With a few members of their usually widely scattered Performance Team in town, Byron Bay based brand Fliteboard thought it could be a bit of fun to bring a few more into the mix, for a bit of a team gathering and a chat. Cue some of the most recognizable figures in foiling, all converging at one of Australia’s most famous beach breaks…
Adam, this was a bit of an all-star casting. Who did all the organizing and managed to get everyone at the same place at the same time?
That would be our Marketing Director Pip, she’s epic! (Ed – We asked Pip: “When Brian said he was going to drop into Byron Bay to meet the team at Flite, I reached out to the team riders that live close by and everyone jumped at the chance to get together. The planets aligned with Eric being in town, and Benny Taylor, Beau Pilgrim and Mike Egan being available to shoot. It was the Avengers Assembled.”)
We’re aware that Flite founder David Trewern lives in Byron Bay. Was this filmed at his place?
Usually we do a lot of filming at David’s house, but it wasn’t available.
So I called my mate Shannon Bennetts, who is also an avid Fliteboarder and he kindly offered his beach house for us to use. What a lord!
Did you guys get much time to hang out and ride before and/or after the interviews?
I get to ride a lot with Harley as he’s close by, but Eric and Brian were in town for a few weeks, so we also had some fun prone sessions with them at Wategos. I think they both extended their trips multiple times because they were having too much fun in Byron!
Was there much partying, or was it all Perrier, salads and early to bed?
No partying, but plenty of froth in the water!
Eric, you’ve been foiling for less than a year but clearly taken to it like a natural. How was that first feeling of getting up on foil for you?
Foiling was a fairly simple learning curve for me. I started out in the surf and learned in about a day. I got one lucky glory ride that basically gave me this feeling I never experienced before. I knew I was hooked right there.
You mention that the camaraderie is a hugely important factor for you in foiling. Do you think that’s even more relevant on an eFoil?
I think the eFoil opens up an even further extension of riding on the water and to be able to share the feeling riding with friends is a must try experience.
You can include yourself in this, but who was the most natural at eFoiling out there in your opinion?
Everyone! The Fliteboard has such an intuitive approach and feel when learning that you can become really good really fast, and riding becomes very natural.
How was Byron for you?
Byron Bay was amazing. I have to make a trip back soon. I love it there.
You mentioned that you’d like to head to Bali with Adam. Anything planned in yet?!
I’m actually heading to Bali today. Heading over to surf and foil, so I’m excited. I’m hoping to stumble into Adam while there.
Simon, you hold a couple of eFoil firsts, such as the first backflip and the current speed record too. Any other records you’re looking to smash?
Definitely, I've been having a blast lately hitting speeds of over 60 km/h (that's more than 37mph) – talk about intense and thrilling! I've also been tearing it up on standardized racecourses, like those used in water ski slalom competitions. Right now, my top time to beat is 24.75 seconds. I've got my sights set on nailing a bunch of freestyle tricks like spins and flips real soon. Powered and unpowered wave riding is one of my favourite things to do, there's so much potential for epic adventures there, and I'm all about it!
Are we correct in thinking you also invented eFoil snorkeling?!
That’s correct. I've been exploring reefs and their amazing underwater life for three years now. It's also been super helpful for finding a lost GoPro. And, using Fliteboard for snorkeling is another cool way to show how versatile eFoils can be.
How was it riding with so many fellow Flite team members, and who impressed you the most out in the water?
It was great to catch up and ride with the Flite Performance Team. It doesn’t happen very often since we’re spread out all over the world. Sharing my local breaks in beautiful Byron Bay was very special. Matthew McVeigh has an impressive style and certainly knows how to rip on those super breach-friendly Flow wings! His snappy turns with half the foil out of the water are unreal.
You get the final word here – give us one final reason as to why anyone who hasn’t yet should go get on a Fliteboard…
EFoiling opens a whole new world of enjoying any body of water anywhere, it’s basically always on. Whether you take it easy and simply enjoy the sensation of flying over calm water or you’re trying to push the limits on a racetrack or in waves, you’ll have an amazing time without the need to chase the perfect wind, weather, waves, etc. It’s easy to learn, environmentally friendly and exciting – get into it!
We won’t mention the exact airline here, but our sympathies sit with Duotone Wingfoiling Division Manager, Klaas Voget, who faced an uphill battle at the airport to join the rest of his team for a shoot in Tahiti. Thankfully, he (and all the gear) made it onto the flight eventually.
READ MORE
October 21st was a day for the UK foiling history books when the Kernow Foil Classic, a grassroots prone and wing surf-style competition went off at Daymer Bay, Cornwall.
READ MORE
Riding the tide of innovation and adventure that are distinctive factors in the eFoil realm, a growing number of women are taking up eFoiling, and in so doing, the proportional gender balance in comparison to a few other disciplines is leveling out. We spoke to a selection of female eFoilers who are out there carving
READ MORE
"It's a beautiful thing to see how far foiling has come!"
"The magazine looks insane. Very stoked to be part of it."
"I had a good time reading issue N°1, everything is high quality from the content to the paper!"
"What a rad publication."
"I enjoy every page of the Foiling Mag – keep it up!"
