Armie Armstrong: SUP Athlete turned foil entrepreneur

Well, maybe in terms of foil geometry with the High Aspect Foils. That’s where we invested a lot of money in different “light bulp moments“. We tested a lot of foils that are in a similar aspect ratio to the sailors. We are talking about an aspect ratio of 12:1 or more. That is already a very high aspect ratio. We were really testing a lot and learning a lot.

I can imagine that takes an enormous amount of work and also a budget. Another question: Where do you actually see the whole thing going? I mean: Are we going to have big foil contests?

Compared to SUP, where all the hype actually spilled over from the races to the hobby paddlers, we really see very little competition in foiling in general.

So as far as competitions go, wingfoiling (we’re already seeing that) is going to be the biggest. In surfing, I think it’s going to be a little more difficult. I think on a local level, we’ll definitely see a contest or two. We’ve already done a few in New Zealand. I think even the first one ever. We had different rules set up for the riders. But other than that … I’m not so sure yet. Wingfoiling for sure, but other than that … I really don’t know, man.

I heard you guys had something on Maui?

Yes, we already had a contest here on Maui and I had an interview with the promoter. He wanted to start a small tour and also get a started in California.

Oh, that’s great!

And we also had very early downwind SUP foiling at the SUP races, but otherwise we will have to see where the journey goes.

Where do you think the journey will go with the gear?

It depends on what you want to do: freestyle, waves or racing. In racing, everything will get faster and faster, just like in kiting. That’s where we’ll soon be. That will be great for the racers, but no one else will be able to ride it.

Why not?

It will be very difficult to take off with these foils and you will need bigger wings. It will be interesting. In kiting, the foils are already very small and thin and the kite itself is very big.

To reduce the drag.

Exactly, that’s the only way to get faster. In our High Aspect series, we will have a whole range of different sizes. We will go down all the way to 525 cm2.

Aren’t you sometimes a little afraid that with all the foil development and technical data, the weekend foiler will alienated at some point and the market will lose customers?

Ahhh …. Well, I think that may be the case. But there’s a lot of responsibility on the people selling the goods.

It is extremely important that people are not sold a product that does not match their skill level.

All those High Aspect foils we just talked about are for people who are already very good and have their gear 100% under control. For everyone else, I recommend sticking with Mid Aspect to Low Aspect foils. This is also the main part of our collection. Everything else is for the rippers who want to push their limits.

That is why it is important to ask the customer at what level he is. Based on this, you can then decide what is the best material for the skill level.

But we must not forget about tuning. It’s not like you always have to buy a brand new setup. You can easily tune your setup and it behaves differently. You only need to adjust the angle of attack of the rear wing and you have more or less speed and that costs nothing. With us, the shims (washers) are included. If that is then exhausted, then you simply change to a smaller rear wing and the experience is different again. It’s not that expensive either. Rear wings cost $250.

That is a good point. Nevertheless, it is the manufacturer’s responsibility here to inform people properly.

In the stores, in the stores! We’re putting out the info where we can, but ultimately it’s up to the vendors. I always tell everyone the same thing, but I don’t talk to each customer individually.

But the big point is: Don’t buy equipment that doesn’t match your skill level. As you get better, you can upgrade and tune your equipment for little money.

That makes sense and if the sales staff is well trained, then you can also convey the right material to the customer. I think a lot is being done in Germany in the direction of training.

Yes, it’s great and some things also depend on the conditions in which you can learn. Foiling is not easy to learn. It’s best behind a boat, I can only recommend that. You get a sense of achievement quickly. With the Wing, a lesson is definitely a good idea, especially if you have no experience with other windsports. I think there are so many crossover sports like skateboarding, snowboarding or wakesurfing that make learning foiling a lot easier. Wakesurfing in particular is growing tremendously and foiling goes hand in hand with that. You just have to spend time behind a boat until you feel comfortable with foiling.

What you are saying makes totally sense. Thank so much for your time I am sure excited to follow the sport into the future.

It was a pleasure.