Personally, I’m not a fan of this whole hydrofoil thing. They’re sketchy. And while Kai Lenny is clearly having a lot of fun with them and making them look fun, I’m not too excited for what this means to the future of our lineups. I understand that for every hydrofoil edit I roll my eyes at, scores of people are immediately curious how much one of them will cost on Amazon. Projectile surfboards are already enough of a problem in Southern California’s thick lineups, to begin with, and the last thing I’m anxious to see is a giant, aluminum wing flying at me.
Anyway, enough of my rant. Whether you share my doomsday fear or not, hydrofoils are still about the most dangerous watercraft you can get your hands on right now. And as their popularity grows, we are going to see more and more of them ridden by Average Joe.
“We should kinda set some guidelines so everybody can kinda follow the rules,” Kauai’s Kalani Vierra says, “so things don’t get outta hand [before the] government gets in and starts regulating.”
Safety, etiquette, understanding the equipment, and situational awareness will need to keep up with the sport’s popularity, which is why Vierra is sitting down here with fellow foil pioneers Leleo Kinimaka and Sam Pa’e. It’s a hydrofoil PSA and even though it’s a long watch, if you’re at all intrigued by foiling and are thinking you’ll end up on one of these someday, they’re three men you should be listening to.
Note: You can learn more about hydrofoil safety and taking lessons with a professional here.
