This is what I see as the most likely best option. A foil mad investment banker decided he wanted an event to train towards, and things go from there…
Interesting not to see parawing? or is it likely to be included?
But yes, I agree, events should first cater to the pent up demand of intermediates looking for a good way to get together around the idea of an event/race/contest.
I guess the GWA GKA is run by brands, but it’s a showcase because there is no real interest in what they are doing from sponsor perspective. I think the lesson is clear there. Competitive foiling to attract big sponsors cannot look like a variation of kitesurfing or windsurfing or olypmic kiting, sailing or whatever other visual aspect that is familiar and not interesting to the public.
It needs to be a clearly distinct and entirely new thing. Parawing somewhat ruins that, so it needs to be stowed.
Short term:
I think running a “run what you brung” single race with parawing, wing and SUP and foil drive all in the mix is a good simple viable place to start. Make it fun and accessible, the winner would likely win regardless of the rules and structure. Make the gear choice a gamble. As described in the parawing xfoils episode, figure out some basic rules, add some random shit into the mix to see what makes it more interesting, and go from there. SUP is disadvantaged by the inability to go upwind.. which would be interesting to include.
Dave Kalama gave a very Hawaiian perspective on the races in the latest podcast with Eric which amounted to “keep it downwind A-B, let people figure out the fastest way to get there” (paraphrased from memory) which I think is not unreasonable, but it misses out on the current state of what attracts and retains people’s interests. It also entirely misses the elephant parawing in the room… .
To my mind, the primary challenge and goal for foil industry is to align on something that captures the moment as a format.
- Figure out how to run downwind races using parawings that aren’t sailing races. Whatever contrived rule, or course arrangement required. Have a no sail zone. Have a production sail limit.
- Add a surf contest and pump foil contest whenever appropriate.
Long term:
I don’t think it’s really all that likely to get much bigger than “ultra niche” without some massive coordinated effort. Look at how SUP has shrank to a small course, in and out from the beach. It looks pretty competitive, but has none of the elements that make for an interesting “spectacle”, nor has it at all managed to retain a critical mass of participants. Most amateur races are 1% competent, 99% uselss, as far as I can tell The immediate families of the competitors might turn out to watch, but their friends are hardly likely to be convinced to come watch, let alone the public.
The right things are in place though, pro-athletes like JJF and Kai Lenny could easily catalyse an industry around the competitive side, as long as it aligns with their sponsor’s interests.
Simpler than building up organically and making a bunch of mistakes is to see what people want and provide that. I think Gravel Bike is probably the best “essence” of what would work.
After nearly two decades, America’s fling with gravel racing has blossomed into a full-fledged, international love affair that’s even reached the pinnacle of professional bike racing: the recognition of the UCI and its awarding of a rainbow jersey.
But what is this ‘Spirit of Gravel’? What even is gravel?Neither ghost nor deity, the Spirit is a vibe, a sense of place and community. It’s a friendly racing environment that scoffs at the seriousness, tactics, regulations and support of road racing. It’s an atmosphere in which everyone is friends up until the very last meters to finish line — and again immediately after. It’s about camaraderie and event completion…or is it?
Researchers are studying 'The Spirit of Gravel' — no, really | Cycling Weekly
Through interviews and a reflexive thematic analysis, three themes were crafted: (1) gravel cycling encourages and provides a sense of freedom, (2) embracing the unknown: participants experience physical, mental, and emotional development through gravel cycling, and (3) gravel cycling provides connection through the convergence of self, community, and nature. We provide conclusions regarding gravel’s significance in light of current trends in adult sport participation and present practical implications for cycling event organizers, grassroots sport organizations, and the adult sport and leisure communities. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17430437.2024.2338570
Reading through the gravel bike race circuit “playbook”, it seems like foiling could adopt quite a few aspects, and they have the same shortcomings as current SUP Downwind racing:
I think the real challenge is actually making the racing interesting – the tactics and strategy are what make road great viewing and the generally attritional nature of gravel is less of a spectacle imo
I think the essence to aim for is
- relatively safe but very challenging adventure racing that makes people feel like they get good value for their time
- ability to draw the public in by “building a platform for storytelling. The races, the athletes, great adventures, and all the non-pro riders who participate as well.”