Shapers who make foil boards.

steamroller

Michael Peterson status
Dec 23, 2007
2,118
766
113
48U - Green River, WY
KT!....i asked Keith can you make me some foil boards i want to surf like kailenny...he said i can make you boards just like his but you probably wont surf like him...haha :poke:

IMG_20190609_165852_506.jpg

20200630_170905.jpg

Screenshot_20200726-004004_Instagram.jpg
 

casa_mugrienta

Duke status
Apr 13, 2008
43,209
17,640
113
Petak Island
Ford is probably the next guy I'd get a board from if I don't end up making my own.

Apparently Steve Ford does the King's boards too?

 
  • Like
Reactions: grendel95

grendel95

Billy Hamilton status
Nov 1, 2005
1,604
325
83
SJC
Apparently Steve Ford does the King's boards too?

Correct!

Freedom Foil Boards just got purchased by a bigger company and are transitioning. Chris ran everything out of his garage and was pretty swamped just selling on instagram, hence no dealers. He's still involved as the lead designer.

Foiling isn't big in surfing, probably never will be. It's not only hard to get started, it's downright scary at first. I came very close to selling my stuff the first time i had a hard fall onto the foil (taco).

When I got into foiling a couple years ago, there were already a lot of guys I would see every session that were double dippping and ripping like crazy (kookapinto). A lot of them I never see foiling anymore, I think because they "conquered the mountain." Most of us that stick with it are addicted to the glide, lack of crowd and challenge of trying not to paddle back to the lineup.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JDJ and ghostshaper

Hdip

Michael Peterson status
Apr 23, 2005
3,331
788
113
Malibu, CA
Yeah I wonder why guys like that stop. I wonder if it's because they have to make money from surfing and foiling isn't the answer there. So they have to go back to retro longboarding?
 
  • Like
Reactions: casa_mugrienta
Mar 22, 2020
145
104
43
Correct!

Freedom Foil Boards just got purchased by a bigger company and are transitioning. Chris ran everything out of his garage and was pretty swamped just selling on instagram, hence no dealers. He's still involved as the lead designer.

Foiling isn't big in surfing, probably never will be. It's not only hard to get started, it's downright scary at first. I came very close to selling my stuff the first time i had a hard fall onto the foil (taco).

When I got into foiling a couple years ago, there were already a lot of guys I would see every session that were double dippping and ripping like crazy (kookapinto). A lot of them I never see foiling anymore, I think because they "conquered the mountain." Most of us that stick with it are addicted to the glide, lack of crowd and challenge of trying not to paddle back to the lineup.

Good news for Chris, definetly one of the best designer when it comes to foil board, always looking out the box.
 
Mar 22, 2020
145
104
43
Yeah I wonder why guys like that stop. I wonder if it's because they have to make money from surfing and foiling isn't the answer there. So they have to go back to retro longboarding?
I don't know, weird, same thing for the WCFC.

For me foiling is the best way to escape crowd.
 

juandesooka

OTF status
Jan 12, 2009
346
294
63
A buncha interesting themes in this thread:

-- big name shaper foil boards: I am cynical, maybe not as much as Northern Shores, but seems crazy to spend big bucks on a foil board. A lot of the "advanced technological performance" features advertised seem to be more about catching buyers than waves. And the beautifully artful clean perfect lines that are so admirable on a surfboard are mostly irrelevant on a foilboard. Where you really see this right now is in the new wingboarding craze....I've seen prices towards $2000 for a sub 6' rectangle built of space age composites. But if you have the money, then sexy shiny things are indeed nice to have.

-- foil defections: it does seem like some of the early #loyaltothefoil pioneers have moved on, stoke eroded? Or maybe just not as public about it, now that the early-adopter cool factor is lessened. Personally I am still on fire, but that's because I am still very much on the intermediate learning curve still, gaining new skills, winning new plateaus nearly every session. Once that slows down I'll get bored and switch to Serial Obsession #17.

-- surf industry: does seem like some big names have dabbled, but still very much fringe. Not stoking enough? Not cool enough? Too expensive and gear nerdy? Stigma, social pressure? In my local, there's a lot of attitude about it, but as our crew continues to march towards competency, last session had a few days that turned some heads. Making something of nearly nothing. Surf foiling especially, as there's not too many people that can make sup foiling look cool. ;-)

Anyways, if you want a new surf foil, try making one yourself! It's surprisingly straightforward and really fun and satisfying.
 
Mar 22, 2020
145
104
43
A buncha interesting themes in this thread:

-- big name shaper foil boards: I am cynical, maybe not as much as Northern Shores, but seems crazy to spend big bucks on a foil board. A lot of the "advanced technological performance" features advertised seem to be more about catching buyers than waves. And the beautifully artful clean perfect lines that are so admirable on a surfboard are mostly irrelevant on a foilboard. Where you really see this right now is in the new wingboarding craze....I've seen prices towards $2000 for a sub 6' rectangle built of space age composites. But if you have the money, then sexy shiny things are indeed nice to have.
I agree that big brands foil boards made in China are way too expensive but when it comes to local shapers the price is right, it is a lot of work and most important a strong knowledge and experience.

I've seen so many people on "made in garage board", most of those were just a waist of money...

If you think a foil board should just be a piece of foam with boxes you are totally wrong, you should try and you will motice the difference.

