By Rebecca Parsons
While the origins of hydrofoils date back to the 1900s, it wasn’t until recent years that foil surfing exploded. In the early 2000s, Laird Hamilton began experimenting with attaching a hydrofoil to the bottom of a surfboard and gained recognition for riding it on massive waves at Jaws. While Hamilton was one of the pioneers of foiling, Kai Lenny is credited with popularizing the sport. To this day, Lenny regularly pushes the limits of what is possible on a foil and videos of him flying across the water have spread like wildfire.
As foiling gained popularity, many surfers swapped their surfboards for hydrofoils and haven’t looked back. So, what exactly is the allure of foiling? Is it the feeling of flying across the water? The enhanced speed? The increased wave count? The new challenge it presents? All of the above? We caught up with three diehard foilers and asked what drew them into foiling and what continues to keep the captivated by the sport.
Kai Lenny
I first started riding a hydrofoil when I was nine years old: back when it involved snowboard boots and bindings. That was the time Laird [Hamilton], Dave Kalama, Rush Randle, and the entire strap crew were experimenting with riding the world’s biggest waves on foils. Because it was so elite, nobody else got into it and it disappeared for a while. When it returned in kite surfing for racing, that’s when carbon fiber and different technologies made it more accessible. But it wasn’t until 2016 when I set my sights on riding the world’s smallest waves on a hydrofoil rather than the world’s biggest: small waves on the south shore paddling in prone or doing downwinders on a SUP with a foil.
The sensation of riding a hydrofoil is like snowboarding in chest deep powder. For those that haven’t done that, it’s like standing on a cloud. It’s about the closest feeling to flying or being like a bird that you can get, or at least the illusion of it.
The beauty of Foil surfing is that it’s insane training for all sorts of different sports, especially surfing. The reason is, your endurance/stamina improves, you can essentially ride the worst waves ever with no one around and practice your technique, repeatedly. It’s definitely a board that is essential to my quiver.
What I love about the sport is no matter where I go in the world, I know I’m not going to get skunked because with the foil, the waves are always good. I also really like the technical side of the sport and being able to fine-tune your equipment to fit your riding style or the conditions that you are in. So, it’s a bit like Formula 1 in the sense that you’re combining athleticism with technology and that adds another layer to the enjoyment of riding waves.
Jack Ho
I first got into foiling when I was 13 years old, in 2018. At the time, I was super into longboard surfing, so I was surfing Diamond Head and Waikiki daily. The thing about these surf breaks is that the waves are usually soft and mushy, perfect for logging but also perfect for foiling. I would be going surfing and see a lot of guys flying circles around me on foils. It looked way more fun than what I was doing so of course I wanted a go.
The crossover between foiling and surfing is that your style points from surfing have a direct translation to foiling. Some of the best foilers I’ve seen are also the most stylish surfers. The foil ironically slows everything down. When you can do a 30-foot bottom turn and come right into a 30-foot frontside carve, it gives you so much time to think about your form and style. With the surfing background, you can apply your own form and style to the foil. The differences are mainly the foot pressure and the types of waves you are looking for—you’re no longer looking for perfect six-foot A-frames. Instead, you’re on the hunt for a glassy, two-foot mush burger that peels forever. My favorite conditions are when the winds are howling and the downwind runs come into play.
The community is 100% the best part. All of sudden, you’re showing up to a spot hoping it’s crowded with all your friends. After the session, you cruise in the parking lot with the crew. I have met some of my now closest friends through the sport. There’s no discrimination based on your skill level and no judgment on your prior surfing background. Everyone is just here to have a good time.
John Amundson
I first tried foiling about 20 years ago. After seeing the Maui guys put together the first tow surfing foil, my good friends Guy Perre and Brenden Shea approached me to build a board and make one of the first (if not the first) foil boards on Oahu. The contraption featured K2 snowboard boots and weighed about 40 pounds. The foil technology was nowhere near where it is today—you had to tow into and ride rather large waves to keep it up on foil. I will never forget the feelings of absolute nirvana and absolute terror! More recently, the gear has been refined into a lighter package with much better low speed performance, allowing for very small waves to be ridden.
Foiling gives you the feeling of flight. If you have ever seen a pelican gliding over a glassy ocean, bending and conforming to the swell’s surface, that is what foiling feels like. As surfers, we are always looking for a good wave which allows us to effortlessly go fast. A foil allows us to go fast on the smallest of waves.
