SB_issue55_Digital

Jack explains the whole appeal of foiling
to him, whether it be with a kite, wing,
paddle or just the foilboard alone, is the
fact that you can actually go somewhere
without having to interrupt everyone
else’s enjoyment out in the surf.
“Yeah, the Wambos as I call them
(wannabe wave Rambos) are the guys
who will screw it up for everyone because
they’re egomaniacs and they have to have
an audience of people watching them in
and out of crowded surf breaks when in
actual fact they can go wherever all by
themselves.”
It is at this point I discussed with Jack his
focus on what can be best described as
‘assisted foiling’. The big issue with foiling
being generating enough initial speed to
engage the foil and get the board out of
the water. Only so many people are skilled
enough and light enough to be able to
generate the speed required to get a
small foil board up out of the water on foil,
otherwise they have to rely on a foilboard
the size of a SUP to give them the
flotation they need to generate enough
paddle power and speed to get on foil.
With the smaller foilboards that is why you
see the riders jumping up and down like
jackhammers to try and engage the foil
and get the board to lift. When you lean
back, the wings tilt upright and in turn the
board lifts up. You tilt forward and the
foil levels and glides with the board out
of the water. Pumping backwards and
forwards, front foot, back foot, front foot
again generates forward motion thanks
to the mysterious law of physics falling
under the category of kinetic energy, but
it is bloody difficult and exhausting. It is
here Jack picks up on our reference to the
current crop of motorised foilboards we
mentioned in this former article.
“I’ve just reread your story on foiling
and specifically in relation to motorised
foilboards and you’re right, you’ve got
a thing there which is 30kg (the battery
alone weighs 11kg) and it’s designed
to go full tilt at 40km an hour. So, if you
ride one of those you’re just a petrol
head. You might as well be on a jet ski or
speedboat. It doesn’t enable you to feel
and connect with the natural energy force
I previously mentioned at all.
“So, our focus has been on finding a
means by which you can be assisted to
get the board up and out of the water and
on foil, and then, let Mother Nature do her
thing.”
Jack’s discovery of Foil Drive appears to
be a solution for now.
“These guys have been really clever
about it. Instead of making a foilboard to
go 40kms an hour, they’ve considered a
way in which they can simply assist riders
to get up on foil and over to the swell
line where Mother Nature can then take
over. This has seen the battery required
significantly reduce in size from 11kgs
down to 2kgs.
SB / #55 / 82