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By now, we have all seen it. The videos of SUP kings such as Kai Lenny, Connor Baxter and others, floating above the water, standing on a small board, catching waves that are too small for anyone else to grab. The scenes seem magical, impossible even. But what kind of board is it? And how does it fly above the water, seemingly defying gravity?

Well, the answer to the first question is simple- it is called a foil board. The first boards were created and tested decades ago by such pioneers in the surfing industry as (of course) Laird Hamilton. The technology existed back in the early 1900's when Italian inventor Enrico Forlanini started using them for small boats. His ideas naturally translated to water skis, to kite surfing, to boards with attached boots on them, and now to the modern carbon boards you see Lenny and company ride.

The boards offer the ability to catch small waves, glide endlessly in thew water, and allow surfers a clean, smooth ride elevated above the water. But how do they work? According to Collin Bangs, a production manager for the company Air Chair, one of the few companies specializing specifically in foils, "[The hyrdofoil] works under the exact same principles as an airplane. You have two wings, one in the back and one in the front as a stabilizer, and you have high pressure and low pressure areas on the wing. And as it moves through the water, that creates lift just like with an airplane." The water, obviously, takes the place of air, and by generating enough speed on the boards, it pushes it out of the water and you up surfing on the wings instead of the board itself. Giving the rider the illusion they are flying through the air. 

And as the foil board became more popular, our team at Evolve started to take notice. We tested boards we made by adding a foil into our existing surf models. We tore down and rebuilt an 8'4'' Deej surf style by installing a tuttle box and trying different size foils. We tried carbon wings and aluminum masts. We tested them by pulling ourselves behind boats and flying into East Coast waves (responsibly of course). And through our efforts we came upon our newest addition to the lineup: The Wasp.

Coming in at 7'4''x28.5'' of high quality construction, the Wasp is our premiere flying foil board. The aluminum mast measures at 27.5'' with carbon wings measuring 29.5'' in the front and 15'' in the back. And along with our perfected specifications comes our signature, sleek, Evolve design and color scheme. We are very proud of our newest creation and know that our customers will be beyond satisfied to glide into waves and fly above the water. Foil boards are here to stay, and by how fun they are to ride, we are more than happy about it. 

For additional information or questions please contact us at: evolveboards@gmail.com