I love the fact that I can go foil some random empty wave and have an amazing time. The world is full of mushy little waves and the foil loves to play with them. Another amazing thing about foiling are the happy people you encounter in the lineup. Generally speaking, the foiling community has smiles to offer and are willing to offer help if needed. I have actually seen foiling make some surfers happy again and find the stoke that was lost somewhere along the way.
My ultimate foiling conditions might be slightly different than most. I love being out on the jet ski with a good friend in waves that make me feel alive. I would say that we are all looking for the same feeling of joy and happiness and I can find that on nearly every foil session.
Mala’e Mcelheny
I first tried foiling in October of 2017 with John Amundson when I was nine years old. Foiling had been re-emerging on the internet and I also knew John and Kamaki Worthington were foiling here on the North Shore. I was really lucky to also spend time foiling when I started with the inventor of modern surf foiling, Alex Aguera.
I was really fortunate to also learn wing foiling from one of the winging pioneers, Alan Cadiz. I received a lot of support when I started wing foiling from both John Amundson and Duotone Sports.
I have always been inspired by Kai Lenny and Zane Schweitzer since they are able to excel at all the disciplines of foiling in addition to all the other types of ocean activities that they are the world’s best at! Both of them also make time to foil and surf with the groms too!
The biggest crossovers in surfing and foiling are definitely the feelings of being out in the water with your friends and family. The stoke you get from getting a good ride or seeing your friend get a good one is also similar. One big difference is that you can have a pretty bad wipe out foiling even if it is pretty much flat. Another difference is the speed and length of ride in foiling.
Foiling feels like magic to be flying above the water and I just want to keep reaching for that feeling. This is especially true when doing big downwind runs or when we are doing big jumps. Number two, I have met the most enthusiastic and generous group of friends. Foilers remind me of skaters where it seems that people cheer each other on more so maybe than in other sports—if one foiler does something cool, everyone gets stoked!
Simeon Kepaloma
I started foiling in 2019 just for fun as something to do when the surf was terrible—I never thought I’d get into it or like it. I would just try my buddy’s board to pass the time, have some entertainment from wipeouts, and enjoy a new challenge.
Foiling is like the balance of hanging 10 on a four-foot double up, elevated two and a half feet off the water, going the fastest you’ve ever gone and riding the farthest you’ve ever gone. Surfing and foiling are very similar yet very different. I think we try to surf a wave like we do on a surfboard with cutbacks, roundhouses, hitting the foam, airs, and such, but foiling is three-dimensional. You have to deal with pitch, altitude and different angles that you don’t experience in a normal bottom turn. You also gain an insane amount of speed as you turn, so you’re hanging on for dear life.
I love the community, the stoke and enthusiasm, and the brotherhood of foiling. I love the learning curve and how humbling it is. I love downwinding and surfing the open ocean for miles at a time. Gear and equipment are constantly improving and getting better, allowing us to feel faster speeds, have better efficiency, and improved sensations. I see contest and racing in the future as well, we have a few here and there but that’s a huge sector that will grow.
Kahi Pacarro
On a surf trip to the Maldives in 2016, I was introduced to foiling by Zane Schweitzer. It clicked right away. Perhaps it was my complimentary love for snowboarding, riding ala’ia, finless surfing, and skateboarding that allowed my body to quickly adapt to these new demands to remain on a foil, but whatever it was, I was hooked. What I didn’t realize at that moment was that foiling would change my life.
Upon returning home, I sold a few shortboards and bought a foil with a friend. We Frankensteined it to the bottom of one of my old shortboards and broke the board on the first day. Not the greatest start but I’m glad we persevered. I met other foilers learning alongside me and started to realize that not only was the riding different, but also the overall vibe and a mutual sense of discovery.
Fast forward to today and foiling has evolved dramatically. We are foil surfing, winging and most amazingly, downwinding. Downwinding is riding open ocean swells and wind bumps to travel miles of coastline in peace and solitude. It doesn’t require breaking waves and in a single run one can catch hundreds if not thousands of waves. Your only companions are the marine life and your thoughts as you travel anywhere from 2-30 miles down the coast or between islands.
