Local Knowledge
The first 5 days of learning to ride a foiling kite board have been an overwhelming experience. I’ve gone from wanting to give kiting up completely, to having realized that this might possible be the coolest sport ever. Below is a video of one of my buddies learning to foil. It pretty much sums up everything I experienced the first 2 days. The OMFG moment came on day 3 when everything went silent and the board lifted out of the water.
Day 1, February 16th:I felt like a total newb. I could hardly water start the foil board, nonetheless try to ride it in a straight line. I wiped out dozens of times just going out a few hundred feet past Anita Rock and back- which took me almost 30 minutes. It felt like trying to ice skate with roller skates.
How is this even possible, I thought to myself. For the most part, I tried to ride bow down so as not to foil and learn some control but the foil is super sketchy in displacement mode. The early season gusty winds didn’t help much either was I was either left op’ed or left floundering with a 9.0 kite.
I face planted into the board, catapulted over the side, tumbled off the back, and crashed to both leeward and windward- all in epic fashion. The most terrifying- when the board came foiling towards me after having jumped off. At least one of us got to foil. I made it back in without killing myself, anyone else or getting rescued!
Foil board 1: Steve 0
Day 2, February 20th: Waterlogged, exhausted but not yet defeated. I got a serious beat down today getting chucked off the board multiple times at full foiling height. I wasn’t trying to foil but the board just jumps out of the water once you reach a certain speed and tends to leave the unprepared behind. I spent most of my time in the water- trying to waterstart the board flat. Little did I know, if you turn it on its side, you pop right up. By trial and mostly error, I’ll eventually get it but this is really going to hurt.
Foil board 2: Steve 0
Day 3, February 24: Everything got very quiet and before I knew it, I was foiling. There was no sound as the board lifted off from the water. In all my years of sailing and windsurfing, Id never felt anything like it. I leaned forward to control the pitch and rode what seemed liked minutes but was actually seconds before coming crashing down. The multiple beat downs I was experiencing were taking their toll but it all seemed worth it for that brief 5 second introductory ride I managed to get.
Foil board 2: Steve 1
For the rest of the adventure- head over to the blog. – Steve Bodner.
