all this past year. It’s quite easy in our downtime realm – out on the water in a relatively carefree environment, often in the company of friends and family – to forget the turmoil or tragedy endured by some who would otherwise have loved to be out here doing what we’re doing.

So this one’s for them.

Enjoy the issue.

Cai Waggett E DITOR

L E F T Casper Steinfath braves a cold Danish dawn for a sub-zero North Sea session….

Photo: Jakob Gjerluff Ager

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E D I TO R I A L

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Pic: @emilie_we PRODUCTION TEAM Editor: Cai Waggett Editor-in-Chief: Alex Hapgood Sub-editor: Sarah Sylvester Art Director: Nikki Hall Digital Marketing: Tom Weyers Technical Editor: Richard Boughton Contributing Editor: Kjell Issey van Sice CONTRIBUTORS Aaron Lynton, Alex Maes, Alex Schwarz, Amanda Beenen Cantor, Ana Catarina, Analice Diniz, Andrew Cotton, Annie Reickert, Antoine Badin, Armie Armstrong, Arthur Picard, Balz Müller, Baptiste Tripard, Ben Thouard, Bertrand Linne, Bevan Gooch, Brian Solano, Casper Steinfath, Chad Kalima, Chris Defrance, Chris Garrison, Clinton Filen, Damien LeRoy, Deimantina Juskeviciute, Dougie Newell, Dr Jörgen Vogt, Dylan Roose, Dylan Wichmann, Edouard du Doré, Evan Mavridoglou, Franck Berthuot, Frédéric Bonnef, Gabriel Bachelet, Georgia Schofield, Gwen LeTutour, Ivan van Vuuren, Jakob Gjerluff Age, James Boulding, James Casey, Jason Phillips, Jayde Stent, Jeff Ruiz, Jesse Richman, Joan Romagosa, Joe Carberry, Julien Fillion, Kaden Pritchard, Kai Lenny, Kyle Cabano, Kyle Maligro, Larame Greene, Louis Floyd, Louka Pitot, Ludo Franco, Mala'e McElheny, Matahi Drollet, Matt Georges, Matthieu Aguirre, Mike Raper, Miles Holden, Nathan van Vuuren, Nils Rosenblad, Noah Andrews, Olivia Jenkins, Paige Alms, Paul Serin , Peter King, Philippe Echaroux, Robby Naish, Roberto Ricci, Roméo Pitot, Ronnie Kiaulehn, Ryan Taylor, Sam Brisby, Sam Scadgell, Sebastian Ribeiro, Shannon Stent, Sky Rama, Thomas Bevilacqua, Tiago Azzi, Titouan Galea, Tobias Sonanin, Toby Bromwich, Tom Constant, Vinnicius Martins, Wyatt Miller 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 FCS ® certified.

The printers are also accredited to ISO14001, the internationally recognized environmental standard.

FIND US HERE @foilingmagazine foilingmagazine thefoilingmagazine.com

Check out our 2021 Foil Range indiana-paddlesurf.com | info@whitewave.ch | A Brand of White Wave AG 22

Rider: Ray Kasper Photographer: Eric Duran

From surf to SUP to wing, hydrofoiling has opened doors to us that we never thought possible. Now we have epic surf sessions on days when we would have previously never considered even paddling out. Spots that were considered mediocre are now hydrofoil heavens. Light-wind days that once squashed our stoke have been transformed into magical days of endless flying.

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HIGH PERFORMANCE Wing Sizes: X950 / X1300 / X1600 / X1950

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Tracy Kraft Leboe

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WWW.CABRINHA.COM 25

R I D E R Jesse Richman LO C AT I ON Maui, Hawaii P HOTO GR A P HE R Frankie Berthuot Jesse: Fear is a dear friend of mine, one of our typical meeting places is out in the ocean. Finding her on big days is easy, but she's very elusive when the waves are small. This session, I went tow foiling to test out the new 2021 North foils and holy golly jeepers, I found my friend out there. The speed and agility of the new North SONAR foil range put a smile on my face and some thrilling tingles down my spine. It still blows me away at how much fun small waves can be on a foil and how scary things can get when going mach 10...

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E XPOS U R E

R IDE R Annie Reickert LO C AT ION Sugar Cove PHOTOGRAP H E R Noah Andrews Annie: Flying like this is a relatively new sensation for me and I must say I'm hooked! Sugar Cove is a special spot with a perfect combo of wind and waves. I’ve played in the surf here since I was young and many of my childhood friends still play here — we've just graduated from bodyboards to wings and foils. Some of my best days are spent at Sugar Cove with good friends cheering each other on as we try new tricks.

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RIDE R Andrew Cotton LOC AT ION Nazaré, Portugal PHOTOGRAP H E R Alex Schwarz (Levitaz) Andrew: Nazaré probably isn’t the best foil spot but it definitely has its day, often when there’s a smaller swell running and the tide is high you can see perfect lines peaking way out which roll though without breaking before exploding as shore break. These are the days which are super fun to tow into the swell way out and fly with the energy escaping just before the carnage on the inside. This day we had a great session riding the Shaka 1500 with the Match board on a 90cm mast, getting some much needed foil tips from Adrian at Levitaz.

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E XPOS U R E

RIDE R Chad Kalima LOCAT ION Big Island, Hawaii PHOTOGRAP H E R Kona Surf Photo Chad: On this morning I woke up early anticipating a good session because I’d just recently gotten a new Majek board and the new Cloud9 F28 wing.

After eating some grinds to fuel me up I headed down to my go-to spot trying to get there before the surf school take over. This is right as I’d just gotten my new set-up dialed in, and was super stoked on its performance.

The sun was out, crystal clear water, small waves and good company equals a perfect foiling day in Hawaii Nei.

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www.takuma.com

Inspired by Humpback whales Kujira foil By mimicking nature’s powerful and efficient organisms, combined with our design expertise, we’ve developed the ultimate foil to evolve your sensations of flying above water.

• Unmatched agility and acceleration • Smooth reactive take-off • Improved lift for pure performance • Effortless low and high speed control

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E XPOS U R E

R I D E R Balz Müller LO C AT I ON Lake Uri P HOTO GR A P HE R Tobias Sonanin Balz: The strong south wind called Föhn often shows up in the Swiss Alps during the winter months. A curse for the ski resort as the Föhn is truly a snow eater. With the fact that the fall wind heats up one degree per hundred meters descent, it is not uncommon to have warm temperatures in deepest winter. If you now take the majestic 3073m high mountain Briesten and let the Föhnstorm fall down to the valley floor, only the ice-cold melted snow water reminds you that it is probably time to replace the surfboard with the snowboard!

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R I D E R Sebastian Ribeiro LO C AT I O N Florianopolis, Brazil P HOTO G R A P HE R Tiago Azzi Sebastian: It was always a dream to learn how to sail, made even more special because we got to learn around Florianopolis Island in South Brazil, the place where I grew up and learned to kitesurf. On top of that, the captain of the boat is a close friend of mine. Flavio Jardim (the youngest Brazilian to sail around the world) knows that I like new adventures, and he told me to bring my foil as there may be some swell around. And there was! Towed by a sailboat using only the energy of the wind. It was a great experience.

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RIDE R Kyle Maligro LOC AT ION Poipu, Kauai P H OTOGRAP H E R Jason Phillips Kyle: This thing they call Foil Surfing is progressing fast! It’s crazy what board and foil designs are allowing us to do these days... and yes I love me some straps. During these strange times it’s refreshing to stretch my giant eagle wings and soar into this brave new world. The future is gonna be gnarly! Put on your seatbelt.

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E XPOS U R E

R IDE R Larame Greene LOCATI O N Santa Barbara, California PHOTOGRAP H E R Ryan Taylor Larame: That was a crisp Santa Barbara morning, we had our air temps drop far lower than normal. The swell had a couple of waves per set so being able to make some connections helped get the blood flowing. Pretty clean with a slight surface chop from the high tide; perfect for foiling. Nothing more than waist high keeping the wavestorms away. Just another super fun morning foiling an empty lineup with Kjell van Sice. The stoke of learning a new sport and feeling the flight was high.

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R I D E R Louka Pitot LO C AT I O N Saint Brandon archipelago, Mauritius P HOTO G R A P HE R Roméo Pitot Louka: In November, my family and I decided to set sail to a remote archipelago in the Indian Ocean called Saint Brandon, also known as Cargados Carajos Shoals. The archipelago is found 268 nautical miles north of Mauritius and is only accessible by private boat or charter boat. We spent a week there, fishing, kiting and winging - and had an absolute blast. I'll be releasing some short videos from the trip soon, so if you want to know what it really looks like, you can keep an eye out…

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RIDE R Nathan van Vuuren LOCAT ION Milnerton Lagoon, Cape Town PH OTOGRAP H E R Ivan van Vuuren Nathan: This was one of those crazy sessions – you know the ones where you need a photo sent in for an ad deadline and it’s the middle of winter, storm swells every day and at last there is a sunny moment to film. We arrived down at this beach break just outside Cape Town city to find a wave that was totally closing out on a shallow sand bank which allowed just about enough time to get up, stay high, get the photo and kick out before getting nailed on the sand. That’s SPG product manager Mike Oxley standing watching and cheering me on as I am about to go for an aerial and hopefully not break my neck.

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E XPOS U R E

R I D E R Frédéric Bonnef LO C AT I O N Tarifa P HOTO G R A P HE R Ludo Franco Fred: That day I went for a Tarifa/Bolonia downwinder, a 20 kilometer ride.

When I started out, the wind was already blowing very strong at around 40 knots from the east (the Levante wind) and the bumps were absolutely perfect! But when I crossed the Punta Paloma cape where Ludo took that photo, it suddenly became very strong, probably 50 knot gusts, and more offshore. So I really had to use the groundswell and go more upwind to keep my line to Bolonia and get closer to the shore. Anyway… it was awesome!

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R IDE R Casper Steinfath LO C ATIO N Cold Hawaii, Denmark P HOTO GR A P HE R Jakob Gjerluff Age Casper: Growing up in Denmark I learned to embrace the cold Scandinavian temperatures as a fundamental part of surfing. Just because it's cold and grey outside doesn't mean we can't have fun. In this session, Jakob and I set out to capture that raw Nordic essence among the many grey tones on this early winter day. It almost felt as if the Nordic gods were watching us, and that Thor was about to send a lightning bolt smashing towards me as I soared over the chilly Viking waters.

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RIDE R Kai Lenny LOC AT ION Peahi, Mau P H OTOGRAP H E R Aaron Lynton Kai: This was my first session back on the foil at Jaws this season. I had new equipment under my feet that I tested at Nazaré and the outer reefs on Maui.

Before I mainly rode the lefts because they were more sloppy and the wave wouldn’t draw as heavily off of the reef. When that happens the foil gains so much more lift and makes it hard to control. On this wave in particular I remember feeling the boils and denser water upwelling from the cracks in the reef. What looks like smooth water is actually so turbulent just under the surface. I would have never known unless I foiled. With foiling we are literally just scratching the surface.

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E XPOS U R E

R I D E R Gabriel Bachelet LO C AT I ON Lanzarote P HOTO GR A P HE R Deimantina Juskeviciute Gabriel: It was the first time that I’d tried a backflip with the Surf Foil. The session was just perfect for that. Powerful waves, beautiful sunshine and no-one else in the water, discovering new spots with just my friends and I out… this is my goal right now. I was riding the new SROKA S-Foil 1190 HA Lift. It’s an amazing foil. Definitely more rigid, better speed and more maneuverability. Perfect for testing my backflips…

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R IDE R Olivia Jenkins LOC AT ION Union Island PHOTOGRAP H E R Toby Bromwich Olivia: I recently went to Union Island to stay at the JT Pro center. On this day, the wind was blowing about 15 knots and I went out on the new 5m Duotone Slick. I’m not really used to wingfoiling in lighter winds – this trip was my first time using a wing bigger than a 4m! I had been riding a 95 liter board but I can't really jump on that so I gave my 26 liter board a go and managed to pump up onto the foil to get going. Toby set up in the beautiful crystal Caribbean water, and I rode back and forth jumping around him.

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RIDE R Kaden Pritchard LOC AT ION Stable Road, Maui PHOTOGRAP H E R Brian Solano Kaden: I remember this shot because I had just finished a two-hour session with my dad and Grampa. I was practicing my wave riding skills at one of my favorite wing-foiling locations off Stable Road. I was ready to go home and eat some food when my friend Lane and his dad Brian came down and said, “The light is epic, let's shoot”. When I heard that I was like “Yes! Let’s go!” even though I was super tired from my first session. Little did I know that this would be one of my best sessions ever!

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RIDE R Harry Andrews LOC AT ION Jupiter, Florida P H OTOGRAP H E R Gwen LeTutour Damien LeRoy: I walked out to our magical Juno beach to see my favorite people out on the water enjoying this new sport of wingfoiling. I sat down on the stairs and just took it in! It was a perfect day and I just watched the legend Harry Andrews, an inspiration to all at 63 years old, ride endless waves with his Cabrinha X2 wing flagged out. The smile on his face is something I wish I could have captured and shared with everyone that day.

There is something about being free and riding endless rides on a foil that just makes you feel like you are living in another world. Next to him was Gwen LeTutour ripping waves and nailing some amazing jibes! I think Gwen realized how beautiful it was and came in for five minutes, quickly threw up his drone to capture the legend in his element on such a magical day in FL. The photo says it all: Perfection, beauty and the potential of endless happiness. Mother nature at its best!

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E XPOS U R E

R IDE R James Casey LOCATI ON Long Reef, New South Wales PHOTOGRAP H E R Sam Brisby James: This session it was rainy and windy but I was fresh out of a 14-day quarantine isolation with my wife, so we were both frothing to get out there.

Sam was right in the spot and I was honestly surprised with how well it turned out considering the light and weather he had to deal with!

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SLICK

F R E E R I D E W A V E

&

/

F R E E S T Y L E

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D O W N W I N D

S IZES : 2 ,5 / 3 / 3 ,5 / 4 / 4 ,5 / 5 / 5,5 / 6 / 6 ,5 / 7

A DDI C T ED TO P ROG RES S A ND I N N OVAT I O N .

LEA RN EVERY T HI NG A BOUT T HE TEC H N I CA L DETA I LS HERE: D UOTON ESP ORTS.COM 51

E XPOS U R E

R I D E R Mala’e McElheny LO C AT I ON North Shore, O’ahu P HOTO GR A P HE R Peter King Mala’e: It is always exciting to tow foil with my friend, mentor, and shaper John Amundson. It was uncrowded this day and we both got long rides. I was super stoked to be trying the new GoFoil “NL Tow” wing (on the 36.5” mast) that is meant for kiting, winging, and towing. It is fast, stable, and maneuverable. We were out with photographer/videographer Peter King who was able to get these shots and then also got towed into a few himself! I am looking forward to more days of towing and learning how to ride the bigger waves. The speed is great and the feeling during the turns is awesome.

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Peter: It's been a treat watching Mala’e grow into the charger he has become. Absolutely fearless from 2-15 feet… whether surfing Waimea with friends or boosting air on a foil and a handheld wing setup. Putting in so much time and progressing so fast, he definitely seems mature and composed like a rider way past his age. I can always count on something special from him anytime I point the lens his way.

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E XPOS U R E

R I D E R Paige Alms LO C AT I ON Ukamehame, Maui P HOTO GR A P HE R Amanda Beenen Cantor Paige: I always love rinsing off the day by getting in the water for sunset. I love watching the day fade away as the sun goes down and the sky lights up. Foiling gives you the freedom to go out in waves that are really average and sometimes with no people around. The best part of sessions like this is sharing the stoke with just your crew. I love that my passion of riding waves allows me to connect with photographers doing their passion. This evening was a perfect example of that.

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FLY ALONG WITH YOUR DREAMS 56

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Rider: Julien Bouyer - Ph: Samuel Tomè

CU R I OSI T Y Let’s face it, it was a tricky old 2020. So a little sunny escapism here-and-there was always most welcome, and when a film called ‘Curiosity’ by artist and photographer Philippe Echaroux appeared in our inbox in December, it quickly became a justifiable excuse for three minutes of very enjoyable procrastination. You can find the film over on our website, and we caught up with Philippe to get a little background info…

Hey Philippe. Firstly, great film. It left us feeling all warm inside…

Hey first of all thanks to you so much for the positive feedback on this video! This one’s about foiling but it’s also kinda personal so thank you!

It looked like you were somewhere warm and lovely. Can you tell us where?

We shot this video on a lovely island in the Mediterranean called Corsica. It is just paradise man. It’s a windy place, really nice for winging too, and the water is crystal clear there.

Was your filming affected by the global pandemic at all?

I have to say we were lucky. We shot the video last summer, between two big pandemic waves here in Europe, so we have been lucky regarding the timing, and we weren’t really affected by it at all during the shooting.

Your narrator says, “this is not a video about sport, it is a video about the importance of accepting that you may sometimes be wrong”. What do you mean by that?

My idea was to use our sport as an example. Foiling is becoming kinda popular, but you still have a lot of people coming up to you asking “what is it? Is it electric?”. We are all early adopters of a sport, and when something is young it can take time to figure things out. What I meant was that – regarding the dock start by jumping onto the foil – I tried a lot of options, and I made a lot of mistakes, to finally figuring out that by using the ladder I could start anywhere I wanted. The video is showing the importance of trying things, even if at first people

think you’re kind of strange, because if you try hard enough and win, one day they’ll all be using what you have created.

How long did you shoot over? We did notice a few t-shirt changes…

It was filmed in a week. We went to several spots, and yeah sometimes I changed my clothes. I wanted to create a nice visual in this video to illustrate what the narrator is saying, so one week was short but we made it work and I used several shirts for some visual variety...

What were you riding here?

I was riding Armstrong gear – the board was the Surf Kite Tow 311 board, I love it so much! And the foil set-up is the 72 mast, the 212 chop fuse with a negative angle on it, and I used both the CF2400 V2 front wing and the HS1800. This is a huge front wing for my 65kg, but it helps when starting with zero speed from the ladder, because it’s kinda hard to really push on the ladder to get some speed.

There looked to be a lot of very ‘curious’ people on the beaches.

Did you blow some minds?

I don’t know if I blew some minds. But our sport creates some curiosity for sure. So many people come over to see you and ask questions.

I love the social link it creates. Some people want to try, some just stand and stare at you, and mainly people just want to try to understand how this works. It’s not just all muscle and effort!

Finally… Was that your stepladder?

Yes! I found it in my old garage, it was there sleeping for years, now it’s my best summer friend!

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DY L A N RO O SE P H OTO S R I C H A R D B O U G H TO N

With highly variable wind and wave conditions, the rugged, mystical, southwestern shores of the UK are prime foil real estate, and both the north and south coastlines are seeing the sport gain a solid multigenerational foothold. One up-andcomer of real note is young Dylan Roose…

Hi Dylan, so firstly tell us about yourself and your experience in the sea…

My name is Dylan Roose, and I’m almost 12 years old. I started skateboarding when I was four, mostly in bowls, and I love going fast. I started surfing when I was five on a foamie, I got my first hard board when I was six, then a shortboard at seven. I’ve been sponsored by Vissla since I was eight which has been an amazing opportunity, I’m very grateful to them. I love riding everything and just being in the sea as much as possible, I’ve been foiling for just over eight months now.

Do you remember the first time you encountered surf foiling and what you thought of it?

That was when my dad started showing me foiling videos on the internet when he was thinking about doing it a couple of years ago, the Kai Lenny videos, and lots of Mizo Fernando and @foilwizard videos on Instagram. I never thought I’d start doing it then, it just seemed so crazy and so dangerous, I never thought my mum would let me try it! My first session was just myself and my dad and we didn’t tell mum for days.

What inspired you to learn?

Seeing my dad learning and being so frothed about it all the time, even when the surf was so small and I was riding my foamie a lot, I just wanted to do what he was doing.

Where are you based and what sort of conditions do you get locally?

I live in South Devon in the southwestern end of England. We have lots of epic rivermouth breaks close to home where you can get one-minute rides on most waves and sometimes more. We get a lot of small days where you can foil a lot in pretty easy conditions, and big onshore days where you can hide away at some of the spots we have, one of them never gets big even on the biggest storms. There’s a small group of foilers here now, it’s great to be a part of it.

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What do you weigh and how tall are you? What sort of gear have you found good to learn on and have you had to modify anything to get it to work for you?

I’m 4’11 and about 39kgs. I learnt on my dad’s old foil setup and his first board that he made, it was really stable and easy to ride. That board was so big for me and it caught waves so easily. That was 4’10 I think, but thick… duck diving was not an option. I’m currently riding a medium size front wing and the small surf tail, it has a 65cm mast. It’s been really good apart from the weight, my dad made me a 4’2 x 18 x 27 liter carbon board after a few months, and it’s been so good. I do miss the paddle power of the big board though after a two-minute ride.

Do you always wear a helmet?

Yes, apart from the one time I left it in the van at the top of the hill and didn’t have time to walk back and get it. I’ve never hit my head but just hitting your foot or ankles hurts so bad I wouldn’t want to take the chance. I actually prefer foiling in bigger waves, so a helmet is a good idea, plus at most of our spots we’re the only ones out and can be a long way from each other after a long ride.

Tell us about your worst wipe out?

My worst wipeout foiling was at the local rivermouth. I was high-lining a lefthander on my backhand, it was the fastest I’ve ever been, ridiculously fast. Then I hit a bump and breached. I had to get out because it shook me so hard. Luckily I don’t fall quite as much now.

Can you describe the feeling foil surfing gives you, and how it compares to other sports you do?

The feeling foiling gives you is mind blowing, from the nervousness when you start paddling into a wave and then making the drop, then the speed of high-lining at the top of the wave and then swooping into a giant carve, and it’s all so silent and smooth, like you’re flying.

It gives you so much adrenaline and froth it’s unreal.

Comparing it to normal surfing, it’s so easy to have a good session on a foil even in terrible and tiny waves where you’d need much better waves to get that level of stoke on a surfboard.

Legend has it your dad has some mad skills. How long before you’re lapping him?

He’s the biggest frother around and obsessed with foiling, I think I’ll lap him soon though. Please don’t tell him I said that, he’ll probably put my tail wing on upside down or something…

Do you think anyone can learn to foil surf, or do you need a background in shortboarding?

Yes definitely, I think anyone can learn. I think longboarding is a lot more helpful than shortboarding though, short boarding is very back footed where longboarders ride the nose and are used to trimming, foiling can really mess with your surfing when you’re learning. I remember trying to paddle out on my shortboard after ten foil sessions and it was like trying to paddle on a pencil.

Do any other foil sports appeal to you other than prone or are you a purist?

I’d love to try downwinders when I’m a bit bigger and maybe get a wing, there’s so much you can do on a foil, winging looks like so much fun.

Where do you see yourself and foiling as a sport in ten years?

I would like to travel to Hawaii one day and learn to do downwinders and maybe foil Kahana Bay too, hopefully I can get the opportunity.

I reckon foiling will grow massively and be really popular, maybe not as popular as surfing but much more than it is now. There will probably be competitions too with massive airs and flips.

What advice would you give other younger people who want to learn the discipline?

Try and find someone to help you when you start, otherwise watch and read as much as you can to understand how it works and how to stay safe. Definitely get a helmet and just go for it… treat it like dropping in on a skateboard ramp and stomp the front wheels down.

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P HOTO G R A P HE R SAM SCADGELL

This was the first of the winter swells on our little island in the English Channel. This day we were greeted with sunshine and offshore winds that groomed our coastline and lit up the reefs and this particular secret spot. Days like this don’t come around that often so we made the most of it by launching the Zapcat to go and tow endless waves on the outer banks and point breaks. Something that we could only have dreamt of doing a few years ago.

This spot would normally be full of local surfers, but the high tide keeps them away due to the backwash, making it available for us to claim a few deep runners which break close to the cliff and along a shallow reef… Dougie S E C R E T SP OT

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GWA INTERVIEW D R JÖRGEN VOGT

The Global Wingsports Association have had somewhat of an uphill battle since they kicked off their Wingfoil World Tour in 2020. Navigating lockdowns and travel restrictions, they held their nerve and, despite everything, still managed to pull off two successful events, rounding off 2020 with the Tarifa Pro. Having weathered what everyone hopes was the worst of the pandemic storm, and with wing foiling still enjoying a meteoric rise, they’re in a strong position going forward into 2021 and beyond. To find a little more about the GWA and what they have planned, we caught up with the GWA Secretary General, Dr Jörgen Vogt…

Firstly, for anyone not already familiar with the GWA, could you give us a quick overview of the organization?

The Global Wingsports Association was founded at the beginning of 2020. It had already been decided by a few wingfoil brands to start this association in 2019, and then it took a while to register all the key wingfoil brands around the world. They had to agree to specific statutes that the GWA represented, which includes the running of a world tour, supporting professional championships, improving access for everybody who wants to enjoy this sport in harmony with nature, and to foster access to high-quality schooling and make this sport as safe as possible. The GWA aims to be the one platform for this sport, for professional riders, recreational athletes, event organizers, brands, media… whoever is interested in this sport.

