The FOILING Revolution is marchng on ! F-One is starting the summer season with a big bang, introducing a full SUP (and WIND) FOIL collection to complement our KITE FOIL Collection ! FOILING is evolving, showing its multiple facets and has become a fully separate discipline in which we are fully invested, whether you are a kiteboarder (KiteFoil), a paddleboarder (SupFoil) or a windsurfer (WindFoil).
Raphael SALLES (F-One CEO) gives us an insight into the history of FOIL within the brand. All the answers to your questions and technical information of this all new SUP FOIL are here for you !
“We have all seen the pictures of Laird Hamilton foiling on a tow-in with snowboard boots a long time ago; and more recently the SupFoil videos of Bruno André surfing waves. One could wonder why these new sports sometimes take so much time to get off the ground?
But there is a difference between a professional surfer using high tech gear and the general public practice. On another side, we have seen several main cycles which can be classified in three main categories: Windsurf, Kitesurf and Stand Up Paddle. It seems that these cycles feed on one another and can only hatch when some of the leaders switch from one cycle to the next one. Clearly, the pro-riders and we, the brands, can only develop one sport at a time.
For a few years now, riding and sailing on foils has literally taken off in water sports, and foiling over the water has become a sport of its own and I think that a “fourth cycle” is taking shape and taking off now.
Foiling is exceptional due to the sensations and performances it offers, but also due to another reason that we couldn’t yet picture not so long ago: foiling is possible in all three sports: Kitesurf, SUP and Windsurf.
For the first time, the riders of three different water sports can share the same feelings and the same language! Even more surprising, they can also share the same foils or boards.
We have been involved in kite foiling for the past 4 years during which we have gained a lot of knowledge in this highly technical field. But we are also a SUP brand and we used to be windsurfers originally. This is why our expertise can apply on all three types of gear, KiteFOil, SupFoil and WindFoil”
SupFoiling has two different aspects: surfing and downwind racing.
SupFoil Surf
To be honest, I couldn’t see at first the bonus of using a foil when the waves are rolling. But it’s always better to try for yourself and make your own conclusions.
On my first session, the feelings were amazing right away. Bear in mind that I foil very regularly with a kite and I have also foiled being towed behind a boat, but the feeling on the wave was different. To get an idea of these sensations, I think it’s close to what surfing or kiting can be in the waves. No kite, no traction to deal with, everything becomes so pure.
But there is also a new dimension into this: it’s the energy of the waves below the surface. When surfing on a foil, it becomes possible to grasp and play with this new kind of energy with the slope of the wave. Forgetting the old reflex and focusing on this new information can be puzzling.
Now, once this new feeling has been experienced comes another question: where can or should we go SupFoiling? Choppy waves, even exposed to the wind can be ridden with a SupFoil, meaning that poor and unexploited surf conditions become accessible. This is the second strong benefit, which has convinced me that this could become a new surfing sport. We all know that on our planet there is a lot more of poor and average wave conditions than good ones.
This is also a unique opportunity to surf the outside reefs which are usually deserted.
SupFoil Boards
The range of SupFoil boards that we are introducing have been entirely developed based on this analysis and can be classified in three sub-categories:
1- PAPENOO – Convertible SupFoil Boards 7’7 & 7’11
This is a classic SUP board which has a foil box and can receive a foil. Its planning hull is ideal to take speed and facilitates the transition between the surfing phase and flying phase. Its compact shape also naturally provides the right balance over the foil and makes it more maneuverable in flight.
The PAPENOO Foil board is ideal for waves around 1m as it requires a little bit of power to lift out.
It is also a fantastic board to learn how to foil towed behind a boat. It just needs standing up with your feet in the correct position without the need to water-start. Just let the boat reach the required speed and you can take off !
Construction:
Weight is important to facilitate lift off. The PAPENOO SUP-Foil convertible is therefore available in full carbon construction only to make it as light as possible. The area around the foil box insert has been specifically reinforced to endure the high loads.
This board is available in 7’7’’ x 29’’ – 110L and 7’11’’ x 30.5’’ – 123L
2- MAGIC – Dedicated Surfing SupFoil boards 8’6 & 9’6
The idea here was to create two sizes of SUP boards designed to take-off on average or poor quality waves, large or small. This was a golden opportunity to start from a blank page and make no compromises. We wanted to achieve take-off as early as possible and then gain enough speed on the wave to lift off and foil.
On the two MAGIC sizes, 8’6 and 9’6, the entire shape has been thought off towards foiling. Outline, rocker, volume distribution, box locations and feet positions, everything is made to get you up on the foil. This is something totally new.
These boards are quite long and narrow to allow for a better take-off on outside reef waves which are less powerful. Being slightly longer, the 9’6 will allow easier take-offs.
Important note: It is possible to surf less powerful waves with a foil with an amazing feeling but the foil does not enable an earlier take-off. It is therefore important to choose the size of the board correctly depending on the wave to be surfed.
3- OCEAN – Dedicated Downwind Racing SupFoil board 10′
The idea here is to surf the open ocean swell downwind, to lift off with a race SupFoil and glide off as far as possible. This type of practice is a little more restrictive as it requires the right logistics and weather forecast, but what a feeling it is to glide above the swell with nothing more than a SUP and a paddle.
The shape of the OCEAN 10’ is not only for downwind racing but is also suited to surfing outside reefs. It becomes possible to catch and surf waves that build further offshore and then paddle back to the peak after a long surf, even if going upwind.
Race SupFoiling becomes a mix of navigating and flying.
