WSW assistant editor, Kyle Cabano, recounts his last three years aiming to stay high for longer. This article is available to read for free now in WSW issue 04. Here’s a little more info below – or jump directly to the feature here
My first exposure to surf foiling was in March 2018 when I started working in the Airush marketing team at their HQ in Muizenberg, Cape Town. Clinton Filen had already been working on design concepts for the first dedicated AK surf foils and I arrived just around the time he was having his first successful flights. At this point I had not tried foiling at all, but I was instantly intrigued, although not quite convinced as the board looked heavy and the foils, sharp!
I have been surfing and kiting for many years, but the foil movement echoed through to South Africa slowly. My first time kite foiling wasn’t until late in the summer season of 2018. The gliding sensation was instantly addictive and I knew I wanted more!
The first surf foil shoot mission I went on was with Clinton, James Taylor and Jacques Theron in the winter of 2018. They were testing while I took photos from the water. From my view point at water level as they were whipped into unbroken waves by the jetski, it still looked to be quite challenging as the guys wobbled and swayed, occasionally having a run of glory. It also seemed that the guys were riding much smaller wings back then which were obviously not as stable as the more current designs. I got my turn at being pulled into one or two, but felt very off tune without the handle or kite bar in hand. I was still not convinced.
I was fortunately in an environment where there are plenty of other board riding options but, as summer rolled around again in November 2018, I got my first foil setup on loan from Clinton. I started riding regularly. Although the sessions were quite short lived and my success scattered between the sketchy wipeouts, I started gaining experience and the progression started to accelerate.
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In the winter of 2019, Kyle did a trip with Hawaiian waterman Zane Schweitzer and South African surf pro Dale staples to document the amazing surf foiling conditions during South Africa’s winter. Exploring some of the coasts most famous surf breaks, including Jeffreys bay! This 18-minute long documentary is a must watch if you are interested in learning to surf foil.
THIS ARTICLE FEATURED IN OUR LATEST DIGITAL ISSUE AND IS FREE TO VIEW
