Are you going fast/racing, or freeriding ?

[Peter_Frank]

Hi

Curious to hear what has motivated everybody in here, to start hydrofoiling.

Here in Denmark, maybe 15 active (and MANY to come soon), are almost all going fast.

I dont find going fast to be very interesting though - but I love the feeling of riding free without any disturbance from the water surface, and doing full turns either on flat water or on waves, makes me feel good, a similar feeling to a good carve on a waveboard

But I must say, I also like to show the dinghys and keelboats and catamarans, that I am faster upwind ha haa (can not help it...)

Pure speed is not my interest at all though, but I understand each and everyone who seeks speed and performance.

I am amazed, and really interested in how fast the good ones can go, yes, and like the way we can go fast in really low winds.

But my personal motivation for hydrofoiling is not like most others...

I like the foil to be really performing, as a "base" - so not any really low AR older foils.

But otherwise, I find freeriding and making turns/carves really awesome, especially because as soon as you got 10 knots of wind, you can pick a smaller kite and ride exactly as you like

Whether it is 10 or 20 knots, does not make much of a difference actually - like it does for TT and waveriding, where it is useless in 10, okay in 15 and better and better in 20 or more

This does not apply to a foil, it is max fun as soon as you can ditch the biggest kitesize (well, actually fun even with these), and does not change with increasing wind.

Riding waves - well, at least turning on the waves, and using their push when you dont have any kitepower - is also fun, again, the "carving" bit we all love.

Waveriding with waveboards is not obsolute whatsoever and still just as great, but a hydrofoilboard adds some of the good feelings when turning/carving, in low wind IMO.

So I am a bit opposite most others, who search for going as fast as possible, I know.

My main reason to start, was because I fell in love with the thought of riding on a "magic carpet" over the water, without feeling the chop at all (strapless of course).
And it has become a dream come true, in every way - and also added the bonus of the great feel when turning

Maybe you are doing both actually

What is YOUR addiction and why do you love hydrofoiling ?

PF

[vvs]

I'm just learning. For me, it's a new experience, it is unusual, it's interesting. After learning I think is hardly would ride a TT ))

[Tone]

When I am up and going it'll be going as fast as I can.

[Robsw6]

Freeride for me at the moment - but surprised how fast it can go & the acceleration is a bit special

[Johhnn]

I just started foiling this season. Up until now I have only ridden on twin tips. It was incredibly hard to learn. Almost like, "I don't think this will be possible for me." But once I got it, it's pretty easy and great.

I am freeriding using no straps and only try going "fast" in light wind on relatively flat water. A couple of times I have had the wind knocked out of me after a hard fall from high up going fast. No whiplash, though, and I'd like to avoid that.

Each day, maybe, there is something different that I might say I really enjoy "the most" about foilboarding. During my last session I liked the long, slightly downwind tacks. There was so little apparent wind that I could hear the waves breaking around me. It was very surreal. Other times I have heard the terns squawking.

I also enjoy using smaller kites. I'm attaching the wind data from my last session. I was out from 2 until 5:30 p.m. using an 8 m kite! I don't think the wind gusts were over 18 mph most of the time and the average was perhaps around 15. I think this meter reads a little high.

What else do I like? Let's see...going along, off the wind a little, enjoying the silence, then leaning over, powering up and screaming upwind. It was especially good one time when there was a guy riding a surfboard a little upwind of and behind me. He was gaining on me and I thought, "I'll show him!" I rocketed ahead and upwind of him and I could hear him let out a startled, "Huh?!" in disbelief. Yeah, the upwind capability of these foils is amazing!

I've only completed, maybe 3 or 4 jibes and only with the board on the water, but I'm enjoying working on it.