Strapless News

[Dwight (DW)]

At the Foil Racing League contest this morning in Cocoa Beach, Austin Kalama and another youngster from Hawaii, smoked the SUP course. Both STRAPLESS. I asked Austin why strapless now. He said straps are less efficient. Being constrained by foot placement, really hurts efficiency. While moving his feet to suit, keeps him at peak efficiency all the time. He’s even doing prone strapless flips and tricks. The young kid never used his paddle once, except to catch the first wave. I heard he pumped for 18 straight minutes yesterday.

[Dwight (DW)]

This is the young guy that smoked the field, along with Austin.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CPqthFZHual/?utm_medium=copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVEyj0DLpx1/?utm_medium=copy_link

[jondrums]

That makes total sense - straps are really not helpful for pumping.  And agreed that we want to be able to move our feet around a bit.  I usually scoot my back foot several inches foward for pumping versus surfing.  I don't find it helpful to move my front foot but that's just me.

The thing I like a front strap for is cranking into a wave on a sup.  Being able to pull up and push forward on the front strap makes a pretty big difference in catching waves early.  Its a nice side effect that it ensures my feet are in the right place every time.   

For a pumping race straps would just be added weight and of no use

[Dwight (DW)]

  Being able to pull up and push forward on the front strap makes a pretty big difference in catching waves early.

I do like the extra paddling stability of having my front foot in a strap.

On the latest podcast, they talk about teaching efficient pumping in a foiling clinic. They teach people to stop pulling up. It’s bad for HA foils. They said we should change our mindset to riding a board level and pushing down. Never ride level, and pull up, that slows you down.

[Dontsink]

  Being able to pull up and push forward on the front strap makes a pretty big difference in catching waves early.

I do like the extra paddling stability of having my front foot in a strap.

On the latest podcast, they talk about teaching efficient pumping in a foiling clinic. They teach people to stop pulling up. It’s bad for HA foils. They said we should change our mindset to riding a board level and pushing down. Never ride level, and pull up, that slows you down.

This might be just what i need to get some consistency on the prone pumpouts .
Is this the ProgProject Podcast?.The KD or the Pedigo interview?.

[Califoilia]

  Being able to pull up and push forward on the front strap makes a pretty big difference in catching waves early.

I do like the extra paddling stability of having my front foot in a strap.

On the latest podcast, they talk about teaching efficient pumping in a foiling clinic. They teach people to stop pulling up. It’s bad for HA foils. They said we should change our mindset to riding a board level and pushing down. Never ride level, and pull up, that slows you down.

Agree with both. I use a front strap to help with balance when standing on a short/narrower board, but not at all for pumping.

As soon as you start pulling up, or trying to "ollie" up HA foils, more times than not your just going to stall them, and loose the pump.

LA wings we used to use you had to do more of an "ollie" since that have a much taller/narrower sine wave pattern than the shorter/longer wave of the HA wings.

[PonoBill]

My new Flying Dutchman board is going to be strapless. No strap inserts at all. In the unlikely event I change my mind I'll use stickons, but I actually prefer strapless. I keep sticking straps back on because I think they'll help, and then taking them off when they don't.

[Dwight (DW)]

Here is the video of those two.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CVIU4zgFNET/?utm_medium=copy_link

[Califoilia]

Here is the video of those two.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CVIU4zgFNET/?utm_medium=copy_link

Yeah, but let's also not forget to mention that in 3rd place, and actually old enough to shave...was our very own SUZ representative "flkiter"!!  👏🏽👏🏽🏆