Thor Seraphin: he is pushing foil bodyboarding into the future

Thor Seraphin has documented the first ever el rollo landed on a foil-equipped bodyboard.

The hydrofoil enthusiast from the island of Kauai, in Hawaii, is taking boogie foiling into the future and continues to improve and fine-tune the new bodyboarding discipline.

Seraphin released a video in which he pulls off and lands a few classic maneuvers like el rollos, cutbacks, frontside airs, 360s, and air reverses. He even gets barreled along the way.

Even though the board gets heavier with a foil attached to its bottom, Seraphin manages to control his gear reasonably well.

The underwater wing is fixed to the bottom of the bodyboard near the tail.

The performance in the waves is pretty impressive. Seraphin quickly reaches high speeds and seems to be en route to become the fastest bodyboarder on the planet.

Foil Bodyboarding Is Not For Big Waves

The intrepid foiler believes that this is just the beginning of a long development journey. The foil bodyboarder has no doubts that, in the future, riders will throw huge flips in small wave conditions.

"At this point, most of the potential is in paddling in medium size surf, connecting waves and doing giant airs. Obviously, shore breaks and crowds don't mix with foils, but I can ride just about any spot a surfboard can ride," explains Thor Seraphin.

There is a danger factor associated with boogie foiling, though. The hydrofoil structure is relatively sharp and can easily hurt riders and swimmers.

"It is super fun, but it's not really the kind of thing you'd want to ride in giant waves, even with a ski and helmet. Wipeouts are scary, but this is nearly as dangerous as driving to the beach," adds Seraphin.

"It is way less dangerous than any other kind of foil because I have more control. Guys have been boogie foiling since the mid-1980s, and I'm just pushing it forward."

If you're about to try foil bodyboarding, follow basic safety procedures and use common sense in the water. Always wear a helmet, an impact jacket, and make sure you enjoy your waves at a safe distance from other participants.

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