Destructive Addiction

[SUPcheat]

Of course, foiling is a big, new relatively untapped commercial market.  That brings on a tendency for promotion, fashion, early adoption frenzy and hyperbole, until the markets saturate, then, a bit of yawn.

[Rider]

What I see is a few pro’s get involved, flash some cool pictures around.  The kooks go crazy. You know who you are.

[Beasho]

Yes Pono is a kook.  Aghhhhhhhhh !   

[surfcowboy]

If the kooks hated it and never dialed it, I'd think it was weird. But if the older guys on here can do it then I have hope and wanna try it.

I'll tell you what's silly. Guys at my local break flailing on tiny short boards in 3' waves for 5 second rides because some pro rides that board at Cloudbreak. If we're calling out kooks, I'm starting there.

[PonoBill]

It's not for everyone, probably won't be a huge sport, but I'm having a blast with it. I love the idea that people would get into it because the pros do it. Yeah, I look at what Kai does and assume that means I can do it. Or I look at Travis Pastrana flipping his motorcycle five times and I just got to go build me a ramp. Here, hold my beer.

From what I've seen it's exactly the opposite. People see Kai or Austen do it and assume it's impossible. They see me do it and say "if that fat, clumsy geezer can do it, I can do it".  The biggest change I'm seeing now is prone surfers getting into it. They seem to have a much shorter learning curve. The small, light boards seem to be much easier to pump and their turns are more extreme. I've talked with guys foiling shortboards that are looking impressive and in control in two weeks or less. I talked with a guy today who was ripping it up on his second day. I asked if he'd kite-foiled or something. Nope, second day ever on a foil and doing as well as anyone I've seen. I'd say it's just age and balance but some of them are my age.

[surfcowboy]

Also remember Clay's first attempts on his bigger board. I think you're right.

I'm pretty sure that if I dial this my next build will be a thick prone board. Guys here are surfing those 3'9" planks. The local glasser's Instagrams are full of shots of them being finished.

[Piros]

For me foiling is the growth of the 3rd eye , you look at everything differently. Something you would never surf all of sudden becomes perfect for your foil. Once you get past the stumbling blocks of learning to fly you accelerate so fast in the learning process. This becomes so addictive you want to do nothing else. It's like a drug every session you progress so fast like no other sport. Some days you know you should just surf it on your Sup but you just want to foil and that's why I have ridden nothing else over the past 12 months but ride my Sup foil. It's such an incredible experience to fly and regardless of your age & ability, basic skills & fortitude will take you to your personal foil mecca. Just learning to fly is so rewarding. Don't worry about the pump thing & super short proners that crawl back out just enjoy those long steady high speed runs riding high on your Sup foil catching lumps you never thought possible.