Give us a review of 2020, from founding the GWA to the Tarifa Pro, and how it was to navigating the formation of the organization in the midst of such odd times...

Well, the Wingfoil World Tour is not the only remit of the GWA as I’ve said, but it is a major part of it, and it was very difficult last year because we had some confirmed events which had to be postponed to 2021. However, we’re very optimistic because consequently everything is already organized and it’s confirmed to run as planned this year, or even in 2022 if we have to. It also gave us a bit of time to draw up a proper rule book, communicate with the riders, and to get the proper tour built up – which means professional organization of the events, ensuring safety cover, making sure the prize money is T H E LOWDOWN

in the pot, and that the athletes are treated as well as possible, just like we do already with the GKA (Global Kitesports Association) kite world tour.

What competitive disciplines are there in the World Tour for 2021?

We have two official disciplines. One is surf freestyle, and the other one is surf race. Like the names say, both disciplines do combine everything with a kind of surf aspect, depending on the conditions.

So surf freestyle means that if we have pure flat water than obviously it’s pure freestyle, and if we have waves then it’s pure wave and if it’s something in between, for instance in the North Sea, we have a mixture of freestyle and wave depending on the conditions. Surf race is the same – if we have pure flat water, like a lake, it will be race, and if we have waves we might have one lap where you’re not allowed to use the wing but must surf the wave or pump that lap. We have another unofficial discipline which is called ocean surf, which is more or less a downwinder which really represents the spirit of the sport – it doesn’t have an official competitive format, we open it up to everybody to have fun. We’d like to maybe use this format as a qualifier for the World Cup discipline.

The sport is developing super quickly - how are you working out the judging criteria for comps?

We have a group of riders from all different backgrounds tasked for this.

We have some PWA riders from a windsurfing background, like Kauli Seadi or Klaas Voget, then we also have riders from a surfing and kite64

“I PERSONALLY THINK THAT WINGFOILING WILL BECOME A VERY POPULAR SPORT, BECAUSE IT HAS SOME ADVANTAGES OVER OTHER WATER SPORTS.” surfing background, as well as riders with wingfoiling backgrounds. All these riders consider themselves as professional riders and between us we compose and develop the rule book throughout the season, event by event. This means that after every event we sit down together and discuss ways to improve it. After one full year of events like we hope will happen this year, we’ll then have the final rule book. There may be some minor changes, but that’s how it will be composed.

Does the scene feel pretty ‘friendly’ at the moment with everyone trying to push the sport forward?

Yes, the scene is super, super friendly. We at the GWA tried to be as welcoming and as supportive as possible, and everybody who wants to join us on this journey into this new sport is very much welcome.

We are not an exclusive club of riders or brands, the door is open to everybody and so far only friendly people have entered that door!

You have several events lined up this year. Some are TBC and some aren’t. How dynamic do you have to be given the global situation, and are you confident that the bulk of these will happen?

Yes we are confident, and we would have had more events confirmed already if travel and event restrictions weren’t in place. I am very optimistic that as soon as riders, tourists, and our crew are allowed to travel we will have a lot of confirmed events. The interest worldwide in running events with the GWA is huge and we just have to make sure that the quality of the events is good. Like I said, so long as the prize money is there and all our events are at our high standard, then we will run an event and things are looking very good for this.

For anyone who’s up for a bit of the action, where can they register?

Anybody who’s interested in participating should send us an email and then we will send back all the information regarding the world tour. All contact details and upcoming events can be found on the Wingfoil World Tour web page, where you’ll also find the world tour calendar as well as other national events.

Wing uptake has been dramatic and shows no signs of slowing yet.

What are your predictions here? Bigger than kiting, long-term?

I think that answer can more easily be given in a year’s time. The GWA collects all the audits from the brand members, so we get to see the development on the business side, and that will be a strong indicator for the sport. But I personally think that wingfoiling will become a very popular sport, because it has some advantages over other water sports. Take windsurfing for example – it is easier and quicker to learn than windsurfing, you don’t need that much wind and you can ride waves. To be a good windsurfer would take maybe three years of practice, and yet you can achieve the same goal with wingfoiling within a year or even less. Regarding kiteboarding, like windsurfing it’s a super exciting sport, but you need space to launch your kite, and kiteboarding in gusty winds is difficult. Surfing is of course a unique water sport of its own, but you need lots of time and training to be able to ride a wave well, and all those who don’t live near good waves will most likely never achieve the level to be able to compete with locals and catch their decent share of waves, whereas wingfoiling gives you the opportunity to ride all kinds of waves, even shitty waves in the Baltic Sea where nobody who’s a serious surfer would ever even consider surfing. It still feels like surfing, and I think that is a really exciting side of wingfoiling.

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GWA I NT E RV I E W - DR J Ö R G E N VO GT

C HASING TH E If there was ever a moment in modern times that called out for a good old-fashioned adventure trip, somewhere deep in the distant beyond where rolling news and social media algorithms can’t be accessed without a great deal of effort and phone battery life, this is probably it. Vinnicius Martins and friends heeded that call, did some research, and headed for the Amazon…

WORDS VINNICIUS MARTINS P H O T O S A N A C ATA R I N A ( U N L E S S S TAT E D )

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P OR OROCA

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Photo: Analice Diniz

“IF YOU ASK ME TO DESCRIBE THE POROROCA IN ONE WORD, YOU WOULD BE GIVING ME A VERY HARD TASK… BUT I WOULD GO WITH THE WORD 'VOLATILE'."

Photo: Analice Diniz

Photo: Analice Diniz

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n Brazil, when you are a child in geography class, you may learn about a peculiar phenomenon that happens in the Amazon Forest, called Pororoca…

Every full and new moon, instead of the regular change in the river flow, the high tide comes in the form of a very strong and large wave that rushes down rivers in that area, breaking trees, boats and scaring the natives. Its name comes from the indigenous term ‘poroc-poroc’, which in the native language was a way of expressing the act of destroying everything… This was basically all I knew about the wave when I started to think about surfing it. The only other thing I knew was that, by the looks of it, the Pororoca was perfect for foiling!

There are always a lot more things to learn about a place and a phenomenon than what we find in schoolbooks and though internet searches… So I contacted a few friends to come along and see what we could learn about the Pororoca in the real-world classroom. Joining me on this trip were Chloe Calmon, Brazil’s top longboarder, and the two amazing surf photographers whose pictures feature here, Ana Catarina and Analice Diniz.

I was lucky that these people were not only really good at what they do, but also just great to be around, even in the toughest of situations – and that was crucial on the trip we were about to start.

Logistical Nightmare In the days before I departed from Rio de Janeiro, I started to realize that organizing the whole operation to surf the Pororoca would be far from easy. The wave comes once a day (and once at night, but I wouldn’t recommend that…) for four or five days in the month, leaving surfers with only one attempt to surf it per day during this window. To make the most of your chance you need a very well-tuned set-up in terms of boats, jet skis and experienced pilots to navigate your way for around one hour up the river and into the middle of the jungle to make sure you’re on time for when the first sections of the wave appear.

After countless phone calls and messages, we managed to arrange just one jet ski and one boat… those were the only vessels we could get our hands on for the whole trip. And the boat never showed up.

figure out how to get four people, one pack of foil gear, one longboard and two cameras loaded onto a jet ski to chase the Pororoca and film it… Practical attempts to fix our situation changed every day and, amongst others, included a ride on a boat that caught fire; a 50 minute hike through the mangroves with the local kids; some crocodiles, and a whole day spent between drifting down the river in a broken vessel and pushing our jet skis through the mud while pleading for the help of drunk locals, only to finally be saved at 8pm by a 17-year-old mechanic who later became one of our guides!

Despite all this chaos, we didn’t miss the wave once, and most importantly we always kept a good sense of humor. I was proud to be traveling in a group with so much good energy.

The Wave If you ask me to describe the Pororoca in one word, you would be giving me a very hard task… But I would go with the word “volatile”.

What impressed me the most about this wave, apart from the surreally long rides (some up to 15 minutes long) was how much it changes during its course down the river. At some moments it can be an overhead, very well defined left and right peak, and then just a few meters further ahead it can become something like a wind swell, before then turning into a very fun and mellow left hander… The lower reaches of the river are way less consistent than your average beach break though. Its winding curves also influence how the wind hits the wave… sometimes it is onshore, and seconds later it’s offshore. Its course is so long, it allows plenty of moments where these changes happen.

It’s a very different way of surfing… you have to try and guess what the wave is going to do hundreds of meters ahead, while doing turns and choosing a line that suits the present form of the wave. It’s pretty challenging but very fun! Especially on a foil; the versatility and speed makes it the perfect tool to ride this crazy natural phenomenon. There’s also the feeling of surfing in the middle of the jungle, the taste of the freshwater, all the strange noises you hear coming from the tress and the thrill of not being able to see where the end of your ride will be…

So once there, and with our boat AWOL, we had to be creative and

It was definitely a mind-blowing experience, but one that can only be lived by those with a fair bit of adventurous spirit.

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C H AS I NG T H E PO R O R O C A

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T H E D EE P S O UTH Antarctica notwithstanding, Queenstown in New Zealand is probably the southernmost wing foiling destination that any sensible person would want to attempt without running the risk of encountering giant icebergs, grumpy penguins, and hypothermia. Coaxed down by the promise of adventure and epic backdrops, Bevan Gooch and Armie Armstrong dug out the thick rubber and got on a plane…

W O R D S B E VA N G O O C H PHOTOS MILES HOLDEN

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My brother Kelly Gooch finally caught the foiling bug and organized a weekend of lake foil demos and sessions in the heart of New Zealand’s adventure capital, Queenstown, and his hometown nearby, the alpine village of Wanaka. Foiling is emerging on the scene in both of these famous tourism towns, where wake boats are popular and the southwest trade winds blow hard, offering ideal conditions for the new sport of wing foiling.

Armstrong Foils founder Armie Armstrong and I flew down to experience the spectacular scenery, foiling across two of the country’s largest and most pristine lakes – Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu and Lake Wanaka. Kelly had set up a crazy schedule that involved sessions and demos on both lakes in the same day, and the late-evening light of this deep southern region allowed for bonus, magic sunset sessions at 10pm.

The deep valleys shaped by the mountain ranges created interesting wind flows on the water, and the Antarctic wind funnelling through the mountainous veins made for amazing hand winging conditions. It was pretty insane flying around on the water with powerful, snow-topped mountains in the background, and I was blown away trying to take in the stunning scenery as well as concentrate on the winging.

During the demo sessions organized in association with the awesome local Wanaka Powersports crew, Kelly worked hard to give many people their first taste of foiling. It’s really exciting to see how many people are so keen to give foiling a go now. It was also the perfect spot to test out some prototype Armstrong wing set combinations, to see how they perform in the dense, glacial, fresh water lakes, and the learnings from the sessions this weekend helped Armie finalize some new designs.

When we first arrived a cold southerly blast was rolling up from Antarctica, bringing fresh dustings of mid-summer snow to the majestic surrounding mountains, making for some chilly temperatures and gusty conditions. We raced to Jardines on the eastern arm of Lake Wakatipu for some potentially epic bump riding. Unfortunately, as soon as we started rigging up, the wind changed direction and died at that spot. Luckily local drone pilot and wing ripper Tony Young was there and directed us to another spot, Kelvin Heights, where the south-west wind change was funnelling through. We had a great first session figuring out the shifty lake wind conditions, but our fingers were totally numb by the end. We’re both ocean wave-riding enthusiasts, and it was our first time foiling on a deep lake in cold glacial fresh water. It makes a surprisingly significant difference to how the foils react while both turning and pumping, but by the end of that first session we were tuned in and having a blast.

While Wanaka and Queenstown have long catered for skiing, snowboarding, tramping and mountain biking, it’s easy to see the terrific potential for the new sport of wing foiling. It’s without doubt the best lake foiling experience you will get in New Zealand. There are endless possibilities due to so many launching spots and the different wind angles produced by the powerful, low-pressure systems ensure it’s always an interesting ride. There are also some long downwind runs possible with amazing bumps to ride, and being able to downwind and ride wind bumps on a lake and sail back to where you launched makes logistics easy to manage by yourself.

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T H E D E E P S O U TH

Although winging in waves is my preference, the experience I had lake foiling in these magical surroundings was thoroughly satisfying. I’m sure next time we visit there will be many more local rippers enjoying the unique foiling potential New Zealand’s Southern Lakes district offers.

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L I M E STO N E COW B OY WORDS PHOTOS LOCATION DATE

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FRIDAY

LOUIS

CHRIS

PASCO

NOVEMBER

FLOYD

GARRISON

COUNTY, 20TH,

FL

2020

Getting a little bored of the same old spots, wakefoiler Louis Floyd took up an invitation to head into the boondocks in the search for something new. Although the odds favored a failed trip, it turned out it was a chance well worth taking…

D

o you ever get to that point in the season when you’re tired?

When doing what you love becomes a little mundane? This is how I was feeling for a few weeks and I couldn’t shake it and – to be completely honest – I guess I can say that I am a bit spoiled because, living in Florida, you are blessed with endless waterways from the lakes to the beaches but sometimes it can become boring as it’s the norm for you.

This is when I put in a call to a long-time friend of mine, Chris Garrison. He’s been shooting action sports for longer than most and knows a few hidden gems here in Florida. A few years back, Chris spoke to me about a buddy of his that had been quarrying his land for quite some time and had built his own lake. We were always so busy with this and that, I never actually realized at the time that this guy has pretty much built his own private Caribbean island about an hour away from where I live!

Fast forward to the present day, with me being stuck in this funk of wanting to ride but not wanting to ride the same lakes with the same scenery. I decided to reach out to Chris and mentioned his friend and this quarry he’d spoken about before – long story short, Chris hits me back the following day saying that we can go out there anytime over the next couple of weeks. Now that we had a new location to shoot at, I rang my good friend and teammate Dylan Miller. I told Dylan about this sick location and that we could spend the day riding and capturing the magic on the water, and he was on board right away.

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“DO YOU EVER GET TO THAT POINT IN THE SEASON WHEN YOU’RE TIRED? WHEN DOING WHAT YOU LOVE BECOMES A LITTLE MUNDANE? THIS IS HOW I WAS FEELING FOR A FEW WEEKS” But, as always, great plans come with some issues. We had set everything up for Friday the following week; Our plan to go out there was set in motion, we got the ski prepped, boat on the trailer, made sure we had all of our gear ready only to wake up the morning of the trip and realize the weather had taken a turn overnight. We had calculated everything for our ride except what the wind was going to be like and the actual weather itself. I guess you can say we jumped the gun on this one because we were all so excited to try out something new.

Hoping that the weather may sort itself out by the time we got there was a chance we decided to take. It was a 50/50 shot, but Dylan and I came to the idea that whatever the weather was doing, we’d make it work. I believe that’s why we always ride so well together, because we just do it…

It had to have been the longest hour drive I have ever been on and I’ve been on some long road trips. Some of the roads we drove down had grass growing through the middle of them. I felt like I was back down some old farmers road in the south of England. We finally arrived where Chris told us to meet him and when Dylan and I pulled up to this cattle gate and looked around, the only phrase to describe what I felt on that first impression was ‘mind blown’.

So it turned out Chris’s friend had quarried limestone out of his land

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for what looked like longer than we had been alive! Chris had totally undersold to us how big this lake was, and it turns out that quarried limestone turns the water a magical blue color that can mentally transport you to the Bahamas or the Turks and Caicos. Crystal clear water, and we hadn’t even left Florida.

The weather cleared up whilst we were backing the boat down the ramp. After scoping the lake out and seeing what backdrops we could use, we found that the far side of the lake was the most sheltered and had the coolest backdrops with the heavy machinery used for working the land. It was an awesome ride though, tough at first to get adjusted because of how blue the water was and, especially since our thing is foiling, judging where you are on the water isn’t the easiest. But once you get the hang of it it’s quite exciting. The weather was surprisingly on our side the rest of the day, we had some heavy clouds that would pass through but that gave us time to check the photos and gave us a chance to hangout, eat a sub and just enjoy where we were.

Even though the morning had a little bit of a rough start to it the day turned around and we got some of the best light considering the weather predictions. We had loaded up and headed out around 7:30am that morning and I think I rolled up the drive in the dark around 9pm after a long and exhausting day. But a day that was well worth it.

L I ME STO N E COWB OY

GET INTO THE M O U N TA I N S & S U R F !

WORDS

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RIDER

DYLAN

LOCATION DATE

PHOTOS

KYLE

CABANO

WICHMANN

CEDERBERG,

TUESDAY

SOUTH

DECEMBER

AFRICA

1ST,

2020

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his trip began as all classic trips do, last minute! Dylan Wichmann and I have been shooting together quite a lot over the last year, and with my forté being water shots it is safe to say we had extensively shot the home-break option of Muizenberg.

With the year 2020 coming to an end, we had eyes on one more shoot mission before booking off for the year and some much needed family time. The proposition came in the form of an excited voice note from Dylan suggesting that we head to the Cederberg mountains, to a caravan his parents own. Dylan spent his whole childhood visiting the mountains here with his family and now with the introduction of the foil, it seemed there would be some potential to document the first ever form of surfing executed in the Cederberg Wilderness Area. This was the plan.

The Cederberg region is a 300km drive north of Cape Town, leading onto the greater inland plateau. Due to its elevation, the landscape and climate here are much different to what we experience in the Cape, with dramatic rock formations, San rock art, warm dusty air, and ravines and rock pools.

Three days after first word of the mission, we found ourselves in a fully packed 4x4 on route inland, to the caravan in the mountains. Out of the noise of the city, the mountainous landscapes become more prevalent, and before long the industrialized suburbs are replaced by the rural farmlands and roadside farm stalls.

Approaching the final mountain pass, we made use of the last of our phone signal before dropping down into the basin that is Beaverlac.

The campsite where the caravan is posted up is totally off-the-grid and it felt great to be disconnected again for a change, and instead

R E D L ETTE R DAY

totally connected with nature.

“The key is jammed”, Dylan says before explaining to me that the vehicle's ignition key, which has acted up in the past, is now not turning.

Our wheels have seized – the adventure is just beginning! We settle on the fact that we are going to need external services in order to solve the car issue, so we crack an ale, and take a walk to the pool that Dylan believes is going to serve for the first sessions. The pond that Dylan plans to ride is about 15m in length and only 5m wide. To add to the complexity, the “deep spot” is about 2m and the banks are quite slanted. Dylan points to a flat rock near the surface, about ankle deep, he reckons that is the take off.

We returned around 4pm, in time for the late afternoon session. The first attempts were looking a little bleak. At this point it is up to Dylan to figure out his practice, this is more like a beach start than a dock start. After about five failed attempts, Dylan unlocked the take-off and we were on! I quickly rigged up the fisheye lens and dome port, in an effort to see what creative angle we could conjure up in this tiny little pond. The wide angle is really great for these tight locations and makes for some very creative compositions, as seen in the photos when I headed into the overhanging waterfall section. I actually had a snake encounter while swimming in the pond here. Luckily the curious critter just swam right past and I went back to shooting.

Right about the time that the sun was setting, after a good few hours at the main pool, I flew the drone while Dylan did the last few runs of the day. The top shot with a drone is an all-time classic, as it really shows the unique location, 900m above sea-level and busting out a carve! Who would have thought?

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As the evening drew in we returned to the caravan to build the evening fire and take in the great outdoor ambience. The following day we spent some time scouting the nearby rivers and waterfalls, looking for any more potential novelty spots, but did not find any with enough depth to them. Perhaps in the wet season. We returned to the original pond and scored a few more runs. This time I chose to do some of the photos from outside the pond, for a different perspective. I moved around to the top of the waterfall leading into the pond and again using the wide-angle fisheye lens managed to frame up an epic per-

spective of the setup. Dylan did a few laps with some added juice on the turns and we linked up for a few of what I would like to call “The Money Shot”, and my favorite image of the trip! All the way at the end.

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GE T I NTO T H E MOU NTAIN TS & S U R F!

A massive shoutout to the legend who is Eddie Wichmann, Dylan’s dad who came to collect us in the mountains all the way from Cape Town. We loaded all our equipment from the caravan and embarked on the journey back to Muizenberg, the only town in Cape Town with “zen” in it…

S UBSC R I BE

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SM IDITY S G I R NCE S ICE RATIO A M R PERFO ALITY / PR QU BEST

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ABI EUVER

www.srokacompany.com

Wing Foil - Kite foil - Wind Foil 8 3 - Surf Foil - SUP Foil - Wake Foil

01 F-ONE STRIKE

With the SWING as their wave and beginner–friendly, lightweight and accessible option, the new F-ONE STRIKE enhances absolutely everything to the nth degree: wind range, stability, power, boosting and upwind performance. Features lots of next-gen tech and that trademark F-ONE attention-to-detail.

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02 SPG SWITCH

Signature Performance Gear have been busy in the workshop and have just released their new SWITCH wing board, a board they believe will bridge gaps in the foil/non-foil boards divide, specifically targeted to riders who like to mix things up a bit.

Winging with or without a foil, SUP or surf foiling this is a combo board begging to ride whatever you’re presented with when you get to the beach.

03 LEVITAZ SHAKA HA 1600

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European foil experts Levitaz are set to drop a whole bunch of new wing and surf–oriented foil kit this spring, and we’ll be following up with them on that for issue #8. In the meantime, they present their high aspect 1600 and 1100 wings, designed for maximum glide and top-speed performance.

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ENSIS PACER

The ENSIS PACER foil is built to complement the brand’s dedication to wing surfing, and is suitable for all riders. The thin profile on the front wing makes the PACER a nimble foil indeed, easy to control too, while the 71cm fuselage guarantees tight turns, easy pumping yet plenty of stability...

05 NAISH HOVER WING/SUP

We could all use some Robby Naish confidence when on the water, so purchasing yourself Naish’s Hover board will go some way to making that kind of dream come true. Built primarily to pair with Naish’s Wing-Surfer, the Hover also doubles up as a SUP foil board, ideal for more leisurely downwinders.

T HE G O O D STUF F

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EFFORTLESS GLIDE MULTISPORT MODULAR SYSTEM

RIDER: LUKAS WALTON PHOTO: ALISHA LOVRICH

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FOILS 85

06 LIFT 200 SURF WING

Lift’s ‘magic carpet’ 200 HA Surf Wing is their go-to wing that’ll connect you from wave to wave with some pretty low-effort pumping. Fine-tuned for minimum drag and a good amount of float, these wings are fast, stable, and come with Lift’s expected level of premium quality.

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07 AK PHAZER

Built to the specifications of accomplished waterman Zane Schweitzer, AK Durable Supply Co’s versatile foil board range caters to foilers keen for a board that covers multiple disiplines with equal aplomb. Surf, pump, wing or kite foil are all covered, and come with a modular platform that’ll make your foil purchasing that much easier.

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MANERA BIGGIE

How do you best get the point across that you have a bag which is big enough to carry a shed load of kit? Well, Manera nailed it… The Biggie is super tough, and, as the name suggests, is amply voluminous… the perfect receptacle for all your beach-bound gear.

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09 TAKUMA TK CARBON

Takuma’s multi-discipline, full carbon construction foil board is not only highly attractive, but it also ticks a lot of boxes for riding too. Pitched as the perfect all-rounder for travel, it’s lightweight, balanced and nippy.

It also benefits from Takuma’s ‘Gravity Deck’ curvature for a better sense of what that foil is up to underneath your feet…

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10 MFC HELIOS

The mid aspect profile on the Maui Fin Company’s HELIOS wings allows them to glide at a steady height effortlessly and bag high speeds, yet remain agile for hard carves and snappy maneuvers, as displayed by their stock of team riders out in Maui.

Stable, reliable, looking great, and perfect for both rookies and foiling oracles alike.

T HE G O O D STUF F

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FLY OVER WATER

INNOVATION EFFICIENCY DESIGN LEVITAZ.COM Made in Austria

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KITE 87

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11 FANATIC SKY AIR

We’ve covered Fanatic’s ‘Sky Wing’ wing board before, and now here’s their travel-friendly option, the Sky Air. Available in three sizes, the inflatable boards are built with an extra rigid carbon plate underneath for the track mount and handle, meaning it’s much like a composite board where it really counts, allowing for plenty of precise control, but a whole lot lighter. Supplied with their ‘Wheely Backpack’ for plenty of travel accessory storage.

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12 SLINGSHOT WING CRAFT

Slingshot’s sturdy new Wing Craft foil board is built for all types of riders who are looking for a stable and efficient platform to get them up and riding early, assisted by the compact deck and flat rocker. Whether you are starting out and connecting bumps, charging steep faces or taking to the air, the Wing Craft has got your back.

Available in four sizes, and we haven’t even mentioned that lovely blue fade…

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SROKA S-FOIL HIGH ASPECT LIFT AND SPEED

SROKA were so happy with their new S-Foil that they built it twice… One version (the Lift) aimed at surf and SUP foiling, and the other (the Speed) pitched at the windy sports: winging, kite foiling and wind foiling. Claiming top rigidity of any carbon foil on the market, and all at a reasonable price, this is a foil set-up worth checking out.

