Is it just me or does pumping a foil...

[cwood]

Look like the most unnatural and uncomfortable thing in the world?

[grigorib]

It’d be more fun if it didn’t take so much damn effort to do.

Pumping a skateboard and not having to ever touch ground is awesome

[juandesooka]

Look like the most unnatural and uncomfortable thing in the world?

Agreed, it looks goofy. But it's not really about looking cool, as it's primarily a means to an end ... potentially endless wave riding without having to paddle. Is it worth looking goofy to get that result? Dunno, will hopefully let you know in a year or so if I can figure out how.

[Peter_Frank]

True, looks "odd" indeed when surfers do this
Amazing but not aesthetic in any way

Luckily we don't need to pump when using a kite, no matter how small

PF

[Foil]

there are 3 guys who I have seen pump the foil to great effect and it looked good.

Florian Gruber(x world champ), going out in "no wind" on his foil from Flag beach, so little wind he had to swim out using back stroke to get deep enough, then diving the kite he got to his feet but he was up to his waist in water he then pumped the board to the surface and on to the wing, try it! its impossible.

Gunnar, on flag beach, when he was trying the "round the world" trick on his foil, where he dropped the kite to the water when he was sailing along, and then pumped the board to complete a full circle around the kite and back to where he could relaunch the kite without sinking,try that! its impossible as well.

finally the race guys from levitaz at flag beach (flag gets all the pros) who were very entertaining when one guy with board and kite would tow out another guy who would just be on a foil board no kite, the kiteless guy would hold on to a short rope behind the lead guy and get up at the exact same time as the lead guy, and off they went into the wave sets where the guy behind would let go and pump around the wave sets, this was on standard freeride gear, try that! maybe not so impossible, as long as you prepare in the gym for a year or so.

[Exal]

It looks extra good with a wingsurfer in the hand

[tomtom]

the frequency looks odd - the more frenetically it is the worse is effect - Low frequency - power pump stroke with big wing looks and feels ok to me

[gbrungra]

I'm looking forward to pumping efficiency improving.

Only a few years ago nobody had every flatwater started a SUPfoil.
Only a few years ago noby had prone SURFfoiled.
The foils are not efficient enough to ride the wake of a jetski without a tow rope, and without pumping.
Only a few years ago nobody had pumped off the backside of a wave to catch a 2nd. Now the record is 50+ waves without coming off foil. That's an entire surf session.

[juandesooka]

I'm looking forward to pumping efficiency improving.

Only a few years ago nobody had every flatwater started a SUPfoil.
Only a few years ago noby had prone SURFfoiled.
The foils are not efficient enough to ride the wake of a jetski without a tow rope, and without pumping.
Only a few years ago nobody had pumped off the backside of a wave to catch a 2nd. Now the record is 50+ waves without coming off foil. That's an entire surf session.

Yep, it's an evolution, things are changing quick as people experiment and figure out what's possible. It was also only a few years ago that foils were only for AirChair wake novelty. And then also only a few years ago that foils were only for racers. Who knows what's next? It's limited only by the imaginations of the innovators ... though one thing I can guarantee, no matter next it will first face the booing masses declaring it lame, until the nay-sayers adopt it as the new rad thing and say they never doubted it. I am quite interested to see what the surf wing group will figure out, with the foil as the magic ingredient enlivening an old technology.

Finally: I am amused by the kiting community calling out pretty much anyone else for style violations, but especially kite foilers. You do realize we are considered by most to be "the rollerbladers of the sea"? Shorts over the wetsuit, neon Kurtis goggles, dangly spinny tricks ... umm...yeah....no.

[cwood]

I'm looking forward to pumping efficiency improving.

Only a few years ago nobody had every flatwater started a SUPfoil.
Only a few years ago noby had prone SURFfoiled.
The foils are not efficient enough to ride the wake of a jetski without a tow rope, and without pumping.
Only a few years ago nobody had pumped off the backside of a wave to catch a 2nd. Now the record is 50+ waves without coming off foil. That's an entire surf session.

Yep, it's an evolution, things are changing quick as people experiment and figure out what's possible. It was also only a few years ago that foils were only for AirChair wake novelty. And then also only a few years ago that foils were only for racers. Who knows what's next? It's limited only by the imaginations of the innovators ... though one thing I can guarantee, no matter next it will first face the booing masses declaring it lame, until the nay-sayers adopt it as the new rad thing and say they never doubted it. I am quite interested to see what the surf wing group will figure out, with the foil as the magic ingredient enlivening an old technology.

Finally: I am amused by the kiting community calling out pretty much anyone else for style violations, but especially kite foilers. You do realize we are considered by most to be "the rollerbladers of the sea"? Shorts over the wetsuit, neon Kurtis goggles, dangly spinny tricks ... umm...yeah....no.

For the record, I wasn't making light of or making fun.....I just feel uncomfortable whet watching someone pump foil.....it just looks so hard and so inefficient....On instagram I now swipe past because I just don't like watching it (my own discomfort, not judging). I'm sure there will be innovations, maybe a hinged wing or something that gives a force multiplier or something.