The company has shipped several thousand boards since it launched in 2018. “There’s pent-up demand for something like this,” Wagner said. They don’t need gas or a boat ramp and they’re easier to transport. Efoils extend the techy phenomenon from the city streets to lakes and oceans.Įfoils represent a promising alternative to Jet Skis and waverunners, which have dominated the market for recreational personal watercraft for decades, says Stew Wagner, chief financial officer of Lift Foils. It feels both revolutionary and like a natural outgrowth of our broader shift toward personalized, battery-powered transportation, appealing to the demographic that rolls hovercrafts, Onewheels, e-skateboards and scooters through downtown San Francisco. The activity took off two years ago when Lift Foils shipped the first boards to eager water sports enthusiasts around the planet. But the right-sized rider on the right-sized board can get up to 30 mph. Most new riders feel comfortably exhilarated at 12 mph, Cook says. One battery runs about 90 minutes, and cruising speeds vary. This is called riding “on foil” - like surfing on a pendulum. The difficulty is in balancing yourself just right to allow the wing to lift you into the air. After you nudge an efoil into the water and hoist yourself aboard, you throttle it up with a handheld remote. Riders gain propulsion in flat water by pumping the board up and down with their legs or surfing the momentum of a wave.Įfoiling is newer and doesn’t require as much physical exertion or expertise. Hydrofoiling - a surfboard-foil setup without electricity - has been around for about 20 years, pioneered in Hawaii by big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been spotted this summer riding his efoil on Lake Tahoe and in Hawaii. The standard efoil from industry leader Lift Foils, based in Puerto Rico, runs $12,000, making early models a toy mainly for the 1 percent. “It’s your own personal flying surfboard,” Cook said. When it gets up to speed, a wing on the plow creates enough lift underwater to raise the board off the water’s surface and carry the rider a foot or so into the air. It’s basically a short surfboard with a 3-foot-long metal plow bolted to its belly and affixed with a battery-powered propeller. “When it gets a little wobbly, take that as your opportunity to jump off,” said Cook, 29, of Truckee, who started offering efoil lessons on Lake Tahoe in July ($295 for 90 minutes).ĭuring a bluebird September morning on Tahoe’s West Shore, Cook explained the tricky physics of riding an efoil, or electric hydrofoil, a new brand of personal watercraft popping up on waterways around the world. The first rule of efoiling, says Matt Cook, is “bail early.” Like, as soon as you feel your board start teetering under your feet. Michael Macor / Special to the Chronicle Show More Show Lessįor more stories like this, check out The Chronicle’s weekly Travel newsletter! Sign up here. Instructor Matt Cook cruises along Lake Tahoe during an efoil lesson at Kings Beach. Michael Macor / Special to the Chronicle Show More Show Less 8 of8 Instructor Matt Cook makes a turn on Lake Tahoe during an efoil lesson at Kings Beach. Michael Macor / Special to the Chronicle Show More Show Less 7 of8 Instructor Matt Cook with the hand controller for the propulsion unit under the efoil board, during an efoil lesson on Lake Tahoe at Kings Beach. Michael Macor / Special to the Chronicle Show More Show Less 6 of8 Instructor Matt Cook (center) instructs Kevin Burrage (left) and Connor Bugbee before heading out on the water during an efoil lesson at Kings Beach. Michael Macor / Special to the Chronicle Show More Show Less 5 of8 Instructor Matt Cook (left) leads student Kevin Burrage for an efoil lesson on Lake Tahoe at Kings Beach. Michael Macor / Special to the Chronicle Show More Show Less 4 of8 Instructor Matt Cook (foreground) keeps watch on student Kevin Burrage during an efoil lesson on Lake Tahoe at Kings Beach (Placer County). Michael Macor / Special to the Chronicle Show More Show Less 3 of8 Students Kevin Burrage (left) and Connor Bugbee (center) with instructor Matt Cook during an efoil class lesson on Lake Tahoe at Kings Beach. Michael Macor / Special to the Chronicle Show More Show Less 2 of8 Instructor Matt Cook (right), along with student Connor Bugbee, during an efoil class at Kings Beach.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |