50 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {due west} forward while foiling. This means surfers have to unlearn their instinctive stance. “I’ve seen a 70-year-old who had never done any of this stuff get it in 30 minutes,” David says. “Nobody ever forgets their first time foiling,” Chris says. “Imagine the best powder skiing in the best conditions where you’re floating down the slopes. The hydrofoil kind of feels like that.” What’s more, “You can feel the energy from the waves propelling you along … It’s total addiction.” That pull to the water is something David feels, too. “There’s something innate in our physical and mental being that draws us all there,” he says. “We’re born in it. About 350,000 years ago, we crawled out of it … We are 80% water!” David adds, “It’s my gym. It’s my mental health.” One last thing before you wade in: “The most important piece of advice is to celebrate the small victories,” David says. “If you just get it up, that’s a step. If you flew a hundred feet straight, that’s a journey.” PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: BRYAN MCDONALD - F4 FOILS / SIMONE STAFF - F4 FOILS / SIMONE STAFF - F4 FOILS sail away f4foils.com redwoodwatersports.com
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