Foil Surfing Floats on in Manhattan Beach
Jason Shanks, owner of Nikau Kai Waterman Shop in Manhattan Beach, says foiling allows him to explore waves that would otherwise go unridden. Photos On a small day in late winter, Jason Shanks got a good lesson in the risks and rewards of hydrofoil surfing. The owner of Nikau Kai Waterman Shop in Manhattan Beach had brought his foil board down to the south side of the Manhattan Pier. There was no one on the beach, and only one other surfer out. When that surfer exited and Shanks had the water to himself, he decided to take off his leash. He had been foiling for a while at the point, but it was his first time trying it without a leg rope. He was having a great time, and the lack of drag from a leash helped. But when he fell on a wave, he came up from the ocean and watched the board sail above the surface all the way in to shore, like a horse who had bucked its rider and lit out for freedom. Hydrofoil surfboards have a wing-like hydrofoil bolted to their underside, allowing surfers to move along a wave several feet above the ocean’s surface. The sport is exploding in popularity The Instagram account West Coast Foil Club shows surfers, including local pro Dane Zaun, putting the…
Read this story on easyreadernews.com