The board might be not as important as the foil but it is very important. Try the best foil with a bad board and you won't get the most of it.
 

juandesooka

OTF status
Jan 12, 2009
346
294
63
I've seen so many people on "made in garage board", most of those were just a waist of money...If you think a foil board should just be a piece of foam with boxes you are totally wrong, you should try and you will motice the difference.
I'll have to take your word for it, not yet many pro boards around here to try out. For now, my POS garage boards will have to do. ;-)
 
Mar 22, 2020
145
104
43
I agree that big brands foil boards made in China are way too expensive but when it comes to local shapers the price is right, it is a lot of work and most important a strong knowledge and experience.

I've seen so many people on "made in garage board", most of those were just a waist of money...

If you think a foil board should just be a piece of foam with boxes you are totally wrong, you should try and you will motice the difference.

The board might be not as important as the foil but it is very important. Try the best foil with a bad board and you won't get the most of it.
- paddling : the overall curve, the bottom, the outline, the rocker, the rails, the deck, will make you paddle easier and faster if everything is right. My 4'1 paddles way faster than 5'5 ???? ( I won't mane the brand).

flying : the flight can be so different regarding the board you are riding. Not just the dimension and the outiline, all the details will make a board work well or not.

For exemple I have noticed that recess deck make you feel more comfortable for paddling but also it gives you more control during the flight.

I'm not sure about the popular fancy double concave for surf foil (for sup I trully believe it helps a lot especially for DW). Seems that on surf foil it helps when you hit the white water, doesn't sitck, that the theory i heard. I'm still trying both bottom design, I have to do more sessions to find out.
 

juandesooka

OTF status
Jan 12, 2009
346
294
63
- paddling : the overall curve, the bottom, the outline, the rocker, the rails, the deck, will make you paddle easier and faster if everything is right. My 4'1 paddles way faster than 5'5 ???? ( I won't mane the brand).

flying : the flight can be so different regarding the board you are riding. Not just the dimension and the outiline, all the details will make a board work well or not.

For exemple I have noticed that recess deck make you feel more comfortable for paddling but also it gives you more control during the flight.

I'm not sure about the popular fancy double concave for surf foil (for sup I trully believe it helps a lot especially for DW). Seems that on surf foil it helps when you hit the white water, doesn't sitck, that the theory i heard. I'm still trying both bottom design, I have to do more sessions to find out.
Each design feature you raise comes with pros and cons. If you attempt to improve any one aspect, it comes at the cost of losing performance on other aspects. That's "robbing Peter to pay Paul". Seems a little iffy to hack on a given brand's board paddling ability unless you weigh it against the rest of the package, what it does and doesn't do well.

Both recessed desks and concave bottoms seem to be controversial design features lately, you can easily find shapers pro and con who will both insist the other side is 100% wrong. But they can't both be right! Personally, seems to that unless you can be confident that sophisticated/fancy/complex helps, better to just keep it simple. Classic lines.

I think we are on the same page about the master-shaper, an artist/scientist/mad genius who can carve foam into watercrafts that are beautiful as a renaissance sculpture and as hydrodynamic as a world cup sailboat, all by their eye and hand. An intuitive ability to find the combination of elements that leads to success. And by the same token, I would be a little reluctant to buy a custom foilboard from a shaper who doesn't foil themselves.
 

TangTonic

Nep status
Feb 24, 2011
775
626
93
I don't know, weird, same thing for the WCFC.

For me foiling is the best way to escape crowd.
One big bummer about foiling is how it screws up your regular surfing. I could see some really good surfers experiencing that and getting scared it will permanently f them up.
 

grendel95

Billy Hamilton status
Nov 1, 2005
1,604
325
83
SJC
One big bummer about foiling is how it screws up your regular surfing. I could see some really good surfers experiencing that and getting scared it will permanently f them up.
Foiling definitely slows your conventional surfing down, all the riding aspects are more drawn out and subtle on the foil. Easy to forget how quick you have to turn on a shortboard to keep going fast.
 

sozzle

Michael Peterson status
Feb 23, 2009
1,959
283
83
Foiling definitely slows your conventional surfing down, all the riding aspects are more drawn out and subtle on the foil. Easy to forget how quick you have to turn on a shortboard to keep going fast.
i found it was more the back foot weighting that ruined me, took me weeks in reasonable waves to get back to 90% on a shortboard/surfboard.
 
Mar 22, 2020
145
104
43
Maybe I’m not normal. I can switch back and forth fine now. At first it was a bit harder.
I would say yes and no.

I found my regular surfing is better actually, it seems that because you don't push really hard your turns on foil that once a regular surfboard you want to hit harder than ever the lip, and push more on your bottom turns etc...

But only because I only surf when it is good, like really good. I can't surf a surfboard even a fish on small mushy day or even average wave anymore.

I would say technical ability you don't loose, you can even get something good from foling (more precise, etc...) but in your mind you loose a lot. You want to go super fast but you can't !
 

juandesooka

OTF status
Jan 12, 2009
346
294
63
Is this true for most people?
Yes and no for me too. Getting on a surfboard after months of only foiling, I couldn't even paddle it, the instability side to side was shocking ... kind of a reminder of how difficult surfing is for newbs, the things we take for granted. It takes me 4 or 5 waves to get acclimatized, half a session to feel the board under me again.

But that's longboarding. I am mildly embarassed to admit I haven't shortboarded effectively in 10 years. Too crowded, too poor fitness led to longboarding, then SUP, then kiting, then kite foil, then SUP foil, then surf foil. Funny thing is, with the surf foil froth-out last season, I am probably in the best paddling fitness in 15 years ... at the peak of it, I think I could legitimately paddled a shortboard into significant waves again (after figuring out how to paddle ;-)