14 RRD BELUGA 160

The Beluga 160 is RRD’s pure wingfoiling machine for intermedite to advanced level wing pilots. Take it out in the waves or flat water, howling winds or an acceptably wing-sufficient breeze, and you’ll no doubt have a blast on this compact all-rounder.

T HE G O O D STUF F

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Rider: Adrian Geislinger Photo: Benjamin Geislinger 91

WSL competitor Matahi Drollet – best known for his Teahupoo prowess on a surfboard and, more recently, a foil – bagged the cover spot last issue with one of the most insane barrel shots we’ve ever seen.

It highlighted his dexterous skillset when it comes to turning his hand to something new and then making it look both easy and supremely stylish. Interviewed over a popular text app, we got to hear more about his new found passion for the foil and that cover shot…

P H O T O S B E N T H O U A R D ( U N L E S S S TAT E D )

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Photo: Thomas Bevilacqua

Photo: Thomas Bevilacqua

Matahi!

Firstly, it looks like you’ve had one hell of a run of good conditions in Tahiti lately…

Yeah, we’ve had some really fun swells lately. Usually I travel to Hawaii around November to January, because it’s off-season here in Tahiti and there’s not that many waves on the side of the island on which I live. But this year I decided not to go anywhere because of the Covid-19 situation and decided to spend the holidays at home instead.

I’m really stoked I did because I scored some really fun swells, and when you get to surf a swell in Tahiti, it’s actually way better than surfing the whole winter in Hawaii because I’ll get more waves in one day than I’ll get in two months in Hawaii. I’ve been fishing a lot, foiling a lot, surfing… so yes, I’m happy!

Photo: Thomas Bevilacqua

When did you first lay your hands on a foil, and what was it about foiling that you found so appealing?

The first time I laid my hands on a foil was about three years ago almost, around June 2018. I was driving my boat for the Starboard team, and my friend Zane Schweitzer was over from Maui doing a shoot for his sponsor and he brought his foil. He was foiling in front of my home spot and I’d never seen a foil before, and at the end of their trip I asked him if I could go and try to catch a wave. I took the paddle board, the surf was like five feet, and I tried to take a wave.

It was a really interesting feeling… I was really scared of the foil because I could feel there was something really powerful under my feet.

When they left, one of the riders actually stayed, I think it was Benoit Carpentier, and he let me borrow his foil. That week and a half I foiled the most I ever have in my life… all day every day. No-one in Tahiti was really foiling then, so I was out at Chopes on the West Bowl, riding a SUP board without the paddle, just laying down and trying to get on the easiest waves that I could get over there, and I was flying. My goal was just to take a wave, fly, and then try to go back out. I was super psyched on foiling then, and I’ve never stopped since.

Photo: Thomas Bevilacqua

You are riding Takuma foils – which foil has been working for you best over there?

Yes, it’s been six months now that I’ve been riding Takuma foils. Before that I’d never tried them and I was super stoked and surprised at how good they worked, especially the new model they came out with, the Kujira. I’m on three different sizes for the moment, the 1210, the 980 and the 750. The best one for me is the 980 because I’m 70 kilos and the wing gives you so much lift, it’s the perfect size for me...

Downwind, surfing on small or big waves, it doesn’t really matter, it’s my go-to foil. I also like the 1210 for flatwater pumping or going behind a boat on the wake that the boat makes, and the 750 is more to go get barrels at Chopes. It’s a really fast foil and I like it because it never comes out of the water at high speed. It’s really stable and maneuverable.

F E AT U R E

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Photo: Thomas Bevilacqua

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“AT HIGH SPEED IT’S REALLY EFFICIENT TO BE SITTING DOWN ON YOUR BOARD.” More and more WSL men and women are taking up foiling as a way of increasing their water hours. What are your main motivations for getting out amongst it on a foil?

Yes, it’s good to see more and more people that are starting to foil and many on the WCT too. You know, I think the reason why is that it’s just really good additional training for your surfing, because when you go surfing I would say it’s like 85% paddling and 15% surfing, whereas with foiling it’s more like 60% riding and pumping and connecting waves, and 40% paddling. As long as you’re not tired and you still have power in your legs you can just keep going until you’re exhausted. I would think I probably get like 20 waves per session when I’m surfing, where I’m thinking like about a hundred when I’m foiling, so that’s why even when it’s small conditions and windy and not really nice for surfing, it’s just so much fun with the foil.

You’re a pro at different standing and sitting stances on a foil… Is it just that we don’t get to see the wipeouts, or do you genuinely have the balance of a cat?

Ha! Yes, it’s funny because a lot of people ask me why I sit down and don’t get like gnarly wipeouts from it, but actually I never fall when I’m sitting down because, if you find the perfect balance and just play with your upper body balance, it makes foiling way easier, especially at high speed. I don’t know why but I first tried that when I was getting super tired of pumping, you know, I would pump all the way back to the line-up, I would turn around and get on the wave but be so tired that I would just sit down and breathe while I’m riding the wave! I actually found it really fun and way easier to do turns and things like that. At high speed it’s really efficient to be sitting down on your board. It’s way safer too, but yeah, it doesn’t really matter for me… I like to ride standing up, laying down, sitting down… So long as I’m having fun, that’s what is most important.

The Inertia called you a virtuoso at Teahupoo. We have to agree.

How come you and that wave make such a good fit?

Well thank you! Yes, for sure there’s definitely a strong connection between Teahupoo and I, I can feel it every time I go and surf there.

I’ve been surfing there for so long now, I think I first went there when I was eight years old and really started to push myself there when I was 12 or 13 years old. I was so stoked to be surfing that wave, because I was so scared of it when I was a kid but I would see my brothers having so much fun there and getting some crazy barrels… they really inspired me to get out there. Now I have this really good connection with the wave and I also live right in front of it too. It really is something special because it gives me pretty much everything I have in my life now, you know, and I feel really comfortable out there whether it’s two or three feet or 20 foot. And I just hope that the connection continues like this and I can keep doing what I love.

Who to date has been your biggest inspiration? And who pushes you to charge harder?!

Pretty much my whole life I’ve been really inspired by my brothers Manoa and Marama. They are both really great surfers, and I grew up watching them and I always wanted to be like them, so they really inspired me to do what I’m doing now. I have to thank them for showing me the way, but I also get really inspired by Michel Bourez, as he was the first Tahitian that was on the Championship Tour. So those are surfers that really inspired me, but my dad too, and also all the people that push me to charge or even just the people in the line-up…

You know, if there’s a solid swell and someone gets a big wave, that guy will just push me to get an even bigger wave! It doesn’t matter who it is, if it’s a girl or if it’s a boy, when someone gets a big wave, I just want to get a bigger wave than them, especially at my home spot. So they’re pushing me too and don’t realize it!

F E AT U R E

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“FOILING CAN BE A DANGEROUS SPORT, SO IF I HAD TO GIVE ANY ADVICE TO OTHERS FOR OTHERS I’D SAY JUST GO FOIL WHERE THERE ARE NO SURFERS, NO SWIMMERS, AND NOT ON REALLY HOLLOW WAVES.” Do you have any horror stories from riding the foil in bigger Tahitian swells?

No, I’ve never had any horror stories on the foil. Riding foils can be a dangerous sport, especially in big waves, so I’m always very careful, even more so than surfing, because it’s like having sharp knives under your feet. If you fucked up you could... well I don’t even want to imagine what it’s like to get hit by those things in the water on a big swell! So I’m lucky I haven’t got any really bad stories about foiling.

We’ll get sharks that try to charge us, but nothing really crazy…

You were our cover star on the last issue, with Ben Thouard catching that rear angle of you charging out of the West Bowl at Teahupoo. That was some shot. Can you tell us what was happening there from your perspective?

Yes, thank you so much for putting me on the cover last issue, and I’m super stoked on that shot! Actually that full sequence that Ben got, I remember going down the face of the wave, and I was trying to find Ben, because I knew he was in the water but I couldn’t find him because he was already behind me when I was dropping in. Because I couldn’t see him I just focused on my ride, I was going so fast and it came from so deep that I just pulled into the barrel and I was just hoping for someone to get the shot!

The first shot I saw was from Thomas (Bevilacqua) from the boat and I was super stoked because the wave was perfect, like four or five feet and just the dreamiest shot I could ever have wished for, on the foil at Chopes! Then at the end of the day, Ben showed me one of the shots he got and I was just so baffled. I was like, “I was looking for you. I couldn’t find you!” but he was so deep that he got that unique view, I’ve never even had a shot like this of me surfing. It was such a unique shot. Actually, I thought about it afterward… I think you can only get a perfect shot like that foiling, because when you’re foiling there’s no wake behind you, there’s no splashes from your board because the foil doesn’t create any turbulence, so the view that you get from far inside the tube is perfect precisely because there’s no imperfections. Everything came out great with that shot, and I’m super stoked on the cover.

Generally speaking, how is the foil scene out there right now? Is it accepted alongside regular surfing?

Honestly, in Tahiti, the foil scene is pretty mellow. We have a lot of really good foiling waves on the north side of the city and even on the south side. So yes, it’s pretty good, as long as the foilers don’t go too close to surfers, you know. For my part, I like to go foiling when there’s no surfers, or if I do foil where there are surfers I just take a wave and try to go as far as I can. But for now I think it’s okay, but there’s definitely surf spots where you don’t want to go foil because it’s just too heavy and it’s not everybody who can foil safely on breaking waves... Don’t forget, foiling can be a dangerous sport, so if I had to give any advice to others I’d say just go foil where there are no surfers, no swimmers, and not on really hollow waves. Just go downwind outside the lagoon on the open ocean, or try to find a mellow wave when there’s no-one up or out, and there will be no problems.

Finally, any trips lined up on which the foil will be joining you?

Oh, yeah, for sure when I’m traveling again I’m definitely going to take my foil everywhere I go! Because you never know, right? Spots that some people might think aren’t even rideable could be the best foil wave ever! I’m planning to go to Hawaii, Mexico, Fiji... I’m definitely taking a foil, and if I can go somewhere and make people try foiling too, and make them like it, then yeah, that’s even better!

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G R EAT B R E TAGNE Adapt and overcome... Something plenty of us on Planet

Earth have been forced to do over the last months. With their usual annual trip into the back of beyond shelved, the Manera team opted for something a little closer to home, and sent two of their riders, Paul Serin and Maxime Chabloz into the sleepy backwoods and rugged coves of Brittany…

WO R D S PAU L S E R I N P H O T O S M AT T G E O R G E S

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y favourite time of the year is definitely the annual Manera trip, every year the destination is wild. 2020 was planned to be an epic one yet again, but things turned out a little different because of the pandemic. But instead of cancelling the trip, we adapted and, as we couldn’t travel out of France, we decided to stay in France!

Maxime Chabloz and I are pro kitesurfers, but we love to try new things all the time, and on a trip like this you have to be riding all the toys, especially with a brand like F-ONE who make a lot of them…

Even though I’m French I’ve mostly remained in the southern part of France my entire life. So I was really excited to finally get to ride on the west coast and in Brittany.

We got on board an old campervan in Montpellier with Matt, the photographer, then picked up Olivier, the cameraman, in Toulouse and Maxime a bit further up the road. Now that the team was complete, the mission began. The goal was to find the best conditions along the French coast. In theory, following the wind sounds dreamy, but in the real world it’s actually way harder than you think... You definitely need a bit of luck to bring in some epic shots…

The road trip started in the south of France. The biggest mission on this trip was to drive the camper, it was old, and driving a beast like this on the tiny French roads was pretty exhausting, but we managed, and without any scratches. As the forecasted conditions were pretty unique – 40 knots onshore and massive waves – that was a good warm up. Back in the old days, we would only have had kite gear with us for a trip like this. Today, if you don’t have a foil you feel like you’re missing out on sessions everywhere.

F E AT U R E

We moved up to the west coast and started to hit the water in Oléron.

Days upon days we scored good conditions in every discipline, but what was good with the foil is that it was a session saver, multiple times. A small onshore one-meter wave in Quiberon became a pretty good session for Max and I. I don’t know if it was the feeling of freedom or something else, but seeing nature, seeing sunsets and having this freedom of sleeping everywhere and anywhere we wanted was just amazing and hard to describe. I was just happy to feel the water every day on my skin and to have the chance to play with the elements. This is what we took from our lockdown.

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GREAT B R E TAG N E

We dove into the French culture along the way and went to check on the old stones in Brittany. Crazy to think that people put them here ages ago without any kind of machines or anything. Maxime couldn’t wait to climb on top of them, like a kid, and was struggling to get back down afterward, like a kid also…

We got lucky and a pretty big swell arrived in Crozon, a place far from every big city and with world class wave spots everywhere.

Etienne Lhote, a local and a former pro kitesurfer, joined us for a few days and helped us to find the best spot to take on the swell. We surfed the first few days of it and got pounded by some huge sets, stuff I’m not really comfortable with, and nor is Maxime. Olivier loved to remind us that we suck at surfing, and he would only film our barrels and nothing else. We tried our best but none of us managed to emerge from a barrel...

One morning the swell was still pounding the shores and we found a spot with some mellow lines. I was so excited that I went in the water at first light with my foil, took off on a small white water roller and pumped all the way back to grab the incoming swell lines. The feeling is just insane, and once you get into a good rhythm with the sets, it’s an infinite circle of fun. I probably took 20 waves with just one take off that morning and I could hear the surfers saying: “Oh it’s a foil, look at this guy he’s flying above the water!”. At one point they were definitely a bit frustrated to see me enjoying that much riding… but that’s just how it is! Crozon is definitely a unique and wild place, where the pandemic seemed so far away. We enjoyed watching the sunset while drinking cider, just like a normal end to a day back in normal times.

F EAT U R E

After those precious few days in heaven, we went further north hoping to ride a tidepool in St Malo. The plan was to ride with a wing or a kite, but instead a huge storm came in and ruined the wind, so we ended up jumping and foil pumping in the pool instead. Pretty good fun!

This trip was different. A small team, not too far from home but far enough. I guess in 2020 if you didn’t adapt, you’d just have to stay home. Maxime and I travel the world all year long and sometimes we tend to forget to enjoy this life we live. The pandemic helped us realize how good these moments are that we get to experience, and to enjoy every second of every session as if it will be the last. And just like this, we spent countless hours in the water, switching from kite to foil to surf, all in one day. Even if our bed wasn’t the most comfortable bed ever, we were so tired after every day that we slept like babies.

Isn’t that how life should be? Do what you love and do it a lot…

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HEADING

North’s Brand Director Mike Raper has been navigating the company’s direction since its reset in 2018. Already well known in the kiteboarding realms thanks to its slick product line-up, all-star team of riders and aesthetically eye-catching marketing, North’s emergence into the foil market in 2019 was well-received but limited. But, as Mike explains from his home in New Zealand, they were just keeping their powder dry…

P H OTOS GE ORGIA S C H OF IE L D (U NL E SS STAT E D)

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Hello Mike. Firstly, could you give us a bit of background about yourself and your role at North?

I am the Brand Director at North. Responsible for all product development, marketing and branding, privileged to be based here in Auckland. I am responsible for the brand’s look, feel and tone but more importantly the performance of our products. I work closely with our Product Manager, Uli Sommerlatt, who is the lead for North’s product development. I also work closely with Holley Butler, our very talented Marketing Manager who looks after the brand marketing.

You’ve been in the wind and water sports industry for over 30 years.

What have been the most significant highlights during your tenure?

Kitesurfing exploded into the windsurfing world in the late 90’s. It was just awesome to see people jumping on board with a new sport, a new way of harnessing mother nature and to ride more efficiently. When it comes to foiling, I started hydrofoiling with snowboard boots in 2002. Watching the rise of foiling over the past 10-15 years and most recently winging in the past two years, has been hugely enjoyable. Each new sport has brought about a massive change. Every time I see someone getting into a new sport, to see the buzz, the excitement and the stoke, it’s an amazing feeling.

I guess the older I get, the more I realize the best part of my job is getting people on the water. Giving them the opportunity to experience what I’ve experienced. Out of everything I do now, sharing my passion gives me the single biggest buzz. And as time goes on the more important that becomes, especially as I share it with my teenage daughters. It is not about how much time I’m out riding, it is becoming more about how much enjoyment others have on the water. It has been such an honor to watch people being introduced to the ocean and seeing more and more people enjoying it, especially during this Covid period. That’s why we do what we do I guess.

A B OV E L E F T Product Manager Uli Sommerlatt and Mike out doing some critical R&D...

A B OV E R I G H T If there's one thing New Zealand doesn't have, it's crowds...

R I G H T TO P When your job is also your passion, you smile like Mike.

R I G H T B OT TO M Skylar Lickle boosting on the new North gear.

Photo: Franck Berthuot F E AT U R E

What would you say was the key motivation for you in your choice to join the new North brand?

We have access to new technology like never before. When we were recalibrating the North brand, we had the opportunity to start with a clean slate. This was the single most exciting part for me. For someone to say ‘hey, if you were to do this differently, how would you do it?’. We were mobile, agile and free to create the brand and product we’d always dreamed of, without restrictions. We brought together an incredible team of designers, from Pat Goodman to Hugh Pinfold, Uli and Jaimie Scott. We then purchased the Mystic brand and thus formed North Action Sports Group, which gave us turnkey access to an amazing sales network worldwide. I was motivated to discover how we could do this better, do it differently, and I can safely say we are on track to change the status quo.

For you personally, joining North has seen you return to New Zealand on a more permanent basis. How has that been? Nice to be home?!

Yes absolutely! I spent 15 years in Hong Kong working with international manufacturers, learning about production and process control.

I was lucky enough to be trained by the legendary Mr Neil Pryde. It’s been great to take this experience home with me now. Hong Kong was amazing but it’s hard to be a water person in a windless big city, kind of like a fish out of water.

Now I’m back in Aotearoa, I have just had the best summer I’ve ever had! Seriously. There was one session, two weekends ago where I had 23 hours on the water, over three days. I was absolutely broken at the end of it, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. When you’re open minded about the possibilities, you realize how many ways there are to make use of our everchanging aqua playground. Whether it’s under the water, on top of the water or flying and jumping across the water, being in the ocean is so special to me and foiling has opened up so many opportunities. There is no excuse not to be on the water now, we are covered for equipment from the smallest surf with foilsurfing, to boosting Bir Air in 40+ knots.

For someone who loves water sports, New Zealand is paradise. You can ride all year-round and there are such varied conditions. From foiling to kiting and surfing, we never have a dull day here.

North has just released new foil collection. You have the advantage of joining the ‘foil revolution’ when it is reaching relative maturity – how has it been reviewing the market and deciding the direction for the North foil range?

I feel extremely lucky to have been able to study what our competitors have done and look to improve the customer experience or do things differently. It’s given us time to come to the market with a complete range that’s been well thought out. The March launch of the North Foil collection elevates the Sonar System to a whole new level.

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Race Foil design guru George Hradil has worked together with America’s Cup marine engineer Uli Sommerlatt to develop a completely new hydrofoil wing technology, that is stable, controllable and fast.

The Sonar modular foil system can accommodate a range of different sports as well as being incredibly intuitive and easy to use. We’ve also brought some exciting technology into the foil boards through our board shaper, Jaimie Scott.

The biggest benefit however, is being able to work with the North Technology Group. We have been able to really leverage off what the group has to offer with North Sails and Southern Spars. I am confident we’re coming to market with a strong range of products that have a good combination of being easy to use as well as delivering high end performance.

How much access do you get to their tech and do you interact with the team there closely?

Yes! That’s what attracted me to this job in the beginning. North Sails has recently granted us one of their top material specialists, Dave Little, who completed five America’s Cup campaigns to work closely on material development with Pat Goodman and Uli Sommerlatt. We are experimenting with some innovative technologies that I think could really change up the industry. We have full access to their R&D facility in Minden, Nevada USA, as well as their manufacturing facility in Sri Lanka. We have a core, international material development team who work with some of the big names at North Sails in the product development department.

You have team riders distributed globally, but who’s in your main foil and wing test crew closer to home?

We have a small, tight crew here based in Auckland. Being surrounded by some of the world’s leading foiling brands and the America’s Cup, Auckland is a hotbed of development and design, we’re always watching what each other is doing. We have an enthusiastic team of strong riders who are on the water if its windy or there’s waves. Not to mention, all our staff are either foiling or are learning to foil. Sometimes your staff are your harshest critics!

A B OV E Flanked by the rolling hills of Raglan, NZ. R I G H T TO P The new Nova wing in its natural habitat...

Photo: Franck Berthuot R I G H T B OT TO M Mike comfortably airborne...

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You are also releasing the Nova wing. What have you learnt from the world of wings so far and how has this been applied to the Nova?

We’ve actually been developing the Nova wing and benchmarking against our competitors for almost two years now. Pat is a perfectionist and made 15 separate prototypes before we went into production! We are very lucky to have drawn on Pat’s incredible expertise from throughout his design career in paragliding, kiting, windsurfing, and now winging.

In terms of what we learnt; we could see a lot of wings didn’t have the rigid stability needed to jump. Therefore, we created the XLT joint, specifically designed to stiffen up the wing and strut, providing you increased performance and jumping capabilities.

We also noticed that a lot of wings had a very small wind range from our benchmark testing and hours on the water. Pat Goodman then discovered a way to adjust the profile to provide a massive wind range for the Nova. We also saw a lot of wings fighting themselves in flight and saw a demand in the market for less deformation and wrinkles in the canopy. Therefore, we introduced our radial panel cuts through the help of our colleagues at North Sails, and we now have a much smoother canopy that equates into a more balanced ride.

There seems to be some fragmentation of the wing market now with ‘surfier’ and ‘speedier’ wings – where does the Nova sit on this continuum?

The Nova is a fantastic all-round, crossover, performance freeride wing, with great upwind drive and a lot of efficiency for its size. It performs in a range of conditions from riding big waves, to high speed flat water sessions and ability to boost a little freestyle. Most importantly, it’s easy to use and has great bottom end power to get you up on the plane. I am absolutely frothing on the Nova. The 5m is my go-to for NZ conditions. I think I’ve logged almost 200 hours on it now!

The brand seems to be very mindful of who it picks to join the team.

I make it 10 including the recently appointed kiteboarder, Capucine Delannoy. What are the key characteristics you look for when you’re scouting for a new team rider, and are crossover kite/foil/ wing riders now going to become a box to check for anyone new?

It’s hard to answer that one. I’ll have to break it down, firstly we are always looking for riders who embody our brand values and that are relatable. Natural talent goes without saying. We are looking for the best athletes but not at the sacrifice of our brand values and morals.

We have loved working with Camille and obviously bringing Capucine on has been a really strong addition to what I call the ‘Dream team’ of current North riders.

The second part of the question is the crossover of kiting and foiling. I personally think, although there is a lot of crossover between

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kiting and foiling, that foil is developing its own unique athletes and characters within the foiling community. Similar to kiteboarding and windsurfing in the early days, a lot of windsurfers came into kiting yet there were still two distinct cultures. I believe we should respect and celebrate the differences of these sports, as well as the riders that participate in one or both of these.

We are always scouting interesting and new talent within the foiling community that embody our brand values and can push the sport forward. We have no idea what is going to be possible in the next few years with foiling and wing foiling. I am confident in what we have in the R&D pipeline to help these riders push the limits. If foiling carries on its current trajectory, it is going to be incredible.

So back to you Mike, where are your favorite go-to foiling options on your doorstep?

I am lucky! I live in Auckland, right on the water. On a high tide I can kite in front of my house, as well as being able to travel to the east or west coast in less than 20 minutes. I am also blessed to have a holiday home further north where there is a natural estuary with a beautiful long sand bar for foiling. My longest foil wave was 1.27km on a GPS. In my position at North, I am privileged to have access to all our sample equipment and lucky to have a network of friends I can share that with.

A B OV E Like most Kiwis, Mike is no shrinking violet when it comes to the chunkier southern swells...

RIGHT Jesse Richman and Marley Franco get their hands on the new North silver...

Photos: Franck Berthuot

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Do you spend more time surfing, kiting or doing some kind of foil activity these days?

I ride to the conditions, I love all the sports but especially winging at the moment as I’m learning the most in that area. In my spare time when I’m not working, my passion is big wave foiling with mates out the West Coast. We are like a bunch of middle aged groms, frothing on every session, big or small.

I still regularly go for Big Air kite sessions, as soon it gets over 25 knots. I also love an epic down the line kitesurfing session when the opportunity arises. It’s hard because there are so many different ways to foil now, I probably spend 60% of my time foiling, 40% kiting.

At the moment, I’m really enjoying pushing my personal performance boundaries in all the different foiling sports.

The America’s Cup has had plenty of mentions in this interview.

Have you had a chance to watch much of it? It’s been pretty insane...

Loving it! Awesome having all of this on our doorstep. Being so close to the racing has been incredible to watch on the water. The performance and progression of each of the teams has just been something else to witness. Over 57 knots on a monohull foiling is insane! The America’s Cup is doing some great things in regards to opening people’s eyes to the world of recreational foiling. On a professional level, those subtle changes can make big differences on the water and it’s really interesting to study and relate this to what we are doing here at North. It’s also been a pleasure to regularly see some of the big sailing names out there foiling with us, enjoying their time in NZ! With a sport moving so quickly, I guess that you are already looking at your next generation of foils - anything you can let on about here?!

