Aaron, the "New Foil Guy", on the Slingshot "Foil Academy"

Slingshot Foil Academy: "Taxi Stage"

Like with many of you, the kite foilboarding bug has bitten me as well. And as you may already know, the Slingshot “Foil Academy” is a great place to get started. Thanks to Alex Fox, and his team, the online tutorials are well thought and easy to follow.

The Slingshot Hover Glide foil system is easy to assemble and disassemble. I was able to switch from the full-size mast to the 15” mast in just a few minutes. After assembling the foil and mounting it to my board, it was time to get wet.

Carrying a kite foilboard for the first time is a little awkward. Especially if you’re used to riding a twin tip most of the time. Foilboards weigh more, and are a bit more cumbersome—there’s no way around it.

Once you’re in the water, you’ll want to body-drag out to deeper water. Waist to chest deep will be good for you to get started in. You’ll notice a different kind of drag with the foil. You’ll also be taking a few dings to your shins as you’re getting started. No worries.

When you’re ready to board-start, think about keeping more front-foot pressure on your board than usual. If you lean back too far, the foil will shoot out from under you. Just take your time—you’ll get it.

Also, take some time to just ride the board—not the foil. Get used to the way the foil feels in the water and the different kind of drag that it has. Once you’re feeling comfortable riding both directions for a little while, try coming up on foil. It doesn’t take much. Just a slight shift in weight will do it. Coming up on foil is going to blow your mind. Yeah, there’s a reason that big, goofy grin is called “foil face”.

Of course, you’re going to be totally amped on this new experience, but try to keep that in check. Take your time and be patient as you practice. Riding too fast, too soon can lead to the opposite of foil face, so please—just chill. You’ll have plenty of time to rip it into high gear as you get more experienced.

Good winds to your next session!

Aaron