Just in case you forgot, pro surfer Kai Lenny is here to remind you what fun looks like out on the ocean in a new video. The 23-year-old Maui native is putting his own spin on downwind stand up paddleboarding by introducing us to “downwind hydro foiling” — the faster, more technical, imaginative version of SUP.
Hydrofoiling is technology that allows vessels to travel atop water by using the ocean's speed and movement to lift you out of the water. A hydrofoil usually consists of a wing-like structure attached to the bottom of a boat — or in Lenny’s case — a board. That wing decreases drag and makes for a great time skimming at high speeds above the surface of the water.
And as he has in the past with his jetsurf, kitesurf, and tow-surf videos, Lenny makes downwind hydro foiling look like a cinch for everyone. But stand-up paddleboarding on a foil isn't for beginners — you have to manpower your board at speeds high enough to catch the lift, and the balance required to stay stable on a blade-like wing hovering three feet above rough seawater? Good luck if you're a mere mortal.