We are in constant, perpetual R&D, we don’t stop the development for both wind wings, foil boards and hydrofoils. The benefit of the Sonar modular foil system is that we can add new hydrofoil wings at any time to improve performance in all the different sports. Regarding the wind wings we regularly have two or three different directions going at one time. As I mentioned some of the biggest changes and performance will come from material development in combination with design. We know the recipe, we’ve done this with kites and we have proven with the Nova that we can produce a high-performance wing. Now it’s all about refinement and evolution. It’s an exciting time to be involved.

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With borders in Northern Europe and Scandinavia opening up between lockdowns, Alex Maes moved quick to plan a circular trip that would tick both the work and pleasure boxes. Cue plenty of inner-city foiling and dozens of blown minds…

WO R D S A L E X M A E S P H OTO S J OA N R O M AG O S A

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1 campervan, 2 e-foils, 4 friends, 14 days, 6,500km…

In between the first two Covid-19 waves that had shaken Europe, I decided to start a journey up north. My goal was to visit as many e-foil enthusiasts as possible and ride at spots where I have never seen people e-foil before.

This trip started in Brussels, Belgium. After renting a campervan and loading it with the complete Lift Foils collection, I decided to hit the road. My first stop was to visit Luxembourg, and cruise on the Mosel river. Luxembourg has some very beautiful spots and is an e-foil paradise. After a full day on the water it was time to head north to Amsterdam, where I caught up with our affiliate Carel Erasmus, who runs an e-foil school there. The next morning I went to pick up my good friend Manel Arpa at Amsterdam airport to start our main mission…

Manel and I go way back… We used to push each other when we were young kitesurfers. We both grew up around the kitesurfing industry and always aspired to make a living out of it. We stayed in touch over the years and got reunited after we both started working for Lift Foils in Europe. We both picked up foiling as it started to become more of a trend here in Europe and quickly realized the endless possibilities presented by e-foiling. I come from a city, so for me to able to foil in places where there is usually very little to do outdoors is pretty special.

We started our mission to Malmö, Sweden, a 1500km trip that we

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managed to do in one night. We crossed the Danish border that had been closed for several months and were allowed to pass through Denmark to reach our destination. Sweden blew our minds in every possible way. The warm welcome during these strange times, lakes that seem to never end, and the raw nature and beautiful landscapes all played their part in making it such a memorable trip. Then what really struck us the most was the Swedish hospitality wherever our travels took us. In these odd times, you learned to appreciate the people that life puts on your journey. We met with Simon Thirlwall at his family home in the south of Sweden, close to Malmö. Simon lives right on the beach and foils as much as he possibly can, whether it is behind a kite, with a wing or an e-foil. The wind picked up through the afternoon, so we decided to go for some tow-ins with the crew on the new Lift High Aspect wings. After another full day on the water, Simon made us some homemade burgers and it was already time to hit the road again…

Our next meeting was in Stockholm the following morning. After another sleepless night and 10 hours later in the van, we made it to Stockholm for sunrise. The trees were already starting to change colors, and fall was in full swing… That morning, we were meeting the team from Hamnen.se – I had been in touch with Gustav for some time now and we were planning to shoot some content to show e-foiling to a larger audience in the Stockholm area. After filming and giving Gustav a test ride, the rest of the office joined us for a ride and to try out our e-foils. Sharing your passion is definitely one of the best feelings. You could just see that the whole office was having a good time.

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"WE WERE NOT MAKING ANY NOISE OR WAVES, WE WERE ALWAYS FILMED AND CONGRATULATED BY THOSE WATCHING"

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The team proposed that we stay at the marina with our van for the weekend to discover Stockholm and recover from the trip. Stockholm is one of the most beautiful cities I have had the chance to visit and it seemed at the time that Covid-19 had never really made its way to Sweden. After e-foiling in the Stockholm canals, it was time for us to cross Sweden and head on to the west coast, where we were picking up Eric and Juan from the media team in Göteborg airport the following day to shoot in Göteborg city center. 500km later, we arrived just in time to clean and re-pack the van ready for our new media team’s arrival. Four guys in a camper van is definitely a mission but this is how you get things done in such a short period of time! Eric and Juan settled in, and spent their time editing and backing up photos while Manel and I drove to the next spot.

The following day, we woke up before sunrise to get everything ready to shoot in Göteborg city center and in front of the beautiful Göteborg Museum. Göteborg is stunning, and has canals passing through the whole city, replete with bridges, museums and iconic buildings.

After a full day of shooting, we decided to make our way to the Marstrand Islands upon the recommendation of our affiliate, Stefan Berntsson. This was by far my favorite spot of the trip, such raw nature in a place where life slowed down and seemed to be protected from time itself.

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After camping in the wild for 24 hours and shooting content, it was time to go back to civilization and head for our final destination…

Back to Amsterdam.

With only two days left to shoot in one of the most iconic cities in the world, there was no time to lose! We decided to wake up before sunrise to avoid the crowds. We were able to shoot at some of our favorite places in Amsterdam with the help of my friends Diego Hoet and David Boot, and riding in front of the Reiksmuseum was something I will never forget. Through our entire trip, we never had any issues as we were not making any noise or waves, we were always filmed and congratulated by those watching, and we were asked questions about how it felt to be able to fly over the water.

The last idea our media team had was to shoot night photos in the Amsterdam canals, something we have never seen in foiling before.

So Eric and Juan decided to give it a try. The resulting photos exceeded our expectations, and we were able to create some different content in some very special places. Night photography requires extra hands, and you usually don’t see the amount of work behind every photo. Luckily, we had one of the best crews I’ve ever had the chance to work with.

So, to anyone still doubtful about getting into e-foiling, I hope these photos will make you want to fly…

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Hark back to last autumn, in late October, when the eyes of the worldwide surf media were firmly trained on one of the world’s primary big wave spots, Nazaré in Portugal, as the swell born of Hurricane Epsilon reached the shores of Europe and detonated…

Meanwhile, further north in Basque country, foilers Titouan Galea, Tom Constant and Matthieu Agirregomezkorta Etxebarne (aka Matthieu Aguirre) were taking on the fickle big wave spot of Belharra. And although there was a fraction of the media coverage, the session was none-theless well documented by scores of photographers who braved the rogue sets to capture the occasion from the decks of fishing boats. We dug a little deeper to find out how the session went down…

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HEY GUYS. SO FIRSTLY, TELL OUR READERS WHERE BELHARRA IS AND GIVE US A BIT OF AN OVERVIEW OF THE SPOT… TG: Belharra is a wave that breaks 2.5km out from the shore in the Basque country, Southern France. You need a lot of organization to get out there!

TC: It’s definitely one of the biggest waves in the world. It’s situated between Saint Jean de Luz and Hendaye.

TALK TO US ABOUT THAT SWELL. HOW FAR IN ADVANCE DID YOU SPOT IT ON THE CHARTS, AND WHAT PLANNING WENT INTO GETTING READY?

GIVE US A SENSE OF WHAT IT’S LIKE RIDING THAT WAVE… TG: It was my first time in Belharra, and my first time riding waves this size. It feels totally different to riding normal waves to me, it’s more like going down a huge slope than riding a wave. You can’t do much as the wave is going so fast, the only thing you focus on is keeping the foil in the water and holding the speed.

TC: The speed and the power of this wave is pretty indescribable.

When I was riding I really wanted to look at the white water, to really sense the power of this giant wave, but I kept focused!

HOW LONG WERE YOU OUT THERE RIDING?

TG: We saw the swell on the charts a week before it arrived. My friend Tom Constant called me to see if I was interested in getting out there, and I immediately answered yes! We managed to get all our gear ready and organize ourselves to be out there on time.

TC: We arrived the day before to do some adjustments and test the jet ski, and then we woke up at 4:30am to get to the harbor at Hendaye to prepare our stuff, inflate our vests, get the jet ski ready etc.

We left for Belharra at 7am, in the morning twilight.

TC: Yeah, I saw the forecast for Storm Epsilon almost 10 days in advance. I called Matthieu to talk about what we were seeing, and he told me, “It’s gonna be the biggest Belharra for a long time…”. I then called Titouan to ask him if he was in and he didn’t hesitate!

MA: Yeah we left at daybreak with Peyo Lizarazu, who had organized this day really well, including having a doctor on site and an additional safety jet ski. He was the first to ride this wave and I’m so happy to ride with him now. He’s gradually imparting his experience in Belharra to me. We spent most of the day in the water, and there was that added danger of having a lot of boats in the line-up. But it was too good to be out there with all my friends in the water. The atmosphere was very good, despite the global situation.

MA: On the charts it just kept getting bigger. Little by little we realized that we were going to have some huge waves at Belharra. We then got preparing all the necessary foil equipment, including all the safety gear and jet skis too.

WHERE DID THIS SESSION SIT AMONGST FRANCE’S PANDEMIC LOCKDOWNS AND WERE ANY RULES ‘BENT’ TO BE OUT THERE?!

TG: This session was just a day before the second lockdown, so we were really happy to be able to get out there without any restrictions at the time.

MA: Yeah, the feeling in the water was very special. It was good to take advantage of it while we could.

TC: Right. It was a beautiful present to receive right before another period of confinement in France…

WAS IT CROWDED OUT THERE? THERE WERE CLEARLY A LOT OF PHOTOGRAPHERS! TG: Yeah, I was surprised how many boats were out there, probably about 25, and most of them were there to watch the show!

TC: There were a lot of boats and people for sure, it was a big attraction in more ways than one! But I was more focused on the waves and my performance.

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TG: When we first got to the line-up that morning, we sat and watched the locals to see how the wave was working. Then we rode through till the afternoon.

WERE THERE ANY PARTICULARLY HEAVY WIPEOUTS OR HORROR STORIES? TG: No wipeouts from me, in fact I didn’t hear anything particular happening this day concerning the riders. However, just before I got into the water, I was on a big 30ft boat, rigging up my foil, and suddenly this huge set came out of nowhere. The boat went full speed toward the wave, and we made about 10ft of air with this massive boat! I was lucky I ended up in the water, but unfortunately one guy fell into the back of the boat and broke two of his vertebrae. So that was a big adrenaline shot, even before taking my first wave ever at Belharra…

TC: On the day before, Titou and I watched some really heavy wipeout videos of Belharra. We kind of lost some confidence after that…

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ALL PHOTOS THIS PAGE: Edouard de Doré

“YOU CAN’T DO MUCH AS THE WAVE IS GOING SO FAST, THE ONLY THING YOU FOCUS ON IS KEEPING THE FOIL IN THE WATER AND HOLDING THE SPEED.” 112255

AWAKE NI N G B E LH A R R A

Photo: Bertrand Linne

Photo: Bertrand Linne

Photo: Arthur Picard

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PHOTO: Edouard de Doré

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“THAT WAS MY FIRST EXPERIENCE TOW FOILING IN BIG WAVES. I TRIED TO STAY FOCUSED ON WHAT I HAVE TO DO, WHAT I’M CAPABLE OF, AND TRIED TO REMAIN CALM. ” THIS WAS THE SAME SWELL THAT SO FAMOUSLY HIT NAZARÉ TOO. IS IT ANNOYING THAT NAZARÉ GETS SO MUCH INTERNATIONAL COVERAGE AND YET BELHARRA DOESN’T?!

Photo: Jeff Ruiz

TC: I wanted to ride Belharra because it was one of my childhood dreams. I don’t care about media coverage. In fact it’s a good thing for Belharra to be in the shadow of Nazaré. It means the local riders get to have fun on a wave that is equally as good as other big waves.

TG: Yeah I agree. I don’t care much about the coverage, I do it for myself because I love it, and the waves were plenty big enough in Belharra. Anyway, I don’t have the experience to get out in Nazaré yet, and for foiling I think Belharra is a better wave to ride.

MA: Belharra is less publicized than Nazaré for sure, but that doesn’t bother me either. On the contrary, we are far more peaceful here!

WHAT IS THE VIBE LIKE IN THE WATER? IS IT COMPETITIVE? TG: It was ok, I don’t think it was competitive, not for me for sure, I was there to watch first, ride second.

TC: Yeah I felt only good vibes in the water, and I was stoked that so many highly respected riders have since congratulated us after our foil riding there.

WHAT WERE YOU RIDING OUT THERE, AND WHAT PRECAUTIONS DO YOU TAKE WHEN RIDING BIG WAVES WITH A FOIL? TG: Tom and I were riding an Escape 530 foil with the 105 mast, and a 4’2 rocket surf from F-ONE. I only had the inflatable vest from Quiksilver, but I think it could be nice to wear a helmet and an impact vest next time!

Photo: Jeff Ruiz

MA: I was on a 4’4 surf foil board with a 670 foil front wing. For the past few years I have been training every day, ready for when the waves are huge. I go cycling and swimming amongst other sports. So that’s how I prepare, by training a lot.

TC: That was my first experience tow foiling in big waves. I tried to stay focused on what I have to do, what I’m capable of, and tried to remain calm. Everything went perfectly! Now I want to continue in that direction, and that’s why I’ve signed up to the BWRAG (Big Wave Risk Assessment Group) courses. I’m going to prepare myself physically and mentally for this in the future.

TO BUDDING YOUNG BIG WAVE FOIL RIDERS, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR NUMBER ONE PIECE OF ADVICE? TG: Get the smallest front wing you can! Don’t try it with anything over 530cm.

TC: Having confidence in your mental and physical abilities, and staying humble!

MA: For anyone who wants to get started, I think you really have to go step-by-step, surfing bigger and bigger waves as you go. But above all, equip yourself with a lifejacket and a helmet. And a good jet ski with a pilot who you can trust and who likes to have fun!

Photo: Bertrand Linne

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Photo: Arthur Picard

Photo: Arthur Picard

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ALPINE DREAMS Foiling Magazine’s Contributing Editor Kjell van Sice loves an adventure, so when the Fliteboard team insisted that some kind of epic trip into the Californian wilderness was a prerequisite for a lend of their Fliteboard Pro, Kjell didn’t spend too long mulling things over…

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I’d be the first to admit that I’ve got thin skin. I grew up in the warm waters of Hawaii and Mauritius and my idea of freezing cold begins in a 3/2 wetsuit. In spite of my lack of coldwater resistance, seasonal change hasn’t stopped me from toeing the line with adventure. Last winter, I was struck by the harebrained notion of beach-starting in Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park during a 12-foot deep snowstorm. With air temperatures well below zero (F) and water hovering not tremendously far above that, I discovered an area of waterborne exploration that, for better or worse, piqued my interest. Needless to say, I attracted more attention from wide-eyed park rangers than I’d strictly wish for. With icicles forming on my beard and eyelashes, I found myself falling in love with inland foiling, entranced as I pumped along through the clear, iciness of winter. That’s the moment I knew I’d come back and chase inland foiling sooner or later…

The opportunity presented itself during my first encounter with Fliteboard’s e-foil, specifically the Pro model. During my midsummer afternoon test session with Fliteboard’s SoCal rep, Jimmy Trask, I found myself caught off guard by how close the Fliteboard Pro came to mimicking an unpowered foil. I see this as a positive, because the Pro’s responsiveness, small size, and tall mast made it an altogether higher performance ride than any other e-foil I’d been on before.

Naturally, I had a strong desire to see if I might be able to spend more time with the Pro in inland waterways. Its design provided the perfect marriage of exploratory capability alongside addictive riding characteristics. After reaching out to Fliteboard’s team, they graciously agreed to lend me a Pro for an entire week, on the condition that I take it on a radical journey through our Californian wonderland. Can do!

DAY 1 After Jimmy’s many instructions, warnings and repeat-after-me’s, followed closely by a game of foil-packing Tetris, I manage to get the Fliteboard Pro safely and snugly stowed way in my trunk for the short ride home. There’s still loads of prep work to be completed prior to my departure for the mountains the following morning. First in order, however, is a test ride to get shims and power settings dialed. Arriving at my local spot, I plan out a course to take me well out beyond our kelp beds — minefields for hydrofoils — and down the coast a ways, before returning with the option to surf some small waves peeling off a point. Unpacking and assembling the Fliteboard is initially less intimidating than expected, stamping into my mind the quality of design that goes into these machines. In the five-minute walk from my car to the beach, I feel like a kid scampering away from the candy shop with the biggest piece in the store – what a thrill to have such a piece of kit to myself. Wading into the chilly, early winter water, I can hardly wait to get up and flying. Gingerly navigating my way amidst the kelp forests, I look down to see their fantastically tall forms rising up from the deep blue below me. For just a moment, the Fliteboard Pro feels small above the depths, as do I, but up on foil, it’s so serene that I hardly care. Never have I experienced feeling so separated from the ocean’s chop, currents, and cold, yet so connected to my surroundings. I’m often asked what makes e-foils so special, and my answer is always the same: the lack of sound from board slap. That feeling of hovering effortlessly and silently is truly as good as it sounds.

My meditative zen is shattered by the sound of a blowhole. Suddenly, I’m surrounded by a pod of dolphins cruising the offshore depths.

Seabirds join in from above, and I become part of a nature show.

From half a mile offshore, sounds from the coast have faded away, and I’m left with a surprising sense of first-time exploration. Who knew you didn’t have to go far from home to find adventure?

DAY 2 The drive to Lake Tahoe from Santa Barbara is a long one at nearly nine hours. Ironically, to arrive at one of California’s most serene, picturesque alpine lakes, the route cuts through some of the driest, warmest, and flattest parts of the state. It feels strange to see a Fliteboard in my rearview while the unfaltering blandness of Interstate 5 unfolds before me. After endless hours of solo road tripping well into nightfall, the lake finally comes into view, an eerie oasis nestled within the unending Sierra peaks. As an avid explorer of California’s Sierra Nevada range, I always bask in the moment of arrival in this incredibly special place. Now, instead of coming for sports afoot or on a mountain bike, I’ve come to break new ground in foiling this lake. After a well-deserved and rather copious dinner, I fall into bed to catch what sleep I can before tomorrow’s 4:30am start.

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DAY 3 Rule #1 of mountain living is to never fully trust the weather forecast.

In spite of the forecast calling for mild temperatures, I have the great pleasure of stepping outside into sub-freezing conditions. I’ve never been so glad to own 5mm gloves and booties. After a much-needed hot coffee run, I find myself bumping down a maze of unpaved access roads to the lake’s southwestern corner, and just in time for the first light of day to show. Glimpsing my first view of the lake in all its glassy perfection, I’m giddy with excitement; as with the weather, it can be difficult to gauge whether or not the lake will be windy, even within a matter of hours. Under tall pine trees and the bright illumination of my car’s headlights, I begin assembling the Fliteboard Pro, only to find that two layers of gloves don’t lend themselves to the dexterity required to handle M6 bolts. Assisted by a tirade of inappropriate language, I man up and go barehanded. Right about the same time I lose feeling in my hands, I notice a black bear to my left, celebrating Christmas a bit early in a trash container. I laugh to myself as I closely watch the four hundred pound animal; this is surely the first time a black bear has seen a Fliteboard! Clearly, the altitude and lack of sleep are getting to my sense of humor. I opt to wait until more daylight filters through the trees before heading down to the water; it might be a bit difficult to sell Fliteboard on the idea that I dropped their $12,000 piece of kit in the woods because I walked into a bear…

Lake Tahoe’s water is as clear as it is cold. I step carefully from rock to rock, wading out until the 45°F water arrives at my chest. Looking down, I can see each and every detailed texture of my booties as well as if I were high and dry. From an angle, the golden sand mixes gently with the crisp, blue water further out. The Fliteboard floats alongside me as I take in the magnificence of the rising sun peek-

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ing out from behind the east side of the lake. Finally, I can take my dream full circle and surf the most beautiful parts of this alpine body from atop a Fliteboard, utterly independent of leg fatigue, burning lungs, and beach starts. Coming up to speed, the Pro is stable and easily controlled. Equipped with the slim Flyer wing, the Pro cruises at higher speeds effortlessly, and offers plenty of responsive carving opportunities as well.

I head north towards Emerald Bay, Tahoe’s most legendary cove. On the way, I pass over the most pristine, clear water I’ve ever seen. Flying alongside the winding coastline of granite boulders and endless pine trees, I notice a fox, eagle, and deer. The quiet Fliteboard seems to hardly disturb them. The water glows, changing rapidly from inky blue to turquoise and back again. Underneath me, I spot the occasional sunken tree dozens of feet below, and house-sized boulders shaped by glaciers tens of thousands of years ago. With no wake, the Fliteboard platform provides a prime view of the lake’s geological history. Such water clarity, when combined with riding the foil, gives me vertigo. Before I know it, I’ve breached and am sent headlong into an icy bath. I make sure to keep my eyes on the horizon from then on. The two-mile journey rolls by in what seems like a split second. I look down to check on the board’s battery level and am impressed to see I’ve only used 7% of the total charge. It seems like the battery will last longer than I will! At the mouth of Emerald Bay, I’m hit by a stiff headwind, and opt to take the short route.

Numb hands, feet, and face signal time for me to turn home. On the way back, I head for deep water to have some fun exploring the Fliteboard Pro’s carving capabilities. It’s a surreal experience to “surf” the lake with the backdrop of pine trees and snow-capped mountains, the crisp, fresh alpine air in my nose. Coming back to my launch spot, I hop off the Fliteboard and float belly up, enjoying the beauty of where I’m lucky to be in that moment.

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DAY 4 In the middle of the night, I’m awoken by the sound of howling wind in the trees. My watch shows 4am, a bad sign for the upcoming day.

By the time I make it down to the water, I already know the rest of my trip is blown — literally. With chest high whitecaps and the forecast calling for a rapid descent into the season’s first snowstorm, I’ve got limited time to form a plan. The subzero air is far from inviting. Yet, I can’t resist the temptation to pull out my Naish Wingsurfer and wing board to give it a go. Walking out my 5.3m wing, it’s obvious the 30-40 knot winds are significantly beyond my max, but I’d rather fail miserably than regret not giving it a go. Surprisingly, I manage to get up and going, but only for a brief moment before a gust sends me skyward. If ever there were a session for straps, this would be it!

Within fifteen minutes, the wind has increased to over 50 knots, and the freezing air is more than I’m willing to take. After a final, massively overpowered run along the beach, I call it quits and head in to warm myself before breaking down gear. What an incredible change of weather within just 24 hours. Clearly, Lake Tahoe has unbelievable potential for all forms of foiling. I’ll be back come summer…

DAY 5 Compared to Tahoe, the weather back home in Santa Barbara is balmy. The mountain wind event that whipped the lake into a frenzy hasn’t yet made its way south to the coast, and tonight’s sunset is shaping up to be all time. There could be no better contrast to the pure blue of Lake Tahoe than that of a golden, glassy evening along the coast over 6,000 feet lower in elevation. I reconfigure the Fliteboard with the Cruiser wing, making it easier to fly low and slow in the fading light. By also reconfiguring the throttle settings, I can adjust the set up so it takes on a more tame feel, ideal for cruising.

Gliding out into the beautiful Santa Barbara Channel, the silhouettes of the iconic Channel Islands are visible, a true sight to behold. The silence of the e-foil makes the moment all the more vivid. Opposite the setting sun, the full moon rises, creating an incredible effect on the water as night overtakes day. I marvel that I’ve managed to foil in two paradigm opposite locations within just a day, and the Fliteboard Pro has served as the perfect platform to do so. It’s been efficient, easy to handle, and an incredibly fun, versatile platform for exploration.

I’m grateful to Fliteboard for the opportunity to explore my vision of foiling inland waterways. After a surprise email from the Fliteboard team at the time of writing this piece, I’m equally excited to say I’ll have the chance to take out their latest Series 2 e-foils come later this year. I can’t wait to see what’s in store.

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CABRINHA

As far as backstories go, Cabrinha’s is comprehensive, to say the least. Big players in the water sport market for over two decades, they’re now fully invested in the foil and wing realm, with a comprehensive new range and prolific team riders such as Keahi de Aboitiz and Moona Whyte regularly dropping alluring clips from never-less-than-exotic locations. Cabrinha’s Marketing Manager James Boulding gave us the full look…

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When was this?

Cabrinha fully got back into the foil world with the release of the Double Agent kite / skimboard foil back in 2015. There was suddenly so much potential for foiling, it was a really exciting time. For some kiters it was a way to spend more time on the water, as foiling allowed you to kite in far less wind. But there was also this magical dedication to the feeling foiling gives and Cabrinha quickly started to expand into surf and wake foiling with specific product ranges.

Moving onto your current range, and you have really stepped the game up with the new Cab Fusion system – can you tell us a little more about this?

The new Cab Fusion system is a modular system where users can interchange wings, masts and fuselage sections to tailor their equipment to whatever sport they want to go out and do, whether that be kite foiling, foil surfing or wing surfing. It was clear early on the need to futureproof the Cab Fusion system, so that whichever directions the sports take, the equipment platform can cater for this.

