You’ll have to narrow it down for me. That still leaves too many options.
To be fair though. While AXIS has always been good and competitive. (see Kai Lenny choosing it for the last 2 race seasons) The stuff this year is all new. Not only the front wing, but the mast and a titanium fuse too.
“momentum” but same as sk8 2 I bet. Different layup. Not commercially available. Other racer’s have said they were protos, but I don’t know personally. That’s all Coconut Whatsapp. I’m not in Hawaii.
I thought the footage on rogue tv broadcast was great. redacted
I want people’s names on screen. At the very least commentators to name who I’m watching. I want commentators to be discussing what is happening on screen. I want replays of interesting moments.
Start line should be replayed multiple times with commentators highlighting who is where and who got the hole shot and who got left behind.
I still get a better understanding of what happened in the race watching the dot vision.
The end was good coverage. Kahi finally started saying who was on screen.
Look there is room for improvement, but a big j leap.
My main issue is that they were not following the part of the race where thera was action. Dot vision was also not working very well in their screens.
1 day ago after watching helicopter and drone footage, talking heads, foil-specific commercial breaks and vignettes, Election night style coverage with past Koa Kai competitors (a winner, Nani Dalene!!!)
Dang dude, you are hard to please! I think Rogue TV, Dotvision, the organizers, and all of the headline sponsors that pitched in to make this happen deserve tremendous respect and gratitude from the internet peanut gallery. I say this as someone who grinded it out and finished all of the SUPFoil races this year (2025 Imua, M2M, M2O).
FINALLY, FINALLY, FINALLY we have something that we can show our friends and family and clearly show them what sup foiling looks and feels like … in stunning quality that seemed like an absolute fever dream 1 week ago. It was surreal to have helicopters and drones overhead yesterday, and so freakin cool to have our teeny tiny sport covered with such fidelity and dignity of Broadcast TV!!!
I’ve only watched about 15 min posted to YouTube on my Taxi ride to HNL, but I was blown away … commentators talking about starts, paddle ups, macro lines (North vs. South and currents), as well as micro tactics around bombing swell. Stunning close ups, contextual wider shots of the ending battle in front of Diamond-head … whoa.
Maybe it’s a mindset thing, but I dont feel like we can take for granted what we got yesterday - has there ever been anything at this production level for DW foiling? I would love for someone who works in this field to chime in on what the budget is to pull of something like this.
I don’t think the Nielsen ratings are going to justify major ROI for the Ad Deals that were struck … I’m guessing the Aloha Salad Bar didn’t pony up a major contract for their inter-spliced 30s slot. Even more surprised that they locked in the USCG sponsorship that comes in a time of massive belt-tightening by the US Federal Government. Some people are just never happy…
That coverage far exceeded my expectations! Those gimbaled boat shots were awesome. You could really see the speed. Although it was scary watching the competitors criss cross the media boats wake.
The footage was great. I just wanted John Madden Telestrators and replays. I am grateful for what we got. I just liked the commentary and coverage from 2018 more. That’s all.
This is just plain disrespectful to these hosts and the event, and a bad look for the rest of the Casey Club team who are otherwise unimpeachably kind, generous and focused on the growth of the sport.
Let’s be clear. #1 I have no affiliation with any foil brand, nor any affiliation with any foil company. I spend my money on what I like in foiling. Turns out I don’t have that much money though.
#2 I am referring to a commentating style. I am not making personal attacks on any specific host, or the panel in general.
They are broad comments about how I think things could improve. I have obviously offended you and will edit above posts to remove comments that may have caused offense. I apologize to you for my flippant comments over a sport I love.
Without opinions, we’d have nothing to talk about. Sport would die out.
I think an opportunity is for the larger teams to get some behind the scenes going, eg with Mountain Biking, and turn that into something that gives audiences something to latch onto.
The live stream was great, nice mix of front and back, I didn’t realise Edo and Kane were close together, seems like the stream was not picking up how close they were (I watched replay not live fwiw, maybe live it was clearer). I think there is room to improve, but honestly I was very impressed and surprised! Is this validation for sponsors?
Boats seemed to be an issue, but not disaster? Felt for the front guys struggling to cross the boat wake. Great way to ruin your day. Feels like the camera boats should get an explanation on not ruining it, but for the most part seemed fine. (nice quote “ego+1 wing size strategy worked wonders”)
Pacing of the events seems quite quick, like it’s over just as it starts. I guess not much to do here except keep adding new warmup races.
Drone footage was excellent, you could easily see difference in technique across all the riders, and how the top guys are super high and stacked stance with very precise attacking pumps, and how messy the bumps were.
My overriding impression is that as a competitive sport, it definitely lacks something to make it compelling rather than just interesting (other than exotic gear which obviously has self-defeating long term appeal as a draw card). There is not much to create intrigue and draw viewers in. The only possible drama is from a fall, and the boats are the likely cause, or the backwash towards the end. This is the top race, and an ocean crossing, so I don’t expect it to change at all, nor should it necessarily change, but it does not make for sudden tactical changes or anything to build suspense (Edo pumping to the line after a duel through the waves with Kane was pretty amazing, but that was about it in terms of drama)
Watching Tour de France alongside, I can’t help but wonder if a team dynamic would help, see what emerges in terms of dynamics
Teams were formally introduced to the Tour de France in 1930, transitioning from a system where cyclists competed primarily as individuals with some team support to a structure where teams represented countries. Before this, while some riders had sponsors, they were not allowed to work together as a team, and the race focused on individual performance.
Funny to see someone way out in front false starting. Foil races seem incapable of coordinating a start line
Apparently no one listens. “like wrangling cats” The Australia races did a good job. Made everyone sit on their board and have the handle of their paddle on their deck to signify they were ready. Then countdown started. Smaller fields though.
Seems like a rabbit start would be fun, you could run the rabbit boat at an angle off the wind to make it fair. then the riders could line up well upwind and try to make a flying start: Redirecting...
No one hears out on the water. All it took was one person to not listen/hear/understand at the skippers meeting and start based on their watch instead of the race direction boat, and it snowballs into a mass false start with no practical way to re-do it.
