The added variable of bending at the knees creates a pivot point that makes wipeouts far more likely. The mechanics of guiding the board, turning, and maintaining control over the foil’s balance point are heightened. This is mainly because there’s a higher level of danger with the hydrofoil requiring a “fine” level of balance. The major difference, he says, is that surfing a hydrofoil is reserved for the elite of the elite. So it turns out placing these things in the face of a breaking wave is actually long overdue.Īll these principles applied to Bangs’ Air Chair, where a rider is in a seated position above a board with a hydrofoil, are the inspiration for what we see from big wave surfers literally flying through sections at Raglan. The creation of the hydrofoil itself actually dates back as early as the turn of the 20th century, with water skiers finally putting them to use in the 1950’s. And surprisingly, Bangs says “flying” takes place at only about three miles per hour when the proper mechanics are applied. The division of high and low pressure creates different levels of velocity on each side of the foil. The wings are shaped to deflect water pressure downward, and for those of you who paid attention in physics class, Newton’s Third Law of Motion taught you this is where upward motion is applied to the foil. And as it moves through the water, that creates lift just like with an airplane.” ![]() “You have two wings, one in the back and one in the front as a stabilizer, and you have high pressure and low pressure areas on the wing. “ works under the exact same principles as an airplane,” Bangs told me. But Laird Hamilton riding a foil board, on the other hand? What kind of magic is at play here? Seriously, how in the world do these things glide on top of the surface of the water? What kind of spells are being cast to make this possible? Hashtag what the f***?īut according to Collin Bangs, a production manager for the company Air Chair, foil boarding is not only easy to understand from a hydrodynamics standpoint but it’s also beginner friendly–unless, of course, you’re trying to do it on a wave, a la the Greek God of riding waves himself. I can at least start to wrap my head around that. Then multiply those factors by about a hundred, along with superior balance, intuition, strength, etc., and you’ve got Laird on a wave. The application of our typical wave riding skills. ![]() Many of us have caught enough waves to simply get it. Whether you screen grab him shooting the Malibu pier and post “#WTF” or not, your inner monologue is probably going to be a mixed bag of “I guess that’s just Laird being Laird” and “Seriously, bro?” But the truth is, I can watch Laird tow in at Teahupoo and somewhat understand the mechanics of pulling into that wave mixed with a healthy dose of superhuman fortitude it takes to stand tall in those conditions. F***?įor the most part, this is the same reaction we all give to most things Laird Hamilton does on a wave. What kind of magic was at play here? Is this even human? Hashtag. To Cook and anybody that had yet to witness the act of riding a wave, gliding on water effortlessly and gracefully, literally dancing on the surface of the ocean, it had to at least feel like some kind of witchcraft. But had the technology been available, I’m sure it would have blown up each of his social media accounts. James Cook certainly couldn’t have tweeted a photo when he arrived on the shores of Hawaii, accompanied by the appropriate “#WTF” caption.
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