Foilboard

Laird Hamilton, a prominent figure in the invention of big wave tow-in surfing, later discovered the foilboard's capability to harness swell energy with the use of a jet ski, pulling the rider into a wave.[2]

The stand-up design allows the rider to glide with the moving wave by harnessing the kinetic energy with the underwater swell. Hydrofoil kiteboards allow the rider to achieve the same result with the use of a kite.[3] The hydrofoil minimizes the effects of choppy or rough conditions. Due to the hydrofoil's underwater characteristics, the rider can angle higher into the wind than on traditional kiteboards which ride on the surface of the water. In 2009 an Australian Inventor Brett Curtis build and rode the first paddle-in or prone hydrofoil. He posted photos on surfing forums Swaylocks and RealSurf of a friend Alex Budlevski riding the foils in 2013. 3 years before Kai Lenny made surfing hydrofoils famous. [4] Foils are used on wind-surfboards through design development from Neil Pryde Maui, inventors of hydrofoil sailing "windsurfing" boards. Using a moderately sized sail, a foil windboard can achieve speeds over 6 knots faster than the apparent wind. With advancements in hydrofoil design the energy required to stay on foil was reduced to levels achievable by human power alone. Kai Lenny pioneered a technique now called "pumping" in which the rider shifts their weight over the axis of rotation, driving the foil through the water column which generates lift. [5]

In 2017, Lift Foils, a small company from Puerto Rico, introduced to the world the first commercially available electric powered hydrofoil surfboard. [6]

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  Windsurf Hydrofoil with Deep Tuttle Box fin system
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  Hydrofoil on windsurf board
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  The Lift eFoil, an electric hydrofoil surfboard

• Sit-down hydrofoil