We negated the issues of directly connecting wings to the fuselage with screws by seamlessly integrating the wing sleekly and efficiently to the front part of the fuselage where a huge amount of torsional stress goes through. It also became clear that playing around with the length of the fuselage was key to customizing your ride for the different sports and a trend seen happening out in Maui. The Fusion system allows you to easily change the rear section of the fuselage relatively cheaply without needing to buy a whole new fuselage. For winging we’ve seen guys choosing longer fuselage options, whereas for surfing, slightly shorter rear sections are better if a more agile and carvey characteristic is desired. This modularity extends to the mast options too with a range of carbon and alloy offerings.

We hear you’ve been working with a team of scientists in Norway on some of the foil development the past year. Can you tell us a little more about this?

Hi James. Tell us when and what Cabrinha's first experiences of foiling were?

Around 2002 saw Founder Pete (Cabrinha) and Elliott Leboe really pushing the envelope in foiling on some early equipment. They used modified aluminum airchair foils attached to custom boards and snowboard boots and bindings. From towing in on Jaws to throwing freestyle tricks with a kite at Kite Beach, it definitely got things going in the foiling realm but the equipment was probably the reason it just didn’t catch on with the wider public back then. The snowboard boots and bindings combined with very heavy hydrofoils were just too heavy and cumbersome. Needless to say it made taking wipeouts at one of the heaviest waves on the planet a very scary prospect…

The equipment just made things hard for it to catch on in the mainstream ultimately and it wasn’t until the modern composite/aluminum technology and weight savings really aided the radical performance gains. This was what brought foiling back into the spotlight for Cabrinha as you see it today.

This is another area that has injected insight into our foil program. 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 enabling the SINTEF team to 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. Essentially, it brings a whole new level of theoretical and practical knowledge to the hydrofoil program.

So is there now something ‘for everyone’ in the line-up?

The X-Series wings are incredibly versatile and efficient. Currently we offer the X-Series front wings in a 950, 1300, 1600 and 1950 with a 220 and 300 rear stabilizer. There are also some exciting new wings in the pipeline. Whichever direction wings go in, the system is ready to take on this change without anybody needing to buy new parts for the rest of the system. All of this combines into the futureproof principle that is at the heart of the Cab Fusion system.

You have a new wing now too. Tell us about the Mantis…

A B OV E The early early early days...

TO P R I G H T ...to today. Safe to say things have moved forward considerably.

B OT TO M R I G H T Pete Cabrinha lives and breathes the brand.

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The Mantis is evidence that we are serious about wingsurfing! With the release of the Crosswing X2 we introduced some unique design concepts, like the double strut and widespan handles. It has amazing low-end power which helps riders get up and riding fast and with its tight canopy it’s an incredibly efficient high-performance wing.

We’ve complimented this now with the Mantis, our lightest wing, which comes in a window/windowless option. It has its DNA in surfing but this is really an exceptionally versatile freeride wing. Although lightweight, it is incredibly rigid and with its ease of use, predictability and performance, it is a good choice for all ability levels. It also sits well alongside the Crosswing X2... As the sport develops, we’re seeing the importance of having more than one wing option and this nods to the rapidly expanding styles in wingsurfing.

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And for board options, what do you have on offer right now?

The X-Fly is our high-volume board, perfectly suited for beginners and intermediates. All three sizes offer plenty of volume and are incredibly stable platforms to get up and riding on the foil. It also crosses over as a SUP foil board, it’s been amazing seeing Keahi destroying it on the smallest size version. The Macro board is our shorter, wide, ample volume board for wingsurfers of all levels. It’s very quick on the plane while being very stable and just feels like you’re riding a small board, even though the water starts are made easy by its shape. Finally we have the Autopilot which is our prone surf foil board. It is also a great choice for a smaller volume wing board and is the ultimate crossover board for surf foil and wing. All three of these boards are incredibly lightweight premium construction boards with the use of carbon Innegra and other premium materials. Every board in the range comes with footstrap inserts that can be used as a two or three strap configuration.

Coming back to the brand itself, there has been a restructuring over the last 12 months we understand?

Last February Cabrinha returned to its roots as Water Bound Investments, and a small group of passionate investors bought back the Cabrinha brand and trademark from the Pryde Group. Water Bound is headed up by long term Cabrinha ambassador and talented waterman Jon Modica. This allows Cabrinha to be a lot more agile in the market and expand its product development. The core distributor and dealer network, so valuable to Cabrinha’s customer experience, remains the same but the stabilizers are off in terms of capabilities in product design, so Cab HQ is a hive of activity and excitement. The group also just became the global licensee for Dakine-branded wind and hydrofoil products. It’s a dream pairing with both brands born in the same cannery in Maui over 20 years ago. There’s been a huge amount of product development going on behind the scenes, with big plans for the coming years.

As a brand, how was it navigating the pandemic? Was it tricky and has it affected foil and wing sales at all?

There are always challenges when it comes to making product. Decisions need to be made all the way through the process that change a product’s characteristics. The ones that are tough to handle are the unforeseen challenges which is why the Covid-19 virus has brought challenges to all the departments. This is where having good problem-solving staff is key and the experience that comes with the brand being in the industry for over 20 years absolutely vital. Every problem encountered and mistake made over the years has led to valuable lessons learnt and strategies and solutions put in place for dealing with issues. Thankfully we managed to launch the Cab Fusion, X2 and a full line of new surf and foil boards on time and get product to the market which has been received incredibly well all around the globe. One positive from the pandemic is a mentality to really make the most of people’s lives and free time. Water sports have enjoyed a renaissance and combined with the increase in popularity in foiling and winging it’s led to people getting out to really enjoy these sports.

Where does the majority of R&D and testing take place for and who is involved?

Most of this process happens on Maui. The majority of the brand staff and some key riders have been involved in this project. It’s been a major undertaking we’ve worked on as a brand for the last year and it perfectly suits some of Cabrinha’s key engineers, staff, even the new owner of the company, Jon Modica, who is a self-confessed foil geek at heart. Spearheading the Product Development Department is Lars

Moltrup and together with Mechanical Engineer and designer, Brodie Sutherland, there has been intensive work done on the Fusion system. Based in Hood River, Brodie runs a fabrication workshop, which is perfectly suited to churning out foil wings and it is here where a lot of Cabrinha’s samples are first designed, built and tested. In Hawaii, the home of Cabrinha’s main test team, the process grows exponentially. Maui really is the epicenter of the foiling world it seems. There is such a buzz around foiling and winging and no one is scared to try new things or ideas.

You have two world champion kitesurfers on your team in the form of Keahi and Moona. They’re both true all-rounders and kite and foil all over the planet – how important is it to have solid riders like this and what do they bring to the team at Cabrinha?

Keahi and Moona are two of the best two wave kitesurfers on the planet, but they also kill it on a foil. Their home spot on the north shore of Oahu has such perfect conditions for foiling that they ride a LOT! This year Keahi has stepped into more of a test role in Cabrinha’s foil program which has been really beneficial. His skills are clear to see and being on the next island over from Maui makes it easy to test and fine tune some of the wings. They get such perfect conditions, it’s ideal for testing multiple wings in any given session and really dial into the fine details.

Do you plan to have riders competing on the GWA tour?

Travel permitting we’ll have a couple guys competing on the men’s and women’s tours this year. We have a fast growing team and it’s been amazing to see the level go through the roof. In a year it feels like there’s been so much progression in freestyle and waves so we’re really excited to see what unfolds this year also.

The whole sport of foiling/winging seems to be moving at lightning speed still – do you guys feel that you are on your game now, and what does the future hold?

LEFT The many faces of Cabrinha.

We now have a really extensive wing and foil line-up with plenty to choose from covering all ability levels and styles. That being said, the development process never stops and we have some really exciting products currently being tested and fine-tuned that have the staff tripping out on. We’re all excited to see these drop and what the team and customers get up to on them. It’s such a crazy time and with the whole team so into winging and foiling it’s natural that things are moving forwards really quickly in terms of product development.

TO P R I G H T Designer Brodie Sutherland, too deep in his work to notice the photographer hiding behind his desk...

B OT TO M R I G H T The Cab Fusion foil system.

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WINGSURF ING BASICS Nathan van Vuuren, 18-year-old pro wing and foil rider, and coowner of Signature Performance Gear and Premier Productions Hawaii, picks up our 101 slot this issue to walk us all through the basics of getting up and riding with a wing with minimal humiliation and, hopefully, an intact wing canopy when you’re done…

“Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a wingsurfer…”. As we scroll through the pages of online platforms, without a doubt some of the most attractive flying images entering the eyeballs of viewers around the world is that of what is now known as ‘wingsurfing’. If you haven’t already started, it’s probably only going to be a matter of time before you have an inflatable wing in your hands, wind blowing through your hair, and holding on for the flight of a lifetime. So the big question that comes into play is: Where do I start?

The good news is that, if you click on most kite or foil brands’ websites, there will be plenty of info relating to the history, the innovation, and the future of this new and exciting wing sport. Using wings on boards has been around for years, but with the recent addition of foils being added to the ingredients plus the inflatable wing now a key component of most every waterman and woman’s quiver, there are enough brands and options to keep you busy testing for the rest of the year. With much of the gear developing faster than we can type, rather than focus and try sell you on the next best wing, let’s look at some key basics that will assist in getting you flying.

STARTING OFF… A question we often get is, “do I need a foil board or can I use a SUP?”. An inflatable wing on a floaty SUP is often a great way to initially feel the dynamics of just how a wing reacts in the wind. It’s also sometimes less intimidating, not having to deal with a sharp T HE 1 01

guillotine under your board, and can be quite fun when flying tandem with kids or friends. A SUP can be quite slow and sluggish with limited upwind ability, so the novelty may wear off pretty quickly compared to using a foil board, which has much less resistance and better upwind ability once mastered. An alternative option to consider is a traditional windsurfer, with a centerboard, which adds stability and upwind ability. In fact, there are hundreds of board options, but I suggest starting with a board that has added volume that allows you to stand up or kneel on without being too unbalanced.

GETTING TO THE WATER Once you’ve chosen the board and wing that best suits your weight, style, and local conditions, it’s time to get to the water. Initially, the board may be large, due to increased volume needed when starting out. Carry your board with the foil attached and place it as close to the water’s edge as possible, with your board leash ready to be attached to your foot. Once your wing is inflated, attach the leash from the wing to your wrist, arm or body depending on your leash set up, to prevent the wing from flying away. Holding the wing upside down by the front handle, walk to your board and attach the board leash.

To walk further can initially be an art of its own, but a key to walking to the water is to keep your foil and board upwind and holding your wing but allowing it to drift downwind. Getting in and out of the water or surf, this is generally good to remember and can help save on wing repairs.

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ON THE WATER Ok so you’ve made it to the water in one piece, your helmet’s on, lifejacket secure and camera crew on the beach ready to take photos of your first flight! You’ve swum out with the wing flapping behind you using your feet to keep the wing close to your board, and the water’s deep enough so that your foil’s not touching the bottom. This is generally where everything becomes a complete blur, as the wind forces the nose of your board downwind, your wing feels like an anchor stuck in the water, and you flash back on all those amazing YouTube clips with Kai Lenny and Jeffery Spencer making it look so appealing…

DON’T PANIC We have all been through this moment of insecurity, so take a deep breath and realize this is just a fun part of the learning scenario (unless you are one of those natural athletes that get things right first time round!).

There are a couple of options depending on the volume of your board and the wind strength, but generally what seems to work well is, once you have your wing flipped over and the handles are facing down towards the water, with the wing at a right angle to your board (try keeping the wing slightly more towards the rear of the board, which will help turn your board into the eye of the wind; moving your wing towards the front of the board will turn your board downwind), quickly lift it over your head into a neutral position.

Holding one hand on the front leading edge handle, grab under the wing with your other hand to a back handle on the main center strut.

Once comfortable, shift your front hand from the front handle and hold a handle closest to the leading edge, both hands now gripping center strut handles.

If you are on both your knees, go into a drop knee stance, applying the pressure to your front foot which will be closer to the front of the board. As the wind starts to pull you up and forward, try getting up onto both feet, keeping the wing slightly above your head and then slowly dropping the wing into the power zone to gain more power.

READY TO FLY Once you feel balanced and there is enough power in the wing, give the wing a few pumps to generate extra speed and forward motion.

At this stage, the board will start to gain speed and the foil will start to activate, causing the board to start lifting out the water. At this stage your heart will begin beating wildly but hang in there, this is where the fun really starts!

As the foil begins to lift, another key is to ensure that you level the board out as soon as possible to avoid “tail wheelies”. Doing a few pumps on the board can help balance out the board and also help prevent the board from stalling.

Keep the wing powered up enough to maintain the glide and use the wing as an additional stabilizer to help maintain balance. As you start your flight, keep your knees bent, twist your upper body in the direction you want to go and hold on tight, adjusting the wing angle according to the power needed.

THE CRASH Yup, the wipeout will no doubt be a part of your learning experience.

As you feel you are about to crash, you can either totally let go of your wing to get the wing as far away from you and your board as possible, or keep the wing close to you and ensure the board is pushed far away from the wing on impact. At all costs, try to keep the wing and foil apart during crashes, for obvious reasons…

THE PROGRESSION It’s a relatively fast-learned sport and as you get the feel of the wing’s reaction while flying, you’ll eventually want to start doing some highspeed turns, jumps and riding. The great thing about wing surfing is that there really are no limits. Mix it up, downwinders are insane, ride waves, boost some mega airs, or simply find some tranquil secret spots to enjoy this exciting addition to foil boarding.

We hope these tips help on your new adventure and look forward to flying with you one day soon.

TO P Those tentative first steps into the arena...

MIDDLE Starting out on your knees...

If you’re new to the wing, you can also check out Foiling Magazines’s Beginner’s Guide to Wing Foiling, available online for free.

B OT TO M This will be you in no time at all...

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W I NGS U R FI N G B AS I C S

R O B BY N A I SH A N D NI L S R O SE N BL A D Within the Maui foil crucible, few brands have been quite so exposed to the foiling boom as Naish have, and with such a rich water sports (and foil) heritage they were primed to be at the forefront of development in the field. For the Wing Commander slot this issue we caught up with product designer Nils Rosenblad, and the captain himself, Robby Naish.

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"WING-FOILING IS ONLY GETTING STARTED. IT IS SO MUCH FUN, SO EASY TO LEARN, SO SIMPLE, AND YET SO HIGH PERFORMANCE THAT IT IS GOING TO BE HUGE." ROBBY NAISH Hey guys. Firstly, there’s few brands in the wind and watersphere that have such a rich heritage as Naish. What’s the secret to staying so relevant in the industry for so long?

RN: There is not really any secret. I grew up in Kailua, Hawaii and spent much of my childhood at the beach, thanks to my dad who was a surfer and Hobie cat sailor. I surfed and sailed as a kid and began windsurfing when I was 11. Pretty much everyone at Naish has a similar story of falling in love with one form of board riding or another. The Naish company has grown out of our passion for wind and waves. Living here in Hawaii, especially on the North Shore of Maui, provides the perfect opportunity to harness wind and waves. There has always been a spirit of experimentation here, where we are constantly evolving and looking at ways to further enjoy the incredible conditions that we have available. That led us from the constantly developing world of windsurfing products, to kitesurfing in 1999, to SUP in 2007, to foiling in 2017 and wingsurfing in 2019. Commercial viability has always been a secondary benefit to developing equipment for ourselves to ride in the beginning. Passion and love for board riding would be our secret, if there was one.

NR: Yeah I don’t think it’s much of a secret – Naish has always been about pushing forward as both technology and sports evolve. Robby is very driven in that regard – he’s a world class athlete in windsurfing, kiting, SUP and now wingfoiling - and you can see that reflected throughout the entire brand.

You guys experimented with foils many moons ago, can you talk us through some of those early experiences?

RN: The first windsurfing foil I ever tried was back in Kailua in about 1977 – they did not work well, but they got you up and flying. Between then and a few years ago, there was only the brief period where a few

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people on Maui, like Rush Randle, were playing with the Air Chair foils. I played with it, but had no great success or real interest, nor did many other people and it kind of faded away. Everything has its time and the time for foiling has certainly come into full force today. The trial-and-error process was fairly quick in the beginning with quite reasonable gear coming into play pretty early on. We have of course come quite a way in the past couple of years in terms of foil shapes, constructions, sizes and our ability to ride them and make them accessible. But we started with such a broad base of knowledge of composites etc, that things have really come together pretty quickly.

NR: The first hydrofoil I had direct experience with was the Air Chair that we modified to work on windsurfers in the mid to late 90s – this grew out of Laird Hamilton’s experiments with foiling tow boards.

I was the head designer at NeilPryde at the time, and we thought foiling might be the future, but the early results were not competitive (racing was mostly done in strong wind at that time). Boy were we wrong! Right after that the Moth dinghy class went to foils – I followed that with interest because one of the driving forces was fellow windsurf sail designer Andrew McDougal. From there, kite foiling started to happen, and then – following the 34th America’s Cup in SF bay in 2013 – foiling just exploded. I began designing foils at Naish when Kai Lenny came to us in early 2016 to see if we were interested in developing surf foils – we were, and with my background in sail and yacht design it was the perfect project for me to really sink my teeth into. Since then, I’ve re-immersed myself in hydro world and it’s been a great run (including being hired into the design team at American Magic, challengers for the 36th America’s Cup).

Did you ever imagine things getting as popular as they are now?!

RN: I really thought that light wind windsurf foiling was going to bring a lot of people back to windsurfing… which it did. I did not

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think that surf foiling was going to be too huge simply because of the skills needed. That has shown to be about on par with where I figured it would be. What I did not expect was the incredible speed at which wingfoiling would take off. I knew it was going to be big because it is so accessible and so much fun. But its popularity has caught me a bit by surprise. A year ago, I could be the only guy out at Kanaha or in Kahului Harbor – today there are twenty to forty people out of all shapes and sizes and ages. It’s awesome!

NR: I don’t think anyone can predict these things, but if you really unpack it in a global sense, foiling is all about efficiency and elegant non-obvious solutions, which is also the path forward in nearly every aspect of a population approaching 8 billion people on a planet with finite resources.

Naish has one of the most comprehensive foil and board ranges in the market. Is it hard to stay on top of development as things move so fast?

RN: It is not hard to stay on top of development at all. The difficulty is slowing it down. Growing, changing, and advancing too quickly is not good for the sport. The longer we can keep it simple and accessible, the better – but that is tough to do. We are always a year or more ahead of where the commercial realities of the product lie. You can only design, prototype, test, develop, approve, implement into production, build, and deliver things to market so quickly...

NR: I believe the key to developing great foils across a wide spectrum of applications is having enough rider and team feedback to identify performance targets and things that, if you could just make them happen, would create a better rider experience. From there, it’s not that difficult to move forward with a combination of CFD modeling, empirical testing and, just like sail design, a decent intuitive sense of how lifting surfaces interact with the flow field. What really sets Naish apart as a brand is the depth and range of foiling talent we have across all sports – we are adding to our internal understanding of what constitutes a ‘great foil’ on a daily basis, and, as a designer, having clearly defined goals and objectives is a huge advantage.

What are the latest developments in your foil and wing range, and what have our readers got to look forward to in 2021?

NR: In the last 18 months, a lot of our focus has been on higher aspect foils, but in general we work hardest at finding the optimum balance between speed, control, pumping, turning etc. for each discipline.

The result is a range of foils that are both specialized enough to be top performers for their primary intended use, but that are also versatile and have huge crossover potential (using high performance kite foils for wing surfing and tow surfing, for example). We also put a lot of energy into engineering to hit reduced weight targets and increase durability and functionality.

RN: Our line is pretty expansive for this season. New glossy finish full pre-preg carbon wings in a multitude of shapes and sizes for windsurf foiling, kite foiling, surf, SUP and wingfoiling are on offer. An updated aluminum mast series as well as full carbon and carbon/glass composite masts are also going to be available this season. Our fully modular system stays in line, so all past and future components are fully interchangeable so that people can mix and match according to their weight, wind, style, ability etc. The line is insane – especially for winging.

As you say, winging has definitely been the big driver of the foil revolution this past year. Do you see this market continuing to grow as fast through 2021?

RN: I think that wing-foiling is only getting started. It is so much fun, so easy to learn, so simple, and yet so high performance that it is going to be huge. You can have a blast in 10 knots of wind and flat water and you do not need a truck load of equipment. On Maui we see hardcore surfers that never had any interest in wind sports until now getting into it. For sure it is appealing to the broadest demographic of any of the sports that I have been involved with in a long time.

NR: Wings and foils have an almost perfect synergy, and I honestly think wingsurfing will become the dominant wind-driven board sport over the next decade. It checks all the boxes – simple, fun, fast, the gear is compact enough to fit in the back of a small car, and best of all it can be done in very light wind which opens up a huge range of potential venues.

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Can you talk us through the development process from ‘idea’ to ‘in the shop’?

RN: In terms of foils, a lot of ideas never make it to the shops. But in general, we start with riding what we have and determining how we would like it to ride differently or how we would like other wings to fit in line with it. More lift, less lift, more speed, better turning, more stability etc. We design everything in CAD, with Nils creating the actual files. We then create CNC prototypes for testing, usually directly with our production facility. Smaller wings can be cut from a solid block of G10, while larger wings require a multi-step process of an inner scarf joint, high density wing sections, and carbon outer laminate. We test various versions of any given design with different foil sections, different wing tip configurations etc. Once we determine which one should go into production, we cut final steel molds and go into production. We test various lamination schedules for weight, stiffness vs flex, and strength. We test them both on testing jigs for break strength as well as on the water. Once we are happy with the construction we sign off and begin production, having them in most shops a few months to six months later depending on the time of year.

L E F T & A B OV E Nils and Robby enjoying the fruits of their labor...

ROB BY NAI S H AND NI L S R OS E N B LA D

So how much time in that process is sat in front of the computer versus ‘on the water’?

NR: Once the design brief is established with Robby and Michi Schweiger [product manager] the bulk of the work is done in the computer. I will select or develop sections that are optimized for the lift and speed targets, and model a range of planforms and front profiles, always being mindful of both the objectives moving forward and rider feedback on existing similar foils. Since becoming involved with the America’s Cup, I’ve also learned some new approaches to data analysis, so spreadsheets have become a much bigger part of my daily program. Once I have something I’m fairly confident in, Robby and Michi come back into the loop and we may make refinements or mods before building a prototype based on their feedback looking at the 3D model on the screen. The moment the prototype is in hand, testing and empirical validation happens very quickly – that’s one of the advantages of being based on Maui where we have excellent testing conditions on average 350 days a year! Also, the importance of rider feedback and ongoing testing cannot be overstated when it comes to creating better products.

RN: We pretty much design everything in CAD now – sails, kites, boards, wings, and foils. But nothing on paper (or on a screen) is ever worth a damn until it has been out on the water and ridden, and not just by me or a top team guy. We include a lot of local riders in our testing. Some better than others, some bigger, some smaller, some easy on their gear and some really tough on everything that they ride. In the end we balance that all out in coming up with a good product that we know is going to do what it is supposed to and make people stoked on the water. In general, there is little point in going to the trouble of prototyping and testing something that we don’t have at least 80% confidence in, but we still take the occasional ‘moonshot’ - just throwing the ball with some pretty wild concepts to see what we can learn - because you never know where a wild/crazy idea might lead!

How important is Maui to Naish as a brand and to the development and evolution of your products?

NR: Naish is a very Hawaii-centric brand with global aspirations, so we really try to strike a balance between getting the maximum benefit from the endless opportunities for development and testing but at the same time developing equipment that is truly universal. I also think the lifestyle and hyper-focused surf culture is a positive because it really pushes us to do better – we see our competitors at the beach on a daily basis, and for sure that hive of activity keeps us motivated and honest!

RN: Maui is a very special place that offers year-round fun and great riding. But we also have to remember that the conditions here are pretty unique and do not always reflect what most people are going to have where they live and ride. We cannot simply test everything at Kanaha and call it good. We need to search out different conditions with different wind angles and different swells etc. We go to Oahu and test. We send stuff to Australia for testing and feedback, or to the Gorge. Maui is a big part of who we are for sure, and we are lucky to live here. It provides us with almost unlimited resources to fully enjoy the sports that we love.

Finally, what are your respective proudest professional moments?

NR: I’m just happy to have the opportunity to work on stuff I love and contribute to the evolution of a couple cutting edge water sports.

Most recently, being hired to work on the America’s Cup is probably the biggest deal for me. That was my dream as a kid coming up in the sailing world, and it’s great to finally check that box after a 35-year detour into high tech beach toy design.

RN: No idea! Fortunately, the good moments keep coming fairly regularly, which is probably why I am still doing this and still having fun at it... I don’t really love the business side of things all that much, but I love to ride. And I love to share the stoke with other people…

A B OV E It's pretty simple: Robby Naish is Naish!

W I N G COMMA N DE R S

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Welcome to The Knowledge...

