FORESIGHT: Phil Martin

Offering his industry-level-insight into where the sport of foiling is likely to find itself in the coming years is Eleveight Co-founder and Sales Manager, Phil Martin…

  • I find it unbelievable how in all industries things are more quickly evolving and are becoming ultra-specialized these days. Just to make a brief comparison, SUP was here for a very long time, and we've seen people paddling on big boards for dozens of years, but it only started to explode around 2010. It's the same with foiling, which has been around for quite a long time – I tried one of the first Carafino kite foils myself, around 2005!
  • As a brand you now have to develop foils for kiting, winging, surfing, windsurfing, downwind… and even each of these sports have different needs within them! A few years ago one or two foils were enough to cover everything, but now you need to have such a huge range of products. There are no limits to foiling, and I think now we have reached a good development and performance level, so it will slow in terms of product development, but some evolutions will always come over time.

💎 Premium Content Ahead! 💎

This is premium magazine content, usually only available to our subscribers, but you can access it for free when you join our mailing list!
(Already subscribed? Simply enter your email to unlock all magazine features now)

*You will receive our weekly Friday Pump newsletter, plus the latest features, gear tests and giveaway announcements.

__CONFIG_colors_palette__{"active_palette":0,"config":{"colors":{"30800":{"name":"Main Accent","parent":-1},"f2bba":{"name":"Main Light 10","parent":"30800"},"trewq":{"name":"Main Light 30","parent":"30800"},"frty6":{"name":"Main Light 45","parent":"30800"},"flktr":{"name":"Main Light 80","parent":"30800"}},"gradients":[]},"palettes":[{"name":"Default","value":{"colors":{"30800":{"val":"rgb(59, 136, 253)","hsl":{"h":216,"s":0.98,"l":0.61}},"f2bba":{"val":"rgba(59, 136, 253, 0.1)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":216,"s":0.98,"l":0.61,"a":0.1}},"trewq":{"val":"rgba(59, 136, 253, 0.3)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":216,"s":0.98,"l":0.61,"a":0.3}},"frty6":{"val":"rgba(59, 136, 253, 0.45)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":216,"s":0.98,"l":0.61,"a":0.45}},"flktr":{"val":"rgba(59, 136, 253, 0.8)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":216,"s":0.98,"l":0.61,"a":0.8}}},"gradients":[]},"original":{"colors":{"30800":{"val":"rgb(59, 136, 253)","hsl":{"h":216,"s":0.98,"l":0.61}},"f2bba":{"val":"rgba(59, 136, 253, 0.1)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":216,"s":0.98,"l":0.61,"a":0.1}},"trewq":{"val":"rgba(59, 136, 253, 0.3)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":216,"s":0.98,"l":0.61,"a":0.3}},"frty6":{"val":"rgba(59, 136, 253, 0.45)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":216,"s":0.98,"l":0.61,"a":0.45}},"flktr":{"val":"rgba(59, 136, 253, 0.8)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":216,"s":0.98,"l":0.61,"a":0.8}}},"gradients":[]}}]}__CONFIG_colors_palette__

  • Foils are now lighter and stronger, but there is still a lot to do. For me, the most interesting part will be to develop a foil that you can quickly assemble without screws and tools, but by also keeping its full rigidity and obviously not losing any of the parts while riding. Carbon fibers are also becoming better, and with high-modulus carbon fibers, we can now see a big difference in the stiffness of the products. The sport is still new and we have many things which we will see in development – both good things that stick, and things which will later disappear again.
  • New spots, new styles and their progression is in full swing, and we see only the tip of the iceberg right now. Yes, we are only at the beginning, but some of the Big Air foil riders are now doing almost the same tricks as Big Air kitesurfers riding with a twintip board, and that was something nobody could have imagined a few years back. Likewise, you see foilers riding massive waves, and also trying to get barreled.
  • Events play a big part in influencing trends in sports in general. Introducing foiling in each discipline will give opportunities, although I can see that it makes it more complicated for event organizers. As I said before, I am not yet sure that foiling in general will be mixed up with other disciplines, although there won't be limits to tricks and maneuvers. If you had described to me ten years ago about some of the Big Air tricks kitesurfers are doing today, I would have told you it is physically impossible, but they do it… it will be the same with foiling, and I can see some riders going massive with their foils. This really is only the beginning.

 

Related Articles...

Outer Banks: Assault on the Fortress

A rare swell transforms Fort Boyard into a fleeting tow-in point break, where perfect timing and teamwork deliver a once-in-a-lifetime session riding powerful waves alongside the historic fortress.

READ MORE

Wing Commander: Noah Hoffman & Andrew Gibbons 

When it comes to the big hitters in the wind and water sport realm, few can claim a heritage like Naish can. The brand has been at the forefront of the industry for many years, consistently bringing out well-received and commercially popular products. Continuing that tradition are designers Noah Hoffman, who joined the brand four years ago, and Andrew Gibbons, who came onboard last year, who are helping shape the brand’s next chapter.

READ MORE

Eyewitness: EXTREME TOWFOILING

E1 racing is an emerging series inside the eSports category, leveraging hydrofoils for their minimal friction, maximum speed. When Tom Court was offered the challenge of being towed behind one of the extremely fast “RaceBird” boats, for a never-been-done-before stunt to satisfy some curious minds behind the scenes, well, of course Tom was up for it…

READ MORE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Foiling Magazine is a premium quality internationally distributed publication, bringing together the very best in written and photojournalism from the world of foiling.

Subscribe Now

©Copyright 2026 TheFoilingMagazine, All Rights Reserved. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Disclaimer | Sitemap | Cookie SettingsWebsite by Majik Websites