Eventually (and probably sooner than later), most solid foil brands will have a product lineup close to perfection. Given the stuff is basically indestructible, what’s the plan?
robots building robots that can build undersea structures that shape better waves
The next year after releasing the perfect foil, release one that’s slightly lower aspect and call it the perfect surf foil. Then the next year, make the mast thinner and call it a game changer. Then say that to truly utilize the thinner mast, you need a smaller foil, so sell a smaller foil. Then, since the foil is smaller it needs to be more efficient, so sell a slightly higher aspect one again. Next, sell a mast with a tuttle that only fits your board, then sell a new board to everyone. Then say that the stiffness of the tuttle connection isn’t fully utilized unless the board is hollow, so sell everyone a hollow board. Then make half the mast out of steel so that it can be even thinner and shorter chord. Now that the system is so heavy it’s hard to get on foil, so integrate a FoilDrive mini pod. Sell everyone a hollow trench board. Reduce drag again by replacing the trench with a tuttle and putting the FD battery inside the hollow board. Sell more boards. Don’t tell anyone that tails and shims affect riding characteristics; the margins are way better on front wings. It’s also important for the consumer to understand that practice won’t help either, but next year’s perfect foil might.
26 Likes
Haha! I LOVE this!!!
I’d actually thought the margins are way better on tails. They aren’t nearly as complex and use a fraction of the material yet cost about 1/3 of a front wing. That might make sense for a tail/fuse combo but not at all on a standalone tail
3 Likes
Perfect…i have lived (and paid) the future! 
1 Like
There will be a need to grow the market rather than repeatedly selling to the same people repeatedly, compete on price, offer more than just product and, most importantly, invest in developing beginner equipment.
1 Like
Take clothing, the industry has been “solved” for a while, a pants are the same as they were 50 years, and much more, ago. Yet, we’re all buying pants every year, even though a couple of pairs could last you a lifetime if fixed.
Sounds too distant? Check surfboards, or skateboards. No major innovations in the last 30 years, yet they still find ways to reinvent the wheel and keep selling. There’s nothing I couldn’t do in surfing or skateboarding I couldn’t do with boards/designs/materials from 30 years ago.
We’re still far from that in foiling, but it will come.
And I’ll love when we hit that point because second hand will become much more attractive, so my quiver will inevitably grow bigger