The past few weeks I have been obsessed with the foil! So unique, so different, and the potential of opening up a whole new era of surf possibilities is blowing my mind.
Monterrey bay has a lot of kelp beds and I was concerned there was nowhere I could foil without getting it all tangled up in kelp. So this was a test to see if this surf spot was free of kelp and deep enough so the Gofoil wouldn’t hit the bottom.
During SUP practice last week I was shifting my weight back to lift the foil and I did that couple times today in the surf, scary! The foil lifted up with incredible power, like I was getting bucked off a mechanical bull. So I shifted my weight forward and that felt much better, I think I am really close to having some long rides.
The foil lifting the whole board out of the water creates tons of creative opportunities to try new camera angles, fun and challenging! In this video I put a bamboo pole off to the side of the tail. I have a few more ideas I am looking forward to trying, and when we get some long rides it could really look amazing.
I hacked together a skateboard balance trainer last week. I think that and the boat practice helped me stay balanced today in the surf and feel more in control. Also I put a wire cage on my full face helmet, I was more willing to push my limits and take some wipe outs. One wave I lifted up and then fell fast and hard hitting my leg on the foil, luckily I didn’t hit any bones so no bruises.
I can taste the possibility of foiling in the San Francisco Bay and then trying it in Lake Tahoe this summer. Life is good, I have no idea where this will lead, I do know it feels exhilarating to follow my bliss. Probably the best part is foiling is bringing people together, the excitement is contagious. It seems we all have a sense that this is something we have never seen before and who knows how far it can go?