I understand the hesitance and accompanying disdain that many of my fellow shortboarders hold towards foiling. Those good, often great surfers have worked for decades to reach a level of proficiency in surfing that allows them a respected spot in the lineup. Giving that up to become a kook again is not appealing. But I will guarantee that the benefits of humiliation during the foil journey are worth it. Foiling allows me to surf waves the way I always imagined, surf waves I would have never imagined, go twice the speed, and spend exponentially more time up and riding waves.
Eric Sterman
In 2016, I had the opportunity to help film a documentary with Robby Naish and Kai Lenny in Namibia and Peru. I’d seen foiling online when Kai put out the first video, but in person it was something different. Watching them foil Chicama Peru was what inspired me to get into this sport. As soon as I got home, I ordered one and started my foiling journey.
The closest feeling someone can relate to is snowboarding on pure powder, experiencing the sensation of floating with no resistance. The thrill one gets from their first glide on a foil, followed by a momentary crash, and then popping up with a huge smile says it all.
With the ocean being our playground, foiling just adds opportunities in all conditions—mainly when it’s windy or small and you wouldn’t want to surf, foiling solves that issue. What I love most about foiling is the camaraderie. Doesn’t matter your age, lifestyle, or profession, this sport brings everyone together, which I think is special.
This is a big year for foiling, with major foiling contests like Molokai 2 Oahu shining light on this sport. This will push competition between large foil brands to invest more time and energy into new tech and R&D that will lead to a growing community of foiling.
Moona Whyte
I first tried foiling about six years ago. I learned how to ride one with a kite first, then on a SUP, and then moved to a prone board. But I didn’t really get into foiling until I started winging a few years ago and could tow myself into waves without paddling and pumping. Now that’s my favorite way to foil.
I remember the first time I got up on a foil with my kite I felt like I was flying and I was so stoked. That, plus feeling like you’re balancing on top of a yoga ball on a stick. Now that I’ve gotten more comfortable with it, it just feels like super smooth surfing, with no chops, like you’re on a hoverboard.
Foiling can be just like surfing if you want it to be. You can paddle out, catch waves, go down the line and carve. But the biggest difference is the size of wave you need, which is what makes it such a great compliment to surfing because you want to go out when the surf is junk.
Everything has been so unexpected with the progression of foiling, like with wings and now freestyle tricks and flips, so I probably shouldn’t count anything out. But for now, I think it’s pretty cool seeing guys hitting the lip and the whitewater and getting even closer to a surfing style.
Keahi De Aboitiz
With my kitesurfing background, my first introduction to the sport was in 2012 with a kite foil. Although it was a great light wind and exploration tool, I never really got that into it in the beginning. But once surf foiling started taking off in 2017, it didn’t take me long to join the trend and become addicted. Having the kite foil background was a massive help and made the learning curve much easier and I’ve been addicted ever since.
I think the most comparable feeling is snowboarding in powder leaning into big flowing carves down the mountain. It gives you that similar feeling of speed and drive you get surfing a bigger wave on a small wave that’s barely even breaking.
For me, it always comes back to the ability to turn average waves into a whole new world of fun. You’ll never look at a mushy wave the same after learning and it’s changed the Hawai’i summertime experience massively for me, especially with the addition of wing foiling and downwind foiling. It opens up so many more areas to have fun and escape the crowds. I’ve never looked forward to the small days so much in my life.
The evolution of gear has been insane over the last few years and I think the ongoing development will continue to make things even better in terms of speed, turning, and efficiency. Higher grade, stiffer materials continue to allow for higher aspect foils which have been a game changer for more speed range and efficiency, especially for pumping, downwinding, and wing foiling. I’m sure this will just continue to get better as the years go on.
Robin Johnston
I first tried foiling in 2018. It looked like so much fun; I couldn’t resist getting into it. Crossovers between surfing and foiling are the sensation of carving (much like snowboarding in powder feels like surfing). Imagine doing a bottom turn into a knee buckling G force solar system carve that you sustain in a committed arc for so long that it turns into a bottom turn going the opposite direction at which time you lay into another arc carving back the opposite way to complete a figure eight. And this gets repeated over and over and over until your legs fall off.
The allure of foiling is the speed carving. Also pumping outwards to attack an oncoming wave. And I haven’t even gotten into downwinding, yet which will be an additional adrenaline thrilled bonus. We recently watched Matahi Drollet pull into the barrel at Teahupoo on a foil, so the sky is the limit.