Axis Foil Stoke!!

Disclaimer: I am a complete and utter dribbling kook, with that "I am the Water Boy" vacant wide eyed stare; when it comes to foil gear knowledge...and (was) not a great deal better on the water. So, this highly uninformative review is more about the fast progressive and stoke I have experienced since this Monday, on the new Axis foil/board combination (note at the time of writing it is Wednesday night after my third session).

Background: I had one session on a Liquid Force happy foil (did a major 8 month groin injury jumping in the Dongora chop, so sold it), and two sessions on a Konrad Versa foil (60cm mast) borrowed from Jason at Westoz / WA surf. Needless to say I wasn't foiling much and spent 95 percent of the time crashing at speed from height, punching, pissing and moaning (I do believe I even had a Rocky "ADRIAN!!" ) moment at one stage in the water; frustrated at my own dysfunctional impotent incompetence.

I was told it is hard to learn, but I was not prepared for this utterly despondent frustration.

Then suddenly I had a few successful 50-100m foil runs on the Konrad, so in true middle aged man kook form, I bought myself a spanking brand new Axis Surf/Sup foil (75cm mast) and a Minimal Volume (145cm - MV) Axis board from Jason. Jason recommended the smallest 680 wing so knowing ****e from clay, that is what I got.

What can I say about it? Well it has a beefed up mast and fuselage, all components are engineered with extreme precision piecing together seamlessly, the carbon wings are wonderfully crafted and.. Bahahahahahhaha, who I am kidding. .

It is super shiny and sparkles refracted red rainbows in the Sun.

So picking it up from the WA Surf / Westoz Demo day on Saturday at the Pond (wholly fck I counted 45 kites at one stage and apparently it had all settled down by then), this has been the summarised journey.

First session (Monday): Horrible wintery 12-23 knot WSW wind on my 8m rebel - I was desperate:

- Some Ventilated Crashes, but far less than on the other two foils.

- A few horror out of control speed run crashes (as the wind gusted above 20 and I'm a major kook).

- I went so far upwind it took me most the time just getting back. But a few 300m or so runs.

Realising I can get and stay up on the foil at much slower speeds without stalling, allowed the above crashes to be far more controlled.

Second session (Tuesday) (16-20) again on my 8m rebel - too much wind again but I'm was super keen:

- Ventilated a few times, but knew it was coming and fell in water with ease; saved most by applying front foot pressure.

- Out of control speed runs were mainly controlled. a few hard lessons from trying to push the speed beyond my capability.

- This time I really had to scratch my head on how to get back.with shallow water upwind and downwind of me, floating 1.5km out near Point Grey (that was just two tacks by the way!) I was extremely puzzled by this upwind dilemma. Had to ride the board on the surface for half the time trying to get back downwind to avoid downwind speed crashes.

Third session (Wednesday) (13-17) on 10m rebel and the whole reason I am writing this pointless and uninformative review:

- Not one ventilated or other crash. In-fact not one ventilation!

- Not one uncontrolled speed crash, and foiled carved downwind with ease (Had to keep an eye on my son learning his unhooked surface passes and hence crashing a lot).

- Apart from changing feet, the board and myself did not touch the water for a good hour!

- I could now foil with control!

I even started doing the foil pump thing, whilst riding at the kite. I started doing increasingly more aggressive S carves.

Eventually I had the stability and confidence to look around and admire the view. I started to feel the foil and the board became increasingly irrelevant. To top it off a dolphin came swimming alongside me (underwater)... freaked me out at first until I just relaxed ... what a buzz. I kind of felt as if I was the dolphin or some weird transcended ****e like that, gliding with no friction.

Going downwind also allowed me to start cranking the speed up and heel over - pointing at crazy angles upwind. What a rush! Not race foil fast, but damn well fast enough for me.

Take Away from this pointless gibberish:

- 3 days, 3 sessions in (and only one of these was ideal foiling conditions really) and I'm foiling the entire time except for changing direction (can go toe-side sort of, but switching feet..not yet).

- This cannot be due to my extraordinary kiting kinaesthetic skills; if anything it takes me a long time to learn any new skill to be honest. I am also no spring chicken and crashes, they bloody hurt now, especially the next day.

- The foil is super stable and intuitive which allowed for fast progression. I can't wait to hit the ocean and fine some swell next session.


But essentially the most important take-way is:

The new axis foil is Red, Shiny and it Sparkles - Glistening Red Refracted Beams of Gliding Joy.

I learned on the same wing but with the old mast/fuse, great bit of kit.

Sweet. Sound like you are having a blast. Also by the look of the wind speeds and kite sizes you have been a bit too powered for your current level.

Try the 10m below 15 knots,
8m 13-18 knots
6m 18-24 knots

This is where they get you!!

It has often been said that having a foil is like having a lightwind kite and that you will save because you need less kites. But then you get into foiling and now you need kites for foiling and then you have to change up your other kites so the quiver works and that's how they get you!!

For you eppo you will need a kite that really works for foiling and for twin tip boosting and now you need a new quiver of fly surfer soul's and now you're really dropping some cash

Haha I remember you calling us old men. Nice to see you are getting into it. Sold mine a while ago but probably getting back into it latest when back in Perth. Was going to say use a Reo (or the Monotone equivalent if you must). The old Cat will be ok too. Having something nifty and light and drifting with you will make a difference. And I got rid of the straps altogether. So much more freedom and helps moving those feet and sometimes just toes ever so slightly in the right spot. Enjoy mate. Hope to see you when we visit good old home over Chrissie/NY

Yeah. Boosting and foiling demands 2 different kites. Well sort off. The bigger higher aspect leis are **** because they are too heavy and don't relaunch in the lighter winds you take them out in. I'm talking sub 12 knot stuff. So you need to go for either light weight lie, 3 strut maximum, or a foil kite. The foil kite wont relaunch either in sub 10 knots, but it hangs in the air so much better than its heavier lei brother.

Once you get above non-relaunching winds then its not so bad having a heavier kite.
But to run with swells which is a lot of the fun with foiling you need to good downwinding beast.

So,,,,, The lighter 3 strutter becames more useful than the heavy 5 strut big air monster.

If you want to boost and foil swells on the same kite you have to pick the intermediate aspect do it all 3 strut lie.
I'm rolling with 8m enduro for my main stay kite. Set on the fastest turning setting I can get out of it. It does a sweet job of both foiling and jumping. But is a master at neither.

That said, Should you decide to boost big on the foil. Then yourl be cranking at normal kite sizes so you can run whatever boosting kite you want.

These jokers do a better job explaining the actual axis foil options than me.