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When did you get hooked on foiling?

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tmcfarla
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Re: When did you get hooked on foiling?

Postby tmcfarla » Thu Sep 02, 2021 1:34 am

I was hooked immediately and have barely touched any other board in the past 5 years. That said, I don’t think it is for everyone. I’ve never reached anything close to the level of relaxation I have on a surfboard, I don’t jump with foils and kind of miss that, I can’t just charge around fully powered like I can on a twin tip. So there are definitely things you lose out on with a foil, but every time I try something other than a foil I just want to be on a foil instead. If it isn’t your thing, it isn’t your thing, no reason to think you are doing it wrong since you don’t love it. Keep it for light wind, maybe you’ll find yourself using it in stronger wind too, or maybe not.

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Re: When did you get hooked on foiling?

Postby Eduardo » Thu Sep 02, 2021 1:51 am

Kitedicted wrote:
Wed Sep 01, 2021 7:13 pm
I am up and riding pretty comfortably both directions but have yet to master turning/tacks. Learning was tricky and the feeling when I first got up was really cool, similair to the first time getting up on a twintip. Now I sort of have gotten used to the feeling and while cruising around is pleasant, I'm not sure if foiling is my thing. I don't want to quit too soon. How far into the process did it take for you to get hooked?
short answer: my favorite thing is a surfboard in waves so foiling is a light wind, small wave, thing for me...

long answer: I think it depends on your local conditions. If it is regularly 10-15, then foiling is way more fun than slogging on a wide TT and monster kite. If there are small waves or non-breaking swell, then foiling is way more fun than being on a surf board. I personally find flat water foiling a bit boring, but in 10-15 ocean conditions, even small waves are great. My suggestion is to ask yourself what you're really after in foiling: Adrenaline (go fast, jump, chase swell and waves, ...). Highly technical (so many options...). Exercise (easy, just don't mow the lawn...). Enjoying being on the water (easy, get some super light wind gear and you are always out...)...
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Kamikuza (Thu Sep 02, 2021 2:32 pm)
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Re: When did you get hooked on foiling?

Postby jumptheshark » Thu Sep 02, 2021 1:51 am

The moment I saw Philippe Caneri carving a non race set up.

Riding any board is what you make of it.

Foiling has delivered short board lines in less than longboard conditions and I’m eternally grateful.

Every step of my wind and wave pursuits have built toward foiling.

If I lived on Maui I’d ride a surfboard but I live here and ride a foil, it’s fucking great!
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Peter_Frank (Thu Sep 02, 2021 7:40 pm)
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Re: When did you get hooked on foiling?

Postby deniska » Thu Sep 02, 2021 5:03 am

I was hooked after watching Adams Big air clip


you cannot beat boosting on foil in under 20kts
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FLandOBX (Thu Sep 02, 2021 12:27 pm)
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Re: When did you get hooked on foiling?

Postby Foil » Thu Sep 02, 2021 8:58 am

Finding the perfect set up has taken me 4 years, just mixed up my kite choice recently and now believe its perfect for me, don't get stuck in a rut trying to learn things that may never happen? that can severely drain enthusiasm, do what you want to do, don't try too hard to follow others, and don't believe all you see on YouTube, those guys crash as well, but good editing never shows the crashes that hurt, boosting was a game changer for me, also fully strapped carving and boosting in 1 to 1,5mtr mtr swell was a right turn on moment, that is after I got over the fear of dropping hard and fast into the playground of small waves and swell.
Never touched a Ttip for near 4 years, sold it, now I want it back, so just bought one for winter winds, big waves and shallow water which i get a lot at my sailing spots,
thinking was I spent 17 years building Ttip skills over that time, and I don't want to completely turn my back on them,
but foiling has to be number one when your retired like me with nearly every day a foiling day in summer. great sailing mates to have a laugh with as well makes it compelling.

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Re: When did you get hooked on foiling?

Postby Kamikuza » Thu Sep 02, 2021 10:54 am

I knew from the forums and whatnot that it'd be a great light wind solution so I wouldn't need massive kites, enormous bar pressure, and huge boards anymore. Directionals never worked for me as a light wind solution...

I enjoyed foiling when I was learning, but when I started being able to gybe and do S-turns, I really started to like it -- felt like riding deep powder... then when I caught the swell and could ride with very little to no kite power, I was totally into it.

When I tried the big surf wings, I knew what the future was for me. What I didn't realize was how much it would take over...!

I've given up the massive kites, tennis elbow, and frustrating sessions where the wind never stays constant enough to get upwind. Basically, I haven't touched any other board for past 18 months, and haven't missed them too much. Every session is a good session, I don't have to fight to get upwind anymore and my kites are smaller and lighter.
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Re: When did you get hooked on foiling?

Postby Flyboy » Thu Sep 02, 2021 4:34 pm

Foiling was addictive from the first successful 10 metre run. An amazing feeling to be riding in the water, rather than on the water. The challenge of learning to master balancing the foil for long runs ... & then the challenge of learning to balance the foil through gybes. I think the discovery that it's possible to carve quite small waves was the biggest bonus.

I'd spent the previous 10 years on a SB looking for waves - good wave days were always few & far between requiring at least 20 knots. Now, with only 13/14 knots I start to get swell/waves that are more fun to ride than the average 25 knot day on a SB. Get to link multiple turns ... & then in one tack ride back to where I started to do it again. Also, the ability to effortlessly cruise around several kilometres upwind & downwind is great. And, of course, way more sessions. :thumb:

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Re: When did you get hooked on foiling?

Postby bkkite » Thu Sep 02, 2021 5:32 pm

Flyboy wrote:
Thu Sep 02, 2021 4:34 pm
Foiling was addictive from the first successful 10 metre run. An amazing feeling to be riding in the water, rather than on the water. The challenge of learning to master balancing the foil for long runs ... & then the challenge of learning to balance the foil through gybes. I think the discovery that it's possible to carve quite small waves was the biggest bonus.

I'd spent the previous 10 years on a SB looking for waves - good wave days were always few & far between requiring at least 20 knots. Now, with only 13/14 knots I start to get swell/waves that are more fun to ride than the average 25 knot day on a SB. Get to link multiple turns ... & then in one tack ride back to where I started to do it again. Also, the ability to effortlessly cruise around several kilometres upwind & downwind is great. And, of course, way more sessions. :thumb:
It's funny you mention that because thats how I felt twin tipping. The first 10 meter run... I was hooked. On a foil, the first 10 meter run felt like getting drowned while be dragged by a bull :)

Now that I can ride without having to think all that much, it's super calming, and I love the freedom of movement to just be able to go upwind and downwind so easily!

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Re: When did you get hooked on foiling?

Postby Flyboy » Thu Sep 02, 2021 6:35 pm

bkkite wrote:
Thu Sep 02, 2021 5:32 pm

It's funny you mention that because thats how I felt twin tipping. The first 10 meter run... I was hooked. On a foil, the first 10 meter run felt like getting drowned while be dragged by a bull :)
Well ... it's not the 10 metre run that feels like getting drowned while being dragged by a bull ... it's the bit immediately following that! The feeling is so cool that you want to prolong it as long as possible before you get to the drowning part again! Actually, I don't think the drowning part was that bad ... it was the abrupt neck-busting face-plants that were hard to take.

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Re: When did you get hooked on foiling?

Postby Kitedicted » Thu Sep 02, 2021 7:10 pm

Thanks for the input people. I will commit to at least learn how to turn so I don't have to sit down every turn, and if I'm still not hooked we'll see what I do. Undoubtedly I have a lot of sub 12 knot days when TT is just not an option...


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