The Future of Foilboards ?

[Toby]

I had a conversation today...and we agreed on the ultimate foil board for many people...because many don't like jibes...

Is it possible to do a twintip foil board?

And to top it: a split twintip foilboard?

This way you could have two in one:
- twintip for good winds and flat water
- foil twin for light and choppy days

North has a foil that looks like it can be ridden both directions.

Basically, we already have something for the guys who are into waves...Spleene has his directional for waves and foil...and it is a split.

What do you guys think?

[windmaker]

I disagree, jibing is a lot of fun. The reason many of the present foilboarders have a "wave" background has more to do with attitude/mentality, most of them cannot jibe a foilboard anyway .

Foilboarding is an experience in balance , gliding and efficiency. Because it has to go both ways a TT board is a compromise , a TT foil would be the same.

A tool for kooks if you ask me

[lander]

If you are not able to learn how to jibe, I guess you wont be able to learn how to foil?

[Kristofff]

Toby,
I think you could further improve it by having inflatable foil - at least the mast which is the longest part. The rest may stay as it is.
Whether this is technically doable - maybe not today, but in future...?

[Kamikuza]

Didn't Hawaiis play with a TT foil?

[Toby]

As many love to jibe, as many don't. I am not alone here.
Guess why twintip is so popular?
So, there is a market.

Not sure if the inflatable foil works but maybe for the foil mast that you can make smaller and bigger, like an expendable.

[foilonfoil]

No one needs to gybe by switching feet... Buddy just moves from heal side to toe side and never moves his feet. Another foiling buddy started with with learning tacks with a 360 technique he was pulling off after his first month of foiling.

I have been foiling for a year now and a large volume board makes the process easier to learn. Weight distribution while moving your feet is a key to the process. Start with touchdown gybes together with downlooping the kite to maintain power.

[flying grandpa]

As with snowbord I usually foil as goofy. Riding goofy toeside or frontside 90% of time you get comfort in different courses/manouvers almost twice as fast. Riding foilboard for a fourth year now, I didn't manage to do any gybe yet. Special harness with sliding chickenloop improve my upwind angle on toeside tack, but I'm still 7-9 deg from ideal. However, upwind is not a problem on foil. Maybe in the future wave riding I will face the problem with left side waves, hope my body will find a solution then.

[Matt Air]

U dont need to jibe to learn or have fun while foiling. Most people i foil cant jibe, and many have never attempted. Sometimes i make it, sometimes i dont. I do enjoy trying and learning, but the joy of foiling far outweigh the need to turn around without getting wet!

[lupociotto]

funny toby who does the most crazy (sometimes ridiculous) things when
dangling around is does not like gybes.

basic knowledge of hydrodynamics will tell you that
A) a twin direction foil can work, why not
B) will never ever be close to efficient like a good directional foil
but good enough for the danglers, for sure....

from my side I made the first gybe the first day I kiteboarded, on the first try,
and one year later I even could go upwind....
this now was 16 or 17 years ago, and I still can not really do any more than two
or three twintip airtime tricks....and never will learn it.

split boards would be cool, but foiling twintip style - I can not really imagine...

regards wolfgang