Being as a good chunk of content toward the latter half of the magazine moves away from tales of high adventure and more into the realms of new gear, tests and technical insights, we’ve decided to separate things a bit. So from this issue on we’ve moved all of our ‘technical’ stuff into one big section here at the back, making it that little bit easier to find and to start plotting the next addition to your quiver…

T HE KNOWL E DGE T EST E D 148

Lift HA 170

148

PWRFOIL Eagle

149

AXIS HPS 980

150

Takuma Kujira

150

Taaroa UP 1600

151

Starboard X-Type

152

Naish HA 1040 & Hover Carbon Ultra

152

SPG Game Changer 1260

153

Slingshot Dart I N BOU ND

154

RRD Modular Foil Range

158

AXIS HPS, BSC, and the Black Series

162

Airush x Starboard FreeWing v2

164

Armstrong HS850

166

Slingshot Dart

168

Taaroa iUp

170

PWRFOIL E-Foil

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LIFT HA 170

curve. With the exception of an extremely subtle upward wingtip flare, it lacks any complex curvatures. At a glance, its unusually thin foil section appears to pull broadly from the DNA within Lift’s existing Surf series. Of course, this is merely a visual overview — the countless details which make it unique are better communicated by numbers. Moving aft, Lift’s 25 stabilizer is their smallest offering, and a thing of beauty. Immensely thin and joined to a beautifully tapered fuselage, the system is a single, un-trimmable piece. A 28” carbon mast completes the package as a stiff, responsive connection to the board. For downwinding, the 32” option is recommended. In all, this beautiful piece of kit is a shining beacon of how far surf foils have come.

A dominant force in the hydrofoil market, Lift is well-recognized for their broad lineup. Across unpowered and powered platforms, these foils are a top choice whether chasing giant surf or motoring up inland waterways… In 2020, Lift introduced their new High Aspect (HA) family, which is composed of three sizes: 170, 200, and 250 (sq/in). With higher aspect wings having become something of a trend within the surf foiling industry for the past eighteen months, the field of crowd opinion has grown as wide as the variety of industry offerings. For a solid read on the nature of high aspect wings, I suggest referring to Dr. George Hradil’s article on the subject in Issue #3. For now, let’s take a dive into the Lift HA 170.

The two month test period during which I familiarized myself with this foil coincided with the onset of winter swells, affording me the opportunity to find its limits on both ends of the wave size spectrum. Test boards were an 18 liter 3’0, 20L 4’0, and a mix of 80-100L SUP and wing boards. Short of big wave towing, the 170 was taken through its paces — and boy, did it bring the goods! Overall, this foil has had a significant and long-lasting impression on my perception of speed and glide. Far surpassing the speeds of even the quickest foils I’ve prone surfed in the past, the HA 170 is a rocket ship.

Armed with the 25 tail, this setup is impressively responsive in pitch, but not unstable for intermediate to advanced riders. At such high speeds, glide distance per pump is tremendous. This foil responds very well to good positioning — that is, flying in proximity to the surface — although breaches in level flight can be challenging to recover from. While the 170’s high speed “gear” is wonderful place to be, the wing is not the most forgiving when attempting to recover from very low speeds, a result perhaps of its thin section profile.

Logic might steer us away from riding such a thin wing for this exact reason, but recall that the 170’s long glide provides a sort of buffer zone to recover should pumping rhythm be temporarily lost.

Assembled from two primary sections like its Surf series brethren, this high aspect foil is clearly a Lift — no surprises there. The molded carbon front wing and central fuselage are connected to the tail and rear fuselage via a male-female connection and two screws. As always with Lift, tolerances are snug and the tail takes some gentle coaxing in order to achieve full insertion and screw hole alignment.

Factoring taper into the calculation, the front wing lands at an aspect ratio of (approximately) 8.7, making it fairly high aspect in the context of the current market. Looking at the leading edge outline, Lift certainly integrated a substantial degree of taper, a feature which stands out somewhat in the high aspect market. From an inline perspective, the wing features a continuous, shallow anhedral

PWRFOIL EAGLE 4.2M PWR Foil are a French company which serve as the foiling offshoot to Redwood Paddle, the established SUP brand. PWR backwards is, of course, RWP. They’ve been developing a carbon foil system to go with their expansive board range, as many of the compact shapes they offer already have foil track systems built in. Their E-Foil has already hit the market and they’ve also cooked up some wingsurf-specific boards, which is where the Eagle wing fits in.

On first glance, it is a simple and unassuming package, with a drawstring stuff sack bag with some rucksack-style straps for practical transport to the beach, and clips for your pump. The wing is proudly emblazoned with a slightly menacing double eagle screen print, adding some theater to your initial inflation. A triple core D3 ripstop and the Dacron tube materials are both sourced from premium Japanese supplier Teijin, and the manufacturing on the wing is up there with the best. Adequate and intelligently placed scuff protection is present to protect the wingtips. A high volume screw-in valve we’ve seen working reliably on kitesurf gear for decades makes inflation rapid. The wing takes up to a recommended 8-9 PSI easily, making for a notable rigidity in the air frame. Weight is kept to a minimum with four sensibly placed handles, making the wing feel balanced between your arms and not building fatigue in your trailing arm.

The handles are fairly large with rigid loops, making transitions simple and confident; there is no fumbling around. The canopy has a medium amount of tension built in, and the now almost ubiquitous floating profiled section behind the strut is present, which probably sits exactly in the middle of most designs like this with most of the curve pushed towards the front of the profile.

On the water, your initial power development is simple and instant.

The canopy feels quite taut and it seems to prefer a slightly higher frequency pump than other wings, and the low end is competitive.

Immediately you notice that the Eagle is rapid in a straight line and there is no vibration at all, even once overpowered. We weighed in the Eagle at just over 2kg wet and that lightness makes the wing very intuitive to handle, and when deployed on the front handle in

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a wave scenario, it is composed and well behaved. Not many wings manage to be both lean and stiff at the same time, but the low diameter taper in the wingtips seem to cut the air efficiently and make some excellent angles upwind, making tacking a cinch.

The Eagle comes in at a seriously attractive price point, but its features, material choice and performance should not be underestimated. It is a refined wing and competes very, very, well with the establishment in all performance characteristics. In the immortal and often quoted words of Neil Armstrong, “The Eagle has [well and truly] landed”. RB

PWRFOIL EAGLE 4.2M POWER DEVELOPMENT

OVERALL STABILITY

DEPOWER ABILITY

UPWIND PERFORMANCE

RESTING STATE STABILITY

EASE OF SETUP

AGILITY

DURABILITY

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The high aspect vs low aspect debate tends to miss the overall performance of foils as a whole. Moreover, aspect ratio is only a small part of what makes a wing good or poor in that moment. Sure, a traditional foil outline might “surf” better in terms of roll rate and predictability through the turn, but on the whole, high aspects can offer a real variety in performance. If you’re looking to get into the high aspect market, remember that they aren’t intended to be a one-stop fix for all conditions, but rather an optimal solution when glide, pumping distance, and sweeping face turns are desired. I bring up this broad point only because it’s important to understand the context before making a judgment call on the Lift’s high aspect.

What sets the 170 apart from other high aspects is its smooth, predictable roll rate, and ability to carry energy throughout the turn.

Its flat profile, when combined with the 25 stabilizer, makes this foil quite loose and skatey as well, lending it strong points in small surf.

In lumpy or open ocean swell, the 170 carries its speed beautifully up and down the face, as if egging on the longest rides possible. In more sizable conditions, the foil’s high pitch sensitivity caters best to those intermediate to advanced riders able to micromanage it.

As expected for a 37” wide wing, wingtips often break the surface in turns. The 170 manages the breaches well, although its looseness in yaw can occasionally make regaining stability a challenge. So, this foil offers great sensitivity and lightning reactivity when surfing, should the rider be prepared to manage it.

LIFT HA 170

For some, the goal of foiling is to emulate a shortboard. For most, though, it’s to achieve the endless glide, speed, and sense of freedom that comes from staying up for unbelievably long. The HA 170 delivers that in spades, and does so all while surfing at a level beyond expectations in the high aspect domain. So whether you’re looking to take your prone surfing to the next level, planning downwinders, or looking for something that’s highly competent for winging, have a look at Lift’s new high aspect lineup. They’re a riot. KVS

GLIDE

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PITCH STABILITY

TRACKING

YAW STABILITY

CARVING STABILITY

SPEED RANGE

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AXIS HPS 980 Not one to let product development stagnate for long, Adrian Roper and his test team have been scribbling at the drawing board again and present a brand new High Performance Speed (HPS) wing collection which bolts (as firmly as ever) onto an all new leaner and meaner Black (B-Series) fuselage.

A design limitation of the original red S-Series was the depth of the fuselage connection, which meant the front wing profiles had to have some extra material in the middle forming a small hump where the bolt heads sat. So when AXIS wanted to push the wing’s parameters towards more efficiency and speed, it was necessary to design a new thinner fuselage system to accommodate the smaller and faster wings. It is compatible with the existing aluminum mast system and ‘doodad’ connection as well as the new carbon mast, which we’ll get onto in a minute.

Looking at the statistics on the HPS 980, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s a touch on the extreme side, particularly with an aspect ratio of 7.49, but in practice this isn’t really the case. Although you’re getting a lot of performance enhancements in speed, glide and general efficiency, there’s still an air of practicality about the 980, providing you have the wave or wind power to get it flying initially. We found it an excellent step up from the 1010mm S series for both wingsurfing and wave driven foiling. There is noticeably less drag during acceleration, and the top end control is impressive. We pushed this with fast waves, fast prototype wings and even resorted to kite power, and the 980 remains completely unflappable and feels precise, lively and composed underfoot. It also remains eerily silent considering the speeds you can achieve. The good news is that for existing S-Series owners, your rear wing collection is compatible, with just a small shim for the stabilizer required. We paired it with the 370 tail for wave work, delivering a free, reactive and grippy cornering experience as well as the 460 flat tail which provided straight line speed, glide and enhanced pumping ability. The front wing connection changes on the Black fuselage to 2 x M8 and 2 x M6 bolts, in a T formation which, in typical AXIS style, is a snug

fit and isn’t going anywhere.

We also got our mitts on an 86cm V2 carbon mast to pair with the 980. The well-finished tapered mast is very sturdy at the track mount and sports two 30mm M8 bolts for the fuselage attachment, which is rock solid. Back to back testing with aluminum is interesting. You get a weight saving of around 600g vs the 90cm aluminum system, which is quite a significant weight drop you can feel when handling your setup. The carbon mast slices the water in a more sleek manner and felt like it made board release a touch earlier. It’s a very stiff mast, but not as stiff as its aluminum counterpart. The controlled flex through the system seemed to smooth the experience through choppier sea states, particularly noticeable when used with a wing. From a cost perspective, it’s definitely an exotic and luxurious offering, but if the budget extends to it, then why not? You can definitely feel a positive difference.

The AXIS range continues to evolve into one of the most comprehensive range of wings and stabilizers on the market and the B-Series wing set extends this in an exciting, and no-compromises, development tangent. RB

AXIS HPS 980 GLIDE

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PITCH STABILITY

TRACKING

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TAKUMA KUJIRA 980 Takuma was founded in 2016 by Cyril Coste, a French Pro waterman with a huge background in kitesurfing, SUP surfing and hydrofoil surfing. The company has had one goal in mind from the outset: To be the first foil-only company with a wide range of products covering all the foiling disciplines. They have had a respected line of foils for the last few years but they broke the mold and turned a lot of heads with the ‘whale inspired’ Kujira…

The Kujira comes in four sizes: 750, 980, 1210 and 1440 cm2. You can choose between an aluminum and monobloc carbon mast platform in various sizes ranging from 65 through to 85cm. It is unique in its design with these interesting tubercles on the leading edge of the wings, inspired by Humpack whales’ pectoral fins combined with upturned winglets. The stabilizer has a thin profile and downturned winglets.

This unique design channels the water flow through the wing profile, and is designed to reduce the drag and offer a faster, more controlled and sensitive hydrofoil.

Mounting the foil on the board is fast thanks to the open drill mounts of the baseplate. Assembling the foil is simple, using only one Torx tool and all fixings are M6. It is extremely rigid and light and the shape of the wings makes it a unique and beautiful hydrofoil. The Kujira main wing has a flat projected length with upturned winglets and looks like any other with its unique thin profile following the curves of these leading-edge tubercles. It looks like nothing else on the market. The stabilizer adopts the same design with downward tips and is provided with a shim. We ran tests over a range of conditions and boards from 3’3 to 5’0 in waves from three to five feet, as well as a healthy amount of wingsurfing on flat water.

Paddling out on the Kujira feels natural. The foil is light and as soon as you give it a little cadence it assists the balance of the board and follows the movements of your body naturally. This is a plus when you are paddling extremely small boards. Again, catching a wave feels natural and the take-off is comfortable. It lifts gradually and accelerates instantly as your feet land on the board.

The Kujira 980 has a graduated lift and is extremely stable at any altitude, deep or close to the surface. The foil is really stiff and any impulse is gradually amplified giving you a highly controlled exponential amount of energy – it builds speed gradually and seems to glide forever. The carving control is ultra-responsive but predictable and you can ride this thing as smooth or as radical as you want. The speed, balance

TAAROA UP 1600 Dedicated hydrofoil brand Taaroa hail from France and have a history in designing and manufacturing foil products stretching back all the way to 2012. They recently showcased some seriously interesting iUp data-driven foils with self-trimming flaps and sensors built in, tech more often seen on America’s Cup boats rather than a windsport foil. It goes without saying they have a solid background in kite and windsurf foiling and have now turned their attention to the rapidly expanding wingsurf and surf foil market.

The Taaroa Up is their friendly cross discipline platform modular foil platform. We were supplied with the mid-sized 1600 for testing along with a HR Freerace 45 RF stabilizer. The full system weighed in at 4.82kg including the top plate which sits around mid-weight with comparable mixed materials systems.

From a build perspective, it is everything you would expect from an in-house European manufacturer and there are some neat touches to enhance stiffness and longevity in the system. The carbon work is

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and stability are mind blowing and it is extremely close to the feeling of traditional surfing. Any good surfer with a bit of background in foiling will shred on that foil in a couple of sessions. It breaches wingtips and sends critical maneuvers with a lot of power and balance. Jumping and landing in the white water is definitely part of the program, as well as going really fast and sending some freestyle moves with a wing.

Pumping the Kujira 980 is efficient. You can pull out from a wave with speed and rely on the amazing glide and give slight pumps to keep it flying without much effort. It needs a little bit of technique as any other higher aspect ratio hydrofoil, and after getting used to its motion connecting waves becomes an instinctive thing. It glides effortlessly through the water and needs to be pumped smoothly. The overall stability and balance allows you to focus totally on the next wave.

Wingfoiling with the Kujira opens new horizons in this sport, giving you a lot of speed and control in your manoevers. The Kujira range covers all the disciplines of foiling from downwind sessions, full speed kite and wing foiling to big wave foiling. The Kujira 980 is a high performing yet ultra-accessible hydrofoil that will suit any intermediate to high level rider. It is one of the most advanced and yet predictable hydrofoils that I’ve had the chance to ride so far on my foiling journey. AB

TAKUMA KUJIRA 980 GLIDE

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PITCH STABILITY

TRACKING

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CARVING STABILITY

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painstakingly neat, and there is not a weave out of place. Both the front wing and stabilizer include titanium inserts molded in where the fixings compress down, making for an ultra-solid and corrosion-free connection. Three sturdy offset M8 bolts hold the front wing to the fuse and clamp it on with zero movement at the joint. The mast is a similarly impressive exercise in composite sculpture, and lightly tapers with a relatively deep chord, offering high-level stiffness in both roll and yaw axis. The mast top connection can be used with a host of different foil box adapters available from Taaroa, as well as the supplied standard 90mm track top plate. The stabilizer crosses over from their windfoil range and is high aspect with 90 degree dihedral winglets to enhance tracking. It has some angle of attack adjustment available by simply sliding back and forth on the fixings – we found the neutral position gave the 1600 front wing a nice balance out of the box. The travel bag supplied is spacious and has compartments for every foil part you could possibly desire, you could easily fit a couple of rig options in there.

In the water, lift is most definitely early for a wing with 1600cm2.

The relatively thick profile in the center of the front wing pops your board up from the surface more rapidly than you would expect. The fuselage length and stabilizer combination give a massive amount of pitch stability and straight line tracking, and the fairly compact span of the front wing means there’s some maneuverability in the roll axis, which means you don’t have to make massive body weight inputs to initiate a turn whether you are paddling or winging. The turn radius

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STARBOARD X-TYPE 1100 Starboard have an obvious lineage in windsurf foiling, and have won the contract for the new searingly fast and spectacular to watch Olympic wingfoil one design class in the form of IQ FOIL, which we’ll see at the Paris games in 2024. With this expertise in house at Starboard, it makes perfect sense for them to release an all-out high aspect speed machine – enter the X-Type – which sits above the S-Type and already fairly rapid E-Type foils in terms of pure pace.

It slots straight onto the front of the very convenient Quick Lock platform we have covered in previous tests.

We mainly tested the X-Type with a wing, and in this context to get the most from it, it suits a smaller low volume board to minimize your windage and maximize warp speed. We paired it with the full pre-preg Carbon Light 82cm mast setup, shorter 31 fuselage tail and the gently swept Razr 250 stabilizer.

It is a featherlight front wing, sitting at 600g on our scales, and the production process is as futuristic as the wing appears itself. High modulus biaxial carbon sits over a foam core fused hydraulically in a high-pressure CNC produced mold. It is even sanded by a friendly robot! In shape it sports a relatively high aspect ratio and a notably thin symmetrical profile. There’s some pronounced gull wing and a fair amount of sweep, and downturned straight edged winglets make it look as if the wings have been clipped. It looks as if every design consideration is geared for high speed and stability.

There’s no avoiding the fact that the X-Type takes some speed and power to get flying, and you soon learn to build speed on the surface before attempting to fly. As you would expect, the low end can feel a little tricky until it reaches the flight threshold. Once it lifts, the initial acceleration and cruising speed is extremely impressive.

For someone already used to riding smaller high aspect foils it is not that big a jump up in terms of skill level, and once it has reached the right speed band it is a gloriously stable experience, and far more grippy round the bends than you would expect, with those large winglets making it feel like it’s on rails. The X-Type remains playful underfoot and maneuverable, but it is not going to make snappy low speed yaw turns. It is a hydrofoil solely focused on speed and power. On the GPS we were clocking a consistent 5mph over our usual top speeds on longer runs.

For most people it is going to be a step-up foil for more critical conditions at the top of their quiver. If you’re familiar with the rest

of the Starboard range, visualize the X-Type as an extension of the E-Type series with a more extreme design brief, and you are on the money. Application-wise, it is going to suit lighter guys for prone with a decent fast take off and large open faces to carve. The X-Type is definitely game for some tow-in and higher wind blasting on a wing or big wave scenarios in general. Expect wide banking turns with plenty of speed and G-Force. It is a futuristic riding experience, and the combination of the extremely lightweight mast and efficient tail means blistering speed feels crisp, reactive and excellent all round. RB STARBOARD X-TYPE GLIDE

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YAW STABILITY

CARVING STABILITY

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tends to be wide and arcing rather than yaw snaps. The foil holds its composure very gracefully around the corners and will be ideal for those making their first turns with a wing, and the stall characteristics are extremely soft. From an outright speed perspective, the Up 1600 can be pushed fast considering its size, and rather than building uncomfortable front foot pressure and instability at the top of its speed range, it seems to just cease accelerating in and settle into a very well-balanced groove.

In summary, the Taaroa Up 1600 is a very well-behaved and friendly allrounder that you won’t outgrow too quickly. It sports high-end boutique manufacturing quality, and crosses over very comfortably between wing, surf and SUP foiling. RB TAAROA UP 1600 FOIL GLIDE

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NAISH HA1040 AND NAISH HOVER 4’8 CARBON ULTRA Naish has come out with its long-awaited smaller sibling, the 1040 HA wing, and an all-new carbon mast with reinforced improvements to mast fuselage connection which fit perfectly as I assembled it all.

The HA1040 has a beautiful gloss finish that really shines and reflects like a mirror. Naish have definitely stepped up the quality again in a currently very competitive market.

I took it for a spin at my local spot, I like to glide fast and on the pedal, this wing turns faster than its bigger brother and still pumps great as the thinner profile creates less drag, it’s part of the high aspect range after all. This is the first HA wing I could snap confidently in the wash, it’s definitely more responsive and lively considering its large wingspan. I rode it with the shortest new fuselage, as I always like test the performance side of gear. The glide is lasting and pretty fast before engaging the pump, and I found it super easy to dial in the rhythm and pump overall. The lift on take-off is clean and controlled compared to bigger wings as I took it into some solid shoulder high drops. It’s impressively stable and predictable with less roll than some foils out there. It feels more of a front foot driven style wing but remains well balanced through its speed range without requiring

you to apply too much front foot pressure. The carves are drawn out , blended with a roll and some pivot-through turns. I was impressed with how adaptable this wing is – it is your true all-rounder and can be playful in all types of waves up to shoulder high and with some energy also for downwinding. It’s a very impressive offering from Naish and this wing will be probably the most ridden and most balanced wing in the line-up for a one-for-all to have a blast on.

The all-new 4’8 Naish Hover Carbon Ultra comes in at 25 litres and immediately put a big smile on my face when I picked it up from Robby Naish and Scott Trudon (Naish Brand Manager). It’s a fantastically constructed piece of carbon and feels like you could run a truck over it and it wouldn’t snap. It just screams ‘ride me’ and reminded me of a Maui skimmer. The shape is very pointed in the nose like a high performance shortboard. The profile is really thin and minimal and that appeals to me opposed to riding higher volume foam.

I paired the board with my personal foil to push this board to my style of riding and best way to fairly test its attributes without changing the goalposts too much. It paddles very easy and smooth. The water was glassy and the first wave felt immediately good under my feet.

Once I dialed in my mast position this board really was a blast, reminded me of short board surfing and got some great snaps off the whitewash and open face. It recovers like a champ with those surf shaped rails. I personally think the traditional surf rails is where it’s at, and we will lose some of the gimmicks found in most boards today and return to known tried and true simplicity. This board was the best 4’10 I have ever pumped due to its narrow nose I think, and with only 25 litres it slices through the air with ease. The rocker seems mainly in the nose with the remainder of the board having a pretty flat rocker overall. This board is really a great multi-purpose weapon, so much so I want to take it for another spin… There is no doubt that you – like me – will have a blast riding this multi-faceted rocket of a board. SR

SPG GAME CHANGER 1260 Signature have been in the high-performance foil game for a few years now, known for the popular 210 Albatross with enhanced glide that allowed you to stay up on the foil for a freakish amount of time. Now fast forward to 2021 and enter the Game Changer mid aspect range. A very appropriate name as it does exactly that…

I picked up the 1260 from Islandfoils in Maui, and Malte was excited to hand them over to me as he had got word I was the test pilot.

I measured it against my current personal foil and at first glance it looked very similar in span and chord, and had the same gull wing so I was fascinated to see how it would perform.

For the first session I took it to Kahalui harbor, I was on my third day in a row of hard foiling and decided it was time to game change it up, I didn’t manage to dial the track position during this session and found it tilted and a little more than my usual surf focused foil which pivots more off the back foot. However, even though my base plate was too far forward, I was amazed how well it went rail to rail even though it rolled and I felt like a drunk driver after stacking it and almost landing on the foil. It pumped very well and had a composed and balanced feel to the glide. It’s 20mm thicker than my usual foil so I had to engage the pump sooner and pump with more gas to the pedal compared to usual but I still pumped far and connected multiple waves with ease.

Enter Session 2 at the Holy Rail. The waves were waist high, almost shoulder high on the sets with low tide dropping. I had the 65cm mast on both sessions as it’s the perfect length for my style. I decided I should put it further back in the tracks like my usual foil and that was a great decision. I dialed it in a few times and found the spot of gold. The Rail is my local spot, so this was the definitive test to see if it has a seat at my place of worship.

From the first wave on the Game Changer on my 3’11 board I found I was back to the back foot foil experience I’m used to with excellent control and a surf yaw snap feel as well. I was banking turns on a dime to get the feel of it, I pumped out connected and got to tear into open swell carves before it stood up on the inside. By the third wave I was confident to lay down some wing tip sprays without any hint of breaching. It recovered well and provided smooth back foot pressure. I then pumped out to a nice set and wrapped it and set

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up for my favorite vertical snap off the lip on the inside. I pulled a hard bottom turn, spotted the lip and banged it, and watched it rain out the back. I pulled it off, and smiled on the re-entry. Once you find the spot of gold in the tracks you will absolutely love the way it instantly heeds your every command.