What kind of board is required to take-off on a downwinder and what kind of board is required to maintain flight as long as possible? We have opted for a length of 10’ to get enough speed to catch the swell and bumps, while remaining light and compact enough when foiling. Here again, starting from such a blank page, we were able to unleash our design experience and get out of the beaten tracks.
Outline, volume, rocker, hull and nose shape are all previously unseen on a racing SUP board. Box location and feet position have been optimized for an early lift off to maximize your feelings and to distance yourself with your trailing competitors !
SupFoils
Two packs are available in SUPFOIL:
- The SUPFOIL SURF HYBRID (Aluminum & Carbon)
- The SUPFOIL RACE HYBRID (Aluminum & Carbon)
SupFoil Surf Hybrid: Best with the MAGIC or PAPENOO convertible boards
- 75cm aluminium mast
- 1000 Freeride wing
- Freeride stabilizer
- fuselage 42cm
- 3D Rendering
SupFoil Race Hybrid: Best with the OCEAN SupFoil board
- 75cm aluminium mast
- 900 Race wing
- Freeride stabilizer
- fuselage 42cm
- 3D Rendering
We have developed two types of front wing blades for SupFoiling and both of them are made to work with the same stabilizer and fuselage.
Freeride Wing 1000:
Designed for SUP surfing, the generous surface area and compact aspect ratio of this wing offers easy and immediate lift, even at very low speed. From the moment you lift off, the wing lets you follow the wave without excessive speed and remain very user friendly. Maneuverable and very intuitive to enter the curves and bends, it is ideal for surfing or for learning how to foil behind a boat.
This wing is perfect with our MAGIC 8’6 and 9’6 boards, as well as with the PAPENOO convertible, but can be adapted on any surfing SupFoil board.
Race Wing 900:
As indicated by its name, this wing is designed to be used for downwind racing. Its unique and innovative design features a surface area of 900 cm² and an extended span, giving this wing a great performance potential.
It was designed to achieve lift off at the lowest possible speed and thanks to its efficiency it will glide for long period and for long distance, following the slope of the swell. It is also quite maneuverable given its size, making it easier to change direction and stay at the right place on the swell.
This wing is perfectly suited to our OCEAN 10’ board, but can be setup on any racing SupFoil board.
Aluminum Mast 75cm:
Using a specific extruded aluminum profile and a medium chord length of 11cm, its light weight makes the foil easy to carry and move around both on shore and in the water. The profile is 1.5 cm thick and uses a low-drag section for a perfect glide. The length of 75cm matches the need of SUP foiling to offer maximum control.
Equipped with the patented Fast Connection Device (FCD) manufactured from Forged and Pre-Preg carbon, this mast comes with great modularity and ease of use as one single rod is all that’s needed to assemble the main parts together. Compatible with all F-ONE wings and foil parts, it is also completely watertight and corrosion free. This mast is recommended with the Surf/Freeride 1000 and Race 900 wings to depending on the targeted use: foil surfing or downwind foiling.
This mast is equipped with a Deep KF-Box and fits on all F-ONE Supfoil boards (PAPENOO, MAGIC, OCEAN).
Sensations when SupFoiling are just bluffing and really new! So let’s try them!
FAQ:
- Can I setup my foil on any SUP board ? Any SUP board might not be a fit for sup foiling since it requires good aptitudes for take-off and the right box location. The longer the board, the trickier it gets to lift off and to place the box in the right position.
- Can I setup my foil on any Windsurf board? Yes, but the box needs to be located in the right place to achieve the right balance.
- Are your foils available with other box standards such as Tuttle for example? Yes, it is available on demand
- Can you supply Deep KF Box inserts to fit into boards? Yes
- Are all the blades, fuselages, masts of the range SUP FOIL – KITE FOIL – WIND FOIL all compatible with each others? Yes, thanks to our patented FCD connection system, everything is compatible
- Is it possible to use the same front wing for sup foiling and wind foiling? From a design point of view, it is quite similar: the foil needs to lift out of the water a rider and his/her board with more or less performances or accessibility. The driving force either comes from paddling together with the energy of the wave or from the sail force of the windsurf rig. On the other side, kite foiling is different since the kite pulls upwards and carries some of the rider and board weight. But some kite foil wings can be used in wind foil or sup foil, such as the Freeride 800 by example. And the 900 and 1000 sup foil wings can also be used for kite foiling.
- Why do the SupFoil and WindFoil masts have different lengths? When sup foiling, it is all about keeping your balance at the top of the foil. The longer the mast, the more difficult it is to maintain the balance. The foil also doesn’t run across a high chop or waves during flight. When wind foiling, the rig provides more support and more stability. The foil can be used on the open sea and will come across higher chops and waves around 1m or more. More length is therefore required to fly over these.
- Is it easier to learn how to foil behind a boat? Yes! The shorter mast of a sup foil and the Freeride 1000 wing are the ideal combo to learn how to fly. A beginner doesn’t even need to waterstart. All that is required is to stand up on the SUP, feet located in the right place with the rope in hand. The boat can set the pace accurately to reach the ideal speed for the rider to feel the lift from the foil. He will thereby learn easily how to fly by focusing solely on the foil.
- Is it possible to wind foil with a 75cm sup foil mast? Yes, of course, but doing the opposite (sup foiling with 90cm wind foil mast) is more difficult.
- Is there a way to practice sup, sup foil and wind foil with the same foil and board? Absolutely! Thanks to our convertible Papenoo board which can be used as a normal wave SUP but can also be used for sup foiling and wind foiling if a rig is added.