This foil is for those who want to rip the surf or tear the ions out of open swells. Mid aspects are the middle path to foil enlightenment and Signatures 1260 Game Changer has struck a unique chord that resonates absolute joy. SR SPG GAME CHANGER 1260 GLIDE

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SLINGSHOT DART If you know anything about Slingshot, then you know the iconic brand is on top of any new trend in wind sports and has been for years – be it kite, wind, wing or foil. In fact, Slingshot’s Slingwing V2 has helped jump start the wing foiling craze with its ease of use and stability; it is a very well-behaved wing. Well, Slingshot just released the Dart, a high-performance version that’s a bit on the naughtier side. If you have spotted the Spencer Brothers pushing the stratospheric limits, then you have already seen the Dart in action…

The Dart comes in a tight package, bagged and ready for travel, with a couple of nifty improvements. A new neoprene patch on the front handle protects the hands when floating the wing behind you and built-in harness-line attachments allow you to lock in with Slingshot’s universal harness line (which would be a good idea, given this wing’s power).

In terms of design, where the Slingwing features even wingtips or a neutral outline, the Dart is in fact the opposite with swept-back wings and a much more high-performance shape, it looks almost like a hang glider in fact... There’s a pronounced point to the nose to shed wind well, increasing upwind ability and outright speed. The canopy is noticeably loose and bows under load, and connects directly to the high diameter and super stiff strut. The first thing you notice with the Dart on the water is the acceleration, power and speed off the start – this thing absolutely wants to fly. The raked back wingtips allow the large diameter leading edge to shed wind effectively minimising drag, and translating into raw speed. It has a genuinely slippery feeling through the air and you can feel it want to move you, and move all over the place in your hand. Just go with it. The five nylon straps have been improved from an ergonomics standpoint and the Dart handles impressively. You are able to switch your hands back and forth with ease as you move between regular and goofy foot or turning from an upwind position to head downwind to ride swell. Again, the Dart can sometimes feel like it wants to get away from you, but you get used to it and that independent feeling indicates the sheer amount of power the Dart generates.

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For getting up and going, the massive dihedral allows as easy water start as you can plant one side of the sail down on that water and use the top half to catch the wind at a useful angle. It goes without saying that – as a high-performance wing – the Dart favors smaller boards and higher aspect wings – anything too cruizy and the Dart is going to take it personally…

Overall the Dart is a classic example of Slingshot design. It’s an extreme shape, like someone sketched a paper aeroplane, and almost resembles a product that could be in concept form and stands out distinctively next to the current market trends, but it meets it’s design goals well in raw speed, power delivery and loft, and the on/off power it generates becomes very addictive. JC / RB SLINGSHOT DART POWER DEVELOPMENT

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R R D MODUL A R FOIL RA N G E

Newsflash: RRD have gone all in on foiling. Their new range is – to say the least – comprehensive… (we got a pre-release look at their 62-page catalogue for all things foil… That’s right: 62 whole pages of orange and black foil goodness!). The Italian brand have already enjoyed good feedback on their foil range to date, so we pinned down the boss, Roberto Ricci, and asked him to divulge everything about the new line-up...

An insane new collection of foils for this year – quite a step up.

How’s your foil collection divided up?

This year we have tried to create a completely new idea with our foil collection. We have divided the collection into two big main categories. One is the multisport hydrofoils collection, which involves surfing, SUP, wing and kite foiling, and the other specific collection is the one for wind foiling, since the design and the type of usage with the wings for windsurfing is very different from the one you use for all the other sports of foiling.

Your development team have clearly been at the drawing board during the last year and have produced a really comprehensive range of cross discipline foils. Who’s on the design team?

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er as well and has been in this business for over 25 years, and he has a large understanding of the mathematics of the foil and has been designing a lot of different types of wings in the past as well as windsurfing fins before that. He has a large understanding of how the dynamics work on a hydrofoil. So he’s the designer and I am the product manager for the whole hydrofoil collection. Then coupled with my composite materials expertise we are able to form a very strong team of both design and product management that has led us to really make huge improvements from the first approaches we made into hydrofoiling about seven years ago.

Where have you been testing and who has been in the test crew?

We have been testing this year’s collection between the Mediterranean Sea, Italy, Sardinia Lake Garda and Galicia in the north of Spain, and also in Cape Town at the beginning of 2020. The testing crew has

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been myself, with Matteo Guazzoni (our marketing manager, who is also a very good wing foiler) together with Julien and Camille Bouyer from France. Francesco Cappuzzo and Carl Ferreira have been really involved with the testing of the different wind and kite hydrofoils.

And then last but not least for the SUP and surf foiling, Abel Lago has been very into it, as has Jacopo Giusti, our kite and surf marketing manager. I try to get as many people as possible into the testing process of the hydrofoils, testing them with a range of riders of different abilities in different conditions.

How many prototypes do you think you have looked at?!

Well I have about 45 front wings that we’ve been designing and building ourselves between Italy, China, South Africa and our custom factory in Grosseto, Italy! Plus we have been testing a lot of the competition’s foils, about 12 different brands, so we have extensive knowledge about where the other brands are at too, and this is very important for our work to be able to look at what the other brands are doing. We’re not shy in saying that, as it’s very important to know the status quo of all the other brands, and it makes us very comfortable and confident in our new range.

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Do you test behind a boat or a ski to get a feel for different designs before taking them out in the surf/wind?

Absolutely. Whenever it’s flat and there’s no wind or there’s no surf, we’ll take out a Jet Ski or a little Zodiac with a 10-horsepower outboard engine, and we also have a 54-foot yacht to create a solid wake as well, so we can go out in different conditions and test. We do a lot of this “pre-testing”, and we are constantly out in the water.

What sort of fixing systems are you using?

For the fuselage to the masts, we switched from M6 Torx screws to M8 Torx throughout. We feel that our screw system is the fastest, safest, and most practical system available. Then we’ve also been expanding the thickness profile of our masts so again we are able to use the M8 screws which we think are much faster and more solid than M6. Then we have a CNC’d aluminum fuselage that connects the front wing with three screws and the rear wing with two screws, all positioned on the same lower side of the foil. The new system to connect fuselage with mast has been redesigned with a wider base to connect to a wider width fuselage, drastically improving torsional stiffness in this super sensitive area.

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How cross compatible are the components across the different constructions?

In the multi-sport range, we have the same fuselage that’s attached to the mast as all the other foils. So you’re able to use and to crosslink every front wing and every rear wing and every mast, both the carbon one and the aluminum one, without any problem. You can buy a Universal foil or a Dynamic Pro foil and vice versa, use a shorter fuselage or a bigger wing... whatever you like. They’re all cross-compatible.

What is an 85cm carbon mast weighing in at?

UNIVERSAL FUSELAGE 100 / 89 / 76 / 66 / 58 CM

The new SWK Carbon mast is weighing in at 2.15 kilograms, with a super wide base plate. It’s a lightweight mast and it has a huge stiffness on both crucial directions. Side and torsional stiffness are way more important than lighter weight and – although there are a variety of masts which are lighter than two kilos – they are not as stiff as our SWK Carbon mast. If it’s not super stiff, you don’t go straight, and you’re going to have a lot of problems when riding…

Where have you been testing given the Covid situation?

Well, we’ve been testing mainly in Italy for the last six months which has been offering great conditions, especially for wing foiling which is the fastest growing part of the hydrofoil family, and as the wind in Italy is quite light we’ve been testing large wings which we will be bringing into the line-up. We’ve been testing every single day, and thanks to hydrofoiling, life has changed and I’m out on the water even more often than I used to when I was living on Maui or in South Africa! Although I have been missing the waves…

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FRONT WINGS

DYNAMIC CARBON - 106 / 2000

DYNAMIC PRO CARBON - 83 / 1500

DYNAMIC CARBON - 98 / 1700

DYNAMIC PRO CARBON - 74.7 / 1200

DYNAMIC CARBON - 90 / 1400

DYNAMIC PRO CARBON - 66.4 / 900

UNIVERSAL CARBON - 110 / 2400

DYNAMIC PRO CARBON - 55.5 / 700

UNIVERSAL CARBON - 82 / 1582

UNIVERSAL - 110 / 2400

UNIVERSAL - 82 / 1582

REAR WINGS

DYNAMIC PRO CARBON - 42 / 250

UNIVERSAL CARBON - 44 / 290

DYNAMIC PRO CARBON - 37 / 210

UNIVERSAL CARBON - 52 / 373

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UNIVERSAL - 52 / 373

UNIVERSAL K CARBON - 38 / 262

UNIVERSAL K - 38 / 262

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Uptake of wing surfing has gone ballistic in the last six months.

What in your range is the benchmark beginner wing setup and what would you recommend following that as the step up foil?

The wing scene has been really ballistic in the last six months for sure! I think it’s going to definitely be the one area that develops the fastest this summer. The best beginner foil for us is the SWK Universal foil both in the 1600cm2 or 2400cm2 for the heavier rider and this basically our benchmark for a beginner, be it in a school or where you want to have just one foil that will do it all.

How does the aspect ratio vary across your foil models in different front wing sizes?

Well, the aspect ratio is as low as possible on the Universal foils. The chord of the Universal foils varies from a 27 to 30 centimeter chord, so it’s a very wide chord which allows you to have a very reliable front wing as well as a thick profile, varying from 28.5mm to 30mm, so it’s a very thick type of wing that will give you good lift but at the same time it’s quick enough to get you going through your first 360s, jibes and tacks and basic freestyle maneuvers.

Then of course as you step up to the Dynamic front wings, which have a chord between 22 and 23cms, these allow for high speeds.

Then if you really want to step up to the next level you have the Dynamic Pro wings, which are all a different type of design and with a much thinner profile. Of course, you need to have more wind or more skills to get you going but definitely you have the potential of reaching even higher speeds.

How do you see the foil market breaking down now, is winging the biggest sport then windsurf/kite then surf?

Pretty much that, winging is definitely the biggest part of our hydrofoil sports approach now. But of course, for us, we have a lot of windsurfing in the background of our company. So we have a lot of windsurfers both on the freeride and freerace side, and also pro riders who want to use our foils. But yes, wing foiling is definitely the biggest opening right now, then kiteboarding and surf.

You have a very comprehensive range of foil boards too. Can we expect to see any new developments in this department too?

Absolutely. We have a beautiful new range of foil boards! You’re already familiar with the 170 and the 160 models in the Beluga range, and we’re now developing an additional four new models, the Beluga 175 at 125 liters, the 165 at 90 liters, the 150 at 55 liters, and the Beluga 140 at 35 liters. We’re also going to come out with a new collection of specific kite foil boards called Manta, and we’re going to keep the Dolphin boards as the hybrid collection between surf and kite, which has been one of our best-selling boards throughout the whole range. Last but not least we’ll keep our Pocket Rocket line of boards for wind foiling and wing foiling for beginners, and our Hi-Flight foil boards for the entry/school level riders.

Another interesting additional part of the new foilboard range is our Air Belugas, our inflatable foil board collection, which is going to come out in four different lengths and four different liter categories, which are going to be for people who want to travel with the board, so you can pack them up really neatly in a very special bag we designed, and will also be great for schools.

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INBOUND

AXIS HP S, BSC AND BL ACK SERIES FUSEL AGES

AXIS are not ones to rest on their laurels. Constantly in development, the brand live and breathe foiling. We caught up with AXIS’ very own Evan Mavridoglou to talk about their new front wings and Black Series fuselages…

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What role does the latest release – the Black Series fuselage – have in the AXIS foil range?

As we were developing the new collection for 2021, we wanted to push speed and higher performance on some of our foils. Winging is becoming a big part of foiling, and with winging you get the ability to go faster. Much faster than with most other forms of foiling. So we wanted to add faster wings that would push the winging progression further. The market was missing that high aspect wing that performs with high speed but also is very stable and still very user-friendly.

Now in order to get there, we had to design a new foil section with less camber, and narrower chord than the rest of our wings.

For any tech heads out there, Camber is the convexity of the foil curve from the leading to the trailing edge and is described as a % of the chord relative to a straight line. So, we got to a 2.5 camber (as a % of the chord) and narrowed the mean average chord between 139mm all the way to 122mm – so very efficient wings with less chord, lower camber and low drag, designed for high speeds and stable riding.

What that pretty much creates is high aspect, low drag wings, which are really fast, but also really stable at higher speeds. So for these wings we developed the Black Series fuselages which fit our HPS (High Performance Speed) and the smaller sizes of the BSC (Broad Spectrum Carve) front wings.

How does the Black fuselage compare with the S-Series?

The Black Series and S-Series fuselages are very similar with the only difference being the thinner connection join for the thinner wings.

Due to the thinner profile of the join section, on the Black Series fuses we use 2 x M6 x 14mm front screws and 2 x 18mm x 20mm front screws, to strongly secure the wings to the fuselage. The S-Series fuselages use either 3 or 4 x M8 screws, depending on the front wing.

Tell us about the new HPS wings, and what was the feedback that motivated you to develop them?

HPS stands for High Performance Speed. Foiling is progressing very fast and people want to go a lot faster, turn faster, and ride waves faster. So, in our quest to find the perfect foil section that is fast and that's also very stable, we designed the HPS Series wings.

The foil section of the HPS foils is an 11.37% foil with a lower camber of 2.5%. It has a very wide range where it operates very smoothly and is very stable. Its starting point to operate is a little faster than other wings. It runs faster with very low drag and is stable and easy to use.

For me one of the amazing things on the HPS is that they don’t lose speed turning. And this makes the HPS wings way better for tacking and gibing. Also, the HPS’ ability to glide through lulls is an amazing feature, as they are fast and have very low drag.

But they're not just fast wings, they're actually really easy to ride at speed, and they turn really well. Traditionally it was thought that a wing had to have turned down tips and a swept back outline to be any good at turning. The HPS wings are near flat, they have no sweep and they carve amazingly. This is mainly due to the twist we have incorporated in the blades of the HPS wings. We use this tech in the Broad Spectrum Carve wings as well.

So the HPS wings are fast, stable at speed, efficient due to low drag, and turn really well. But how fast is fast? It’s still early days. We asked some of our team riders to try and push the limits of an early version of the HPS 980 front wing, and see what kind of results they could get. The results were encouraging. Lucas Walton Kiem in New Zealand has gone 45.7 kph on his first day trying the HPS wings with a hand wing. Encouraging results for the first day ever used!

Why do you need the little rear shim to Match B-Series front wings with the S-Series stabilisers?

So the Black Series fuselage is 1 degree less than the S-Series fuselage. The HPS wings run faster and generate their optimum lift at a faster speed with a lower angle of attack. So a +1 degree shim seems to help riders adjust to these new wings but most seem to drop the shim once they get used to it. Some of our new rear wings, like the 420, 380 the 460 and 400 flat are set at 1 degree less than our other rear wings. +1 degree provides a little more stability at slower speed.

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How much development time does it take to design a series of wings?

To develop a new series of wings takes over a year and multiple team members from all over the world. We're in a continuous research and development program – we don't do seasons, even though we're pushed by the market to call our collection the AXIS 2021 collection.

When we feel that we have a significant breakthrough, then we'll release them. Take the all-round series as an example, the 1020 and the 920 front wings. We designed those wings over three years ago and still today they're some of the easiest and most user-friendly beginner and all-round wings on the market.

So this year we felt the market was missing the medium aspect ratio wings, wings that are very easy for beginners, but will not slow you down. Wings that can go fast and turn really well, but are friendly for all levels. These are the Broad Spectrum Carve wings on the bigger sizes - the 1120, 1060 and the 970.

The Broad Spectrum Carve (BSC) wings take some of the lessons we learnt on the HPS and then taken to a medium aspect ratio. They are super easy wings to use and faster than our original all round.

This is due to a nice new foil section at 14% and 3% camber and an outline with little turndown and zero tip sweep but twisted wings to allow smooth carving without slowing down in the turn. Just amazing wings for all levels.

The market has not seen this kind of wing before, so we're very excited to release something brand new. By medium aspect, we're looking at anywhere between 6.2 and 6.5 aspect ratio. Other companies would consider those their high aspect wings, but for us these are the medium aspect wings which have a specific foil section that we've been developing for quite some time now. We feel that the Broad Spectrum Carve wings could be the one style of wings that people can learn on, and keep them as they are progressing through their foiling journey.

How do you go about prototyping and testing?

We own both our production factories and our own workshop in New Zealand. So sometimes we'll modify a foil section on existing wings, sometimes we'll add extensions on existing wings, we create our new molds for testing purposes, but when it comes to big changes, we actually build production level molds. Sometimes we'll have to modify the molds or build new molds. It's a mix and match. If we find a way to make our design or construction of our wings better, we won’t wait till next year. We will go ahead and implement that to where it’s relevant, no matter the cost or level of effort. We want to be the top foil product on the market, and we do whatever is necessary to achieve that goal.

Do you benchmark against other prominent foil brands?

Honestly, we rarely look at what other brands are doing. We mainly listen to the market through our distributors and dealers, customers, team riders, trusted advisors and our own experience. We usually design our wings with a certain use in mind – so for example we might design a wing that we feel is going to be next level for, let's say, SUP foiling and downwinding. When it gets into the hands of our riders, we start seeing them using our wings for other disciplines as well, which we've seen happen many times. So it's really our own user group, customers and our own team riders that push us in a certain direction. But we're also looking at the trends, and we're looking at our own use of our product and how it performs for us.

Foiling is such a fast-paced sport, and AXIS wants to be at the absolute forefront of every discipline on the market. Right now we see a big progression on winging, because we feel that winging is about the absolute essence of foiling, combining wind, waves, surf and it's a great platform for both testing and seeing how our products perform. Surfing is also at the core of our products. And combining elements across different foiling disciplines opens up new findings and potential for outstanding products on all foiling categories.

At the same time, we have a lot of development in areas that other companies might not necessarily care as much about. For example, we feel that pumping and flat water dock starting is an actual discipline, and that's why products like the 1150 Pump and Glide (PNG) front wing which we think is the de facto best flat water pump per-

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former in the world! We want to be the company that focuses on every foiling discipline and have the best foils on the market for each, being at the forefront of the development, producing a technical product which is still accessible, reasonably priced, and the highest quality possible.

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AIRUSH X STARBOARD FREEWING AIR V2

The successful wing collab between AK Durable Supply Co’s kite department (Airush) and Starboard continues, with the release of next generation of their iconic FreeWing Air. We spoke with Airush/AK’s Brand Director Clinton Filen to find out what changes have been made…

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Hey Clinton! So first up, walk us through the main difference between the FreeWing V1 and V2…

Well one of the more visible changes are the optimized windows, we were able to reduce the window size by up to 50% and really fine tune the positioning. The outcome is a great compromise between reducing weight while maintaining excellent visibility. From a structural side, we increased diameter of the center strut connection to enhance the high-end stability of the wing. This is an area we have already had a lot positive feedback on, but we wanted to further improve higher wind and jumping performance, along with general responsiveness. We did a lot of refinement in the larger sizes, going to a shorter center cord and more vertical LE this works with the refined wingtips to keep the larger sizes more manageable. There have also been key changes to the components such as reduced length leashes optimized for each size and a much larger bag that is easier to pack and can also include your pump.

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We are seeing wing designs break away now into more wave-focused and more speed-focused wings - where does the FreeWing sit on this continuum?

Our focus for the FreeWing Air has been to develop the best allaround performance wing on the market. We wanted something that was easy enough to use on your first day, but still high performance enough for the highest-level rider. We developed with a diverse group, including newcomers the sport and all the way to riders such as Zane Schweitzer and Victor Hays who are pushing the limits of wing riding every day.

Talk to us about the refined wingtips. What makes these easier to pull out of the drink?

We have refined the angles of the wingtip, to avoid them catching in the water, which is important from learning to landing rotations. This works in conjunction with the shorter center cord and more vertical LE updates on the larger sizes.

You’ve also now gone all the way down to a 2m wing. How does that perform and where did you test it?

The 2m is a lot of fun for those very windy days, and we have these a lot on Cape Town where we do a lot of the development. But more importantly winging is a great youth sport as it is safe even if it is windy. We are also seeing increased use in non-foiling winging and even non-water applications.

Some great colorways too - do you think we’ll see some more playfulness with design now the industry is a few gens in?

We were looking at a range of colors that appealed to a broad range of people, and the pink for sure is more playful, and also might appeal more to the female customer (not that we want to put anyone into boxes!). Winging has a huge element of freeride and fun, and we need to celebrate that!

Going back to the windows, tell us about why you’ve shifted them, and the added windows on the larger sizes. What was the thinking here?

Moving the windows forward really helps you too see where you are going, as opposed to looking straight downwind. The tall window helps when you are turning, specifically at the bottom section. The larger sizes have a small rear window to help visibility when the big wings tend to block everything. We have noticed the water getting busier every day and for most levels of riding, having an optimized window is a great benefit.

AK's Brand Director, Clinton Filen

You mentioned the non-foiling applications, have you done any testing with strapped surfboards?

We have done a fair amount of development on non-foil boards, and this helps to reinforce the huge potential of the wings. Right now, it is a small niche on very small boards, but we are still at the very beginning. As much as we have a performance DNA in our company, we have also always focused on accessibility and ease of use, even at the high end, we want to create very useable performance.

Is there any particular area where you foresee major wing developments in the future?

We collaborated with our sister brand Starboard on the project, so it is incredible to bring their SUP and windsurfing development thinking ideas into our Kite and Surf mindset. I honestly feel there are so many directions wings could go, and we are exploring quite a few key areas. Wings are interesting machines and the possibilities right now are endless…

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ARMSTRONG HS850

Photo: Georgia Schofield

Armstrong’s iconic black and white striped wing range grew one bigger recently with the New Zealand-based brand dropping their new High Speed (HS) 850 front wing. We got hold of head honcho Armie and dug deeper for the detail…

The HS850 has been much hyped amongst the foil community.

What does it bring to your line-up?

Simply put, the 850 fills out our HS range for kiting, winging in high wind, and for smaller or more advanced riders wanting to rip in decent surf, both prone and tow.

Where does it sit compared to the other wings?

The HS850 is primarily a tow foil for mid-sized surf, as well as a fast prone setup option for smaller people and a performance kite foil. It has a little higher aspect than the 1050 to increase the pump potential of the smaller foil, but still has slightly less span overall than the 1050, to make sure it can be turned in the pocket for max fun.

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So lighter riders can prone surf the HS850 in more average conditions?

Yes, for sure with a decent wave – it’s not a small wave choice but as soon as there is a decent amount of energy in shoulder high surf it is very rippable. Take-off speed is at around 9-10 knots depending on rider weight. I’m 90kg and can pump it into second and third waves when it’s head high or above.

You have been making lightweight high-end foils for a while now – how has the production process evolved for you?

That is a very long story, maybe we can talk more on this sometime!

It’s going fantastically now we are partnered with the right high-end supply chain experts, but that has been the result of over six years hard slog working out all the gremlins…

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What sort of GPS figures have you been seeing with the HS850?

Easy cruising in the low 20 knot range – but as with all our foils, it’s really about how they feel to turn, rather than top-end speed…

Which stabilizers from the range is it best paired with?

HS232 at +1 or the 232 chopped to 212 also at +1. Then with the TC60 or 50 fuselage. Watch out for our new range of smaller, faster, looser tail options coming very soon for the rippers – and the new precision Pro shim tuning kit that will come with them.

Explain the chop shop option to us? Who’s been modding your product?

This all started with rippers like Brian @Foiltheworld. Those guys were foiling almost every day in near perfect Hawaiian conditions, and getting good real fast, so wanted more speed and reactivity out of all the foil gear they were riding. They started chopping the tails down on all the foils they used. It was actually a good way for them to easily upgrade the gear they had, as they improved. I decided we may as well make the internal construction work with this and put some marks on for the frothers who were ready to chop, and it made me laugh a lot.

Photo: Paul Schrader

So tails make a lot of difference?

Tails make a huge difference to both the stability and performance of any foil. It is really important for anyone when getting into foiling that they have a stable tail setup to help them progress – but the trade off with bigger more stable tails is speed and feel in turns.

The main ingredients are tail size/shape, thickness and angle. To start with, as you improve, flatten the angle on your tail to increase speed, then when you are fully comfortable with your tail trimmed as flat as possible, try a smaller tail, or chop off the tips of the one you have…

We’ve got shots in the mag of yourself and Bevan Gooch winging down in southern NZ. Were you out on the HS850 then? And has Bevan been involved in its production at all?

Photo: Paul Schrader

I use the HS850 to wing when the wind is steady over 16 knots and would have mixed it up with the 1250 and 1850 on the lakes depending on wind during those Southland NZ lake sessions. Bevan has been fully involved with testing all our production from the start – after breaking all the other gear he tried when he was starting out.

He is a super talented and humble NZ local ripper, and a 90kg ball of muscle – so perfect to test the durability of our gear. If it can last the Goochy thrashing it every day it’s good to go. We are lucky to have him on our team.

The HS850 is also pitched at big surf. Are we talking maxing Nazaré?

Powerful surf yes – but proper big waves are another level. We currently have an HS625 that has more top-end range but even that is way too big for serious big waves over 20-foot Hawaiian. In reality I haven’t seen anyone foil maxing Nazaré – it’s heavy enough on a tow board when its maxing – and I doubt any production gear would get even close to that sort of wave when it’s maxing – but there is always room for prototype gear that can push boundaries in those areas, like Kai and Laird have been doing for years. In fact, some of the early Jaws foil footage of Laird on a modified Mike Murphy sit down foil is still some of the smoothest big wave foil riding I’ve seen. I think we can make progress in this area, but it will be quite different to current production foil gear.

In what discipline are you seeing the biggest uptake in performance foil wings right now?

Definitely wing foiling. It is one of the best ways to get into foiling and will bring many new stoked people onto all other foil disciplines. Also winging on its own is so fun, with new things to learn every day!

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SLINGSHOT DART

Wing fans will no doubt have spotted Slingshot’s new Dart wing in advance of its official release in January, with team riders regularly posting some fairly mind-bending clips highlighting its capabilities. We got on the keyboard and fired some questions over to Slingshot’s Wing Brand Manager, Wyatt Miller…

Hey Wyatt. A new year, a new wing. Tell us about the Dart…

The Dart was meant to define a new category in wing and escape the monotony of wings designed for drifting down swell. It is a hard charging speed machine with tons of acceleration and insane loft in jumps.

So tell us where the Dart sits alongside the SlingWing V2?

The V2 was designed to be a drifting wing. We wanted it to go upwind very well and then disappear behind you when you luffed downwind from swell to swell. It has a very small LE. This provides it with great upwind ability, and it slips through the air when luffing. It has minimal dihedral which makes it extremely stable in luffing flight and does not oscillate. In short, it is a very well-behaved wing that allows the rider to focus on riding swell. The leach is very tight and so it goes quickly from powered to no power as the draft flattens when luffing. The negatives of this small LE is that it is prone to folding and

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dumping power in higher winds when not pumped up to a higher PSI. So it sacrifices a bit of low-end and overpowered ability to excel in upwind riding and downwind drifting.

The Dart was designed to be the exact opposite. It was made for speed, jumping and backflips. It has a huge LE, a deep draft, and tons of dihedral. It is not a well-behaved wing (so not a beginner wing) and does not drift very well due to both oscillation and the massive LE creating drag. The trailing edge billows like an old-school hang glider and provides a significant power source. The air flowing over the large LE and into the trailing edge billow give it incredible loft in jumps.

Normally such a huge LE would make a wing slow and not very good at going upwind, but the pointy nose and raked back wing tips of the Dart shed the vast majority of the headwind and give it a much higher top speed, better acceleration, and good penetration into the wind.

Instead of having the whole big LE exposed to the wind and creating drag, the pointed nose and swept back wing tips make it quite aerodynamic. The speed difference is immediately noticeable.

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So talk us through your Dart customer?

The Dart is for raw power and speed and should not be the first wing you buy. It is designed to be used in high winds for jumping, speed reaches and backflips. To a complete newbie, its locked in power and forward pull can be a bit unruly. For a proficient winger it will allow them to go faster, jump higher and stay up in the stratosphere longer.

It is really unlike anything on the market right now. When you look at a big line-up of various brand’s wings they all really have that same “built for drifting” outline. This Dart looks like a fighter jet, and acts like one.

How does the Dart fair in a wave scenario?

If I am doing a downwinder with friends and want to focus on riding swell the V2 is still my choice. The V2 disappears behind you and you barely know it is there. The Dart you need to control with your wrist during luffing. The dihedral makes it want to cant to one side, and it is more likely to flip over. For the same reason it is much easier to flip back over. In some of the Spencer Brothers' videos you can see the Dart flip over and it still flies very well upside down, then they just tap one wingtip with their hand and it flips back over super easy. If you are really ripping in the waves, chances are you also want to go fast, jump and do tricks and you would gladly sacrifice a little unruliness in luffing.

How much faster is it than the Slingwing V2? Have you seen anything on the GPS? And how does the weight stack up in the same size?

I haven’t broken out the GPS yet. The Spencer Bros showed me theirs at 36mph. When I go back and forth between V2 and Dart the speed and acceleration difference is immediately noticeable. I have the V2 4.5 at 4.2lbs vs. the Dart 4.5 at 5.2lbs, so there is a significant weight gain with all the Dacron in the Dart’s leading edge.

We’ve been seeing Jeffrey Spencer throwing all kinds of loops on the Dart. Who was involved in the product research and development?

The Dart was really the brainchild of Slingshot Co-Founder and Designer Tony Logosz. He works closely with the Spencer Bros on foil and wing development and all three of them really wanted a wing that was designed purely for speed and jumping. They had gotten a bit tired of drifting and riding swell and saw a gap in the market in wings designed purely for speed and jumping. To tell you the truth I was not a fan of the early Dart prototypes that Tony sent down to me in Baja (I have a feeling Tony sent me all the rejects and sent the Spencers all the good ones, ha!). For months the Spencers’ kept telling me how good it was, but it was not until I got up to Hood River and borrowed one of Tony’s final samples that I had the “Ay Caramba!” moment. I was out at a big swell spot east of Hood River with 25 knot winds and waist high swell. I locked in a bunch of speed and took aim at a nice steep ramp. I must have jumped 20 feet easy, MUCH higher than I anticipated. What threw me off was that I just hung there… there was so much loft that it felt like I was stuck in the air and I kinda lost control/timing with my feet and wanted to kick the board off. Honestly it freaked me out. On the way home I couldn’t stop thinking that this must be what a kid witnessing winging for the first time must imagine it to be… cartoon-like loft and hangtime. I got home that night, wrote a big email to the top brass and we moved straight to production.

Without giving the game away, how would you start to develop the Dart concept even further?

The next step is to tune down some of the Dart's bad habits. Less dihedral would remove its inclination to roll during luffing. However, that roll is kind of cool for flips, you want it to roll over naturally during a backflip so you are not trying to force it with your body. We have some new prototypes that are even more compact in span (it’s already very compact compared to a V2). Further sweeping back the wingtip angle would improve upon the concept of the nose piercing the wind for upwind penetration and further reduce frontal drag. It is a really good platform as is, but we continue to have a blast tweaking it.

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TA AROA IUP

ACT UATED FOI L TECHNOLOGY

Following on from our introduction of the world’s first intelligent foil – the iUp – a few issues back, we got in touch with Team Taaroa on the eve of its launch, to discuss the continued innovation of their AI system, and how you can program in the kind of session you want to have…

What inspired Taaroa to build Artificial Intelligence into a hydrofoil system? This is pretty exciting and pioneering technology...

We believe hydrofoils are opening a new dimension in all kinds of water sports. However, there are limitations with existing hydrofoils: static geometry, instability, and a narrow range of use depending on conditions. With the iUP, we are replicating a simple concept that originates from aviation technology: embedded electronics and adaptable wing geometry. At lower speeds, the iUP’s Autopilot will lower the foil’s wing flaps to allow for a very low take-off speed; it then retracts the flaps as the foil accelerates, for better speed and overall performance. The Autopilot technology manages foiling’s natural instabilities, which will enable adoption of this technology in many different foiling disciplines, such as wing and kite foiling, but also in even more extreme conditions, such as big wave riding. That said, it is still human-powered A.I.! Users can interact with the Autopilot and change the navigation settings through a smartphone app. Additionally, the front wing geometry can be adjusted manually using the smartphone app before riding and can be locked in a specific position.

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How tough is it developing a front wing that reacts differently to all different angles? Surely there are many, many more parameters to consider than with a static wing?

This is really tough indeed! Our wing has been developed over hundreds of hours of designing, programming, and testing. The challenge is finding the balance between different conditions, foiling disciplines, and riders’ styles. We therefore designed the front wing’s behavior and response to be programmable by the riders themselves, so they can adapt the iUP’s pre-set behavior to their own feel and style. In addition, all riders can choose to share their navigation data with our team, in order to enhance the performance of the wing over time. The engineering and industrialization of the wing was also a significant challenge.

Could you tell us more specifically about the engineering of the iUP’s front wing?

The front section of the wing is attached to the fuselage in the same manner as a regular wing. In fact, we use the same mounting sys172 172

tem as our classic hydrofoil wings. The wing flaps, located at the back of the wing, operate on a subtle hinge, making the wing literally bend. We call it Actuated Foil Technology. The wing flaps are similar to those you would typically see on the wing of an airplane. These dynamic elements are electrically actuated with servo motors – so strong that they can each lift a human being – and are an integral part of the wing, molded in flexible carbon fiber.

We understand you drew some inspiration for the iUP’s front wing from supercars?

We were considering several options for integrating the flaps into the front wing of the iUP. Along that journey, we were inspired by the McLaren Speedtail supercar, as the specially-designed, elongated rear tail of the car is also integrated directly into its body. The iUP being such a breakthrough in the foiling world, it was important for us to design a new wing that would reflect that high level of technology, design and performance.

We’re also aware you are involved a bit with racing boats. Can you tell us anything about this?

The stability issue in racing boats is comparable to hydrofoils designed for surf sports, just on a different scale. Our experience in aerospace engineering, sensor technology, and flight control systems is also helping us to design navigation systems for hydrofoil boats. As such, our algorithms can also be used to review data and do continuous performance management on the new generation of hydrofoil racing boats!

How does the wing respond to user input in the autopilot function?

The answer is: it depends! The Autopilot can be set to control the dominant axes of the foil (pitch and roll), or angular rate (speed and frequency). Therefore, it can give a more smooth or rigid ride, depending on the speed and performance desired by the rider. Generally speaking, we try to enhance maneuverability at lower speeds and add more control at greater speeds. The result is a wing profile that constantly adapts to changing speed and creates the feel of a surface area from 100cm2 to 2400cm2.

What methods do you use to test the platform in practice and how has the feedback been from riders?

We use several different methods, including numerical simulations, real-life sessions with testers, and an autonomous testing platform.

Rider feedback has been instrumental to iterate and streamline the iUP’s development to create the right settings for each sport. Experienced riders were amazed to be able to highlight issues, talk to our engineers, change a few things on the Autopilot on the beach, and then go back to the water and notice the corrections. Some said that it felt like being a Formula One driver…

And does it make life easier for beginners?

Yes for sure, for less experienced riders we focused on finding the right balance between assistance and rider manual control, as you would in a modern high-performance sports car. In any case, you can really feel the flaps providing corrections in real time, which gives an impression of comfort, safety, and performance.

What is the purpose of your autonomous testing platform, and how does it work?

This is a good story. Our headquarters are in Switzerland on Lake Geneva, and it gets really cold in winter. It became hard to find testers willing to stay on the water for hours to conduct real-life fatigue testing on the foil. Due to this, we decided to put an electric propeller on the iUP, and using the frame of an efoil, we were able to test the iUP for hours and hours, without any human rider. We could control the iUP directly from the shore using a 4G connection, and study all the navigation data comfortably from our warm office!

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Where do you see the iUP’s concept going when applied across all foil sports?

Many people ask why we are bringing such an innovation to water sports. In fact, sports are a very interesting playground to push innovation, and athletes are always looking for better ways to perform.

Our technology can be leveraged for all other foiling sports, especially for sailing or efoiling. There are also many other applications and possibilities for our technology beyond foil sports, ranging from recreational boating to autonomous navigation on the water.

Last question: when will the iUP be available?

We start pre-orders on March 15th, and are closing a round of validation testing right now!

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PWRFOIL E-FOIL

First conceived in 2016, French foil brand PWRFOIL are now selling their e-foils worldwide. The brand is proud of its close-to-home engineering and production, allowing them maximum R&D tinkering and quality control from their base in France. We spoke to the main man at the PWRFOIL helm, Chris Defrance…

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Chris, you have an established heritage in the watersports world – perhaps best known for your stand-up paddle boards from Redwoodpaddle. When did you decide that the time was right to look at an e-foil?

A famous quote by the French poet Paul Eluard says, “There is no chance, there are only appointments”. Like all passionate people, I am curious, I seek, I develop. And while I was at the Leman boat show in Geneva, a guy comes by, examines a classic foil and jokingly says to me “Why not put an engine on it to have fun on the lake?”. That day, he planted a seed in my head and the idea was born! A month later, at the Nautic Paris, Stephane Chollet came to me with a UFO: a stand-up paddle board fixed on a mast with wings, all motorized. The idea was already well advanced. Since then, we have been developing the e-foil together with all the complexities that such a machine represents!

Tell us about your research, design and testing process for a new e-foil…

It all started with a 9’6 inflatable board, a battery, a wired remote control.... For four years, we spent hours and hours testing, thinking, doing, undoing, redoing. And once the study and technical parts were reliable, we had to find the right partners. In itself, it wasn’t necessarily difficult, but it has become so because our ambition is to manufacture all these small parts as close as possible to home. A good part of our objectives have already been achieved: our electronic boards are manufactured 25km away, our batteries just under 150km away, and another part is built right here at home... In short, four exciting years and I think we can be really proud of our PWR-Foil e-foil today.

Where do you see the e-foil getting most use?

I think the whole point of an e-foil is that it can be used everywhere.

You can practice on any kind of water, whatever the conditions. For people living inland, practicing on a lake or a river is great! For those living by the sea, the question doesn’t even arise! Whether we like to cruise quietly or are looking for adrenaline, the e-foil gives us it.

For me, my ultimate pleasure is to be in the waves, to play with the accelerator and the power of the swell.

The battery can be a challenging part from what we understand – what has been your approach here?

Our first tests were more in a DIY kind of mode! But we soon realized the scale of the task. We worked on it a lot, we learned a new job with some real passion. Today, we rely on a renowned French manufacturer. We do not skimp on the quality of our batteries. All our cells are Samsung-certified (and they are all checked because counterfeits are commonplace!). Then we put them in a box and we pour in a resin that we have carefully selected for its characteristics.

Two people were hired in 2020 just for the manufacturing, control and monitoring of the batteries. We make our prototypes in-house and R&D never stops. We are currently working on a solar recharger for the batteries. Solar power is much better for batteries and so practical for the user. It should be out pretty soon.

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And what’s the battery life like – how long can we go cruising the coastline for?

This is one of the most complicated figures to give. It is published as one hour and 30 minutes, but so many parameters come into play! The weight of the rider, his or her experience (the number of bad starts, friction of the board on the surface of the water etc), salt or fresh water, size of the foil, wind... There are so many parameters which will influence the battery life. A guy weighing over 95kgs will fly for a minimum of one hour. A guy weighing 75kgs will fly for 1hr30, while my son of 50kg will fly more than two hours. One of the features of 2021 is that all our batteries are sold with Smart Sense, which allows us to gather a lot of information... even on the other side of the world!

Can you talk us through the board options and who these are aimed at?

We offer five board sizes: 4’4, 5’1, 5’7, 5’9 and 6’6. And we have four wing sizes: 1250/1500/2000 and 2500cm2. Everything can be combined according to what is expected from the e-foil: the desired programme, the size, and what it is the rider wants to do.

I make a point of getting to know each of my clients before they buy and we discuss things at length and we exchange information in order to find the best combination for them. The idea is that each customer finds the same pleasure in this new sport as I do.

Who do you think is the main market for e-foils?

All people who love the water. All the people who dreamed of flying. And all the people who have the budget to make this their hobby!

What is the background of your e-foil customers - are they generally from a water sports background?

Most of our clients have all practiced some kind of a board sport, often water sports such as surfing or kiting or even windsurfing, but also snowboarding or skateboarding. We have customers who have seen e-foils someplace who just want to give it a try, perhaps out of curiosity or just wanting to try something new: the crazy challenge of flying on the water. What we do note in the tests and the handling time is that customers with a board sports history do succeed very quickly.

You’ve mentioned about the board and batteries being built close by. Is most of the e-foil made in France?

Our medium-term objective is that 100% of the e-foil will be made here in France. To date, all the parts that require a lot of R&D (batteries, electronic cards etc) are made nearby, and the e-foil is fully assembled in our workshop. The remote controls will also soon be made in our workshops and we are currently working on the development of molds to make the carbon boards, then it will be the foils and all the aluminum parts too. So we are getting close – and with the engineering, electronics and batteries produced in our workshops, there is a real guarantee of dialogue, exchange, reliability and innovation.

Can you take us through any of your most memorable sessions on the e-foil?

Ha… How difficult! All of them are memorable. I love e-foiling, it’s addictive! If I had to select two in particular which will remain engraved in my memory, I would choose a session in the waves!

A lot of adrenaline that day, apprehension, fear, and a bit of tension, whereas really you should try to be relaxed to really fly well on an e-foil. Then the other session would of course be the first time I flew more than five minutes, at the very beginning of this adventure. I went home with a huge smile and the feeling that I had touched the stars…

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FORESIGHT There are few men or women in the foiling sphere who radiate the levels of steez that Julien Fillion does, both on and off the water. Also an accomplished kitesurfer, big wave rider, musician, and Jiu-Jitsu teacher, the Canadian native and Ride Engine team rider takes a moment to reflect on where things are headed from his point of view…

Foiling for me was a big revelation a couple of years ago. Very early on in the game, while Gary Siskar (Ride Engine Brand Manager) and I were still with Liquid Force, Brandon Scheid brought a crazy high aspect ratio carbon boutique foil on a photoshoot trip with us. He had rigged the foil on a wakeskate, and during the trip we all paid our dues and learned how to foil.

At the time my number one riding goal was to kite the biggest waves possible… I went from one extreme to the other: searching for the biggest windiest waves to kitesurf to the smallest, lightest conditions to foil. To be foiling is the answer to a pure connection with the water I had been seeking for years, it caught me by surprise, and I started dedicating my life to it.

In the early years, we focused a lot on bringing the best and most affordable foil to kiteboarding, which we had amazing success with. Aluminum foil kits are still the norm today, and I take lots of pride in having been part of the group that brought foiling to the masses. Gary and I then felt there would be a strong movement with foil surfing, so we started focusing our efforts strictly on surfing wings. And there again, we had shot in the bull's eye… foil surfing was soon to be a huge part of the industry. The segment we had not seen coming though was winging. Foiling with an inflatable wing at first looked very counterproductive to us, although we soon realized with the evolution of the inflatable wings that the performance and allaround potential was there. This is clearly going to be a huge area of growth for some time.

At Ride Engine we don't design inflatable wings, we instead focus our energy on the boards.

Coleman Buckley (Ride Engine founder), an amazing artistic board designer, works closely with us in crafting the most beautiful performance foil board possible. I'm in love with foil board design… What is so amazing about it is we can introduce shapes and lines we never thought would see the light of day on surfboards. Since the board is mostly used in the air, except for taking off and occasional touchdowns, we can take a completely different approach to board design. The boards Coleman, Gary and I are coming up with are some of the most beautiful, futuristic shapes you can find, they look almost surreal, as if you were in a dream.

Another important segment of the market we are starting to focus on is protective foiling equipment. With foiling now more and more about riding waves, jumping and maneuvers, we have to remember how catastrophic a close encounter with a foil wing can be. I personally got smashed by a foil in the face three years ago, resulting in 20 stitches and battle scars for life.

We are currently evaluating all aspects of protection, from head to toe. The thing with foiling, even when you start connecting 100% with your gear, you always have to keep in the back of your mind that your foil can decapitate you!

I've also had a chance to help design the new Slingwing V3 for Slingshot. What an honor to take Tony Logoz’s design and bring it to a whole new level. With the help of a longtime friend and waterman (and upcoming designer) Brandon Scheid, we studied carefully what an allaround inflatable wing had to be, focused on power-rigidity and stiffness, and came up with what we believe to be the best all-around/do everything inflatable wing. For him and I, wing foiling is now half of our time on the water, and we sure enjoy this fresh path to explore, and bring the best of our accumulated knowledge to the table.

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Rather than attempting to balance family time against foil time, Shannon ‘Larry Foiler’ Stent has managed to merge the two. For our State of Play slot this issue he sings in favour of having your kin join you on the water, and how best to make that happen…

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My addiction to salt water began with my first bodyboard at age 12. I caught my first wave and I was hooked. As a teen and a young adult, the ocean was my life and I was always in it, surfing, then kitesurfing.

I would spend hours in the water. Now grown up and married, and as our family began to grow, it was natural for us to share our love of the ocean with our children, Coco and Roxy. My time in the water was now spent less on my own endeavours and more on floating in the shallows with the girls, teaching them all I knew about the ocean. It wasn’t long before they didn’t need me by their side. They had their boards, I had mine, and they were off. There really is nothing more

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satisfying as a parent to see your child catch their first wave and share their froth of the ocean with you.

Now, our family shares an amazing connection with the ocean. It is our second home. We live in the southwest of Western Australia, a region well known for its world class surf. There are also countless B and C grade breaks which are ideal for foiling and escaping the crowds. Conveniently, they also happen to be ideal waves for my daughters and wife to ride. Family water adventures have been the best!

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It’s summer holidays here in Western Australia currently, which means seven weeks off school and my kids have been hassling me about foiling. I knew it was coming. The foiling community here in the southwest is our extended family. They are such a positive and supportive crew to be around and the girls already feel a part of it. They have watched my foiling journey and have been cheering me on as I pump past them and catch party waves with them. They have also seen a few girl foilers pop up in our area. The seeds have well and truly been planted. On a recent trip chasing the sun in the states to the northwest, Coco and Roxy really committed to giving it a proper go. They have had little tries behind the boat before, but this season there was extra foiling froth in the air. All summer we have been searching the coast for perfect knee-high foil waves, and when it’s flat we have been hitting our favorite river spot with our dog and as much foil gear as we can cram in our little boat.

So how did they first get started? Well the girls have spent quite a lot of time in the water, surfing and skurfing, so I knew they had the skill set for foiling, but I wanted to make sure that it was safe for them.

I didn’t want injuries to put them off so, I started them out on a 6ft foil SUP with lots of soft deck grip, a short mast and a small wing. My only rule was that as soon as they felt the board rise, to push it back down. Being kids, they had this mastered in the first five minutes and were ready to take flight.

As you all know, there is a steep learning curve, and it has been crazy to see the girls pick it up so quickly. I’m not sure if it is their lack of fear, or not overthinking things like we as adults can sometimes do, but for my two, foiling has come rather naturally. Being the daddy’s girls that they are, they wanted to be on the gear I was riding as soon as possible. Sure enough, they have managed to adapt to the smaller boards and more performance wings. They also have this amazing ability to push each other. If one can do it, so can the other…

Not wanting to be left out, my wife decided to give it a go too and now we are a full foiling family. I love this. It takes me back to my early foiling days when I achieved my first milestones, like getting the foil out of the water, feeling the wing pump underneath you, setting records for the longest wave you’ve ever caught. I get to relive my foiling journey again through them.

When we’re not in the saltwater, my wife Jayde and I are photographers. Documenting our family adventures is something that comes naturally for us. Foiling is a great creative outlet and it’s also a great tool for the kids to learn from and see their own progression. As the sport is still rapidly progressing, the gear is becoming more accessible, as well as safer and more forgiving, it is really opening the door for families to foil together. We are really grateful to have the support of AXIS, Sunova and Stand Up Surf Shop who help make it all possible.

My family is going to be a big part of my foiling future, and it’s so great to see my girls being inspired by the latest generation of female wing lordettes. I look forward with happiness knowing that we will be a family that will continue to share the ocean together and I will have this connection with my girls. And if your family is showing interest, grab a big board, small wing, and get them out there. I can promise you that with a little patience they will love it and so will you…

Editor’s Note: It’s something that had been on our mind for a while and we figured no better moment to ask than now... Where did the name Larry Foiler came from?!

OK so the name Larry Foiler was first thrown out there by a mate a couple of years ago. We would surf together every week, chasing waves in southwest WA, trying to escape the crowds. We’d rather surf a novelty wave on our own as opposed to the better, more crowded spots. That’s around the time that I found foiling, or foiling found me. I was so addicted to learning this new hoverboard thing that I stopped regular surfing completely. So when my mates would call to go surfing, I’d always be too busy foiling, talking about foiling or watching foiling videos. If anyone did too much of anything we’d call them a Larry. So if you play too much golf you’re Larry Golfer. I’m sure you can work out the rest. In fact, if you’re reading this, you’re likely a Larry Foiler too.

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L I G H T E R - S TRO N GER THE COMPOSITE WING REVOLUTION IS HERE! In collaboration with ALUULA, Ocean Rodeo is pleased to bring the composite materials revolution to wing foiling.

Whether you’re generating insane speed and drive to take to the air or forgetting your wing as it flags out behind you on a wave, the Glide’s extreme low weight, smooth handling, and balanced design delivers the highest levels of performance.

GLIDE A-SERIES

GLIDE HL-SERIES

40% LIGHTER* Featuring a complete ALUULA composite airframe.

The quick flex response of the airframe brings this wing alive in all conditions. Next-level performance for all levels of rider in wind chop, swell or breaking surf. This is wing riding at its absolute finest. sizes: 3m, 4m, 5m, 6m

20% LIGHTER* Featuring the industry's first ever hybrid airframe, merging an ALUULA boom with a rugged Dacron leading edge. The ultra-light high-pressure boom delivers a session-changing increase in responsiveness that'll benefit riders from all wing disciplines. sizes: 3m, 4m, 5m, 6m

COMING SPRING 2021

FOLLOW US AT: oceanrodeo.com | facebook.com/oceanrodeo | instagram.com/oceanrodeo | twitter.com/oceanrodeo *than industry-standard Dacron framed wings 183

Fly higher, faster, further, better.

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Photo: John Bilderback

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