Check out the movies "Laird" and "Step Into Liquid." Here is a link to an interview with Laird:
Laird

GARY

I did some design work for those guys about 4 years ago. Never got bloody paid.

That's strange. I don't think money's really an issue for Laird.

foil sailboard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oyWMusaDTI

John

How'd you spend your summer vacation

Big Tri w/ wake boarders

How did I spend my summer? I put together a video sharing service called You-tube, and sold it for a KABILLION dollars to Google...

(I wish)

those ain't got nothing, take a look at hydroptere a full foiling french trimaran of the early 90's

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoA-N62318c&mode=related&search=

Wouter

That's amazing stuff! I've ridden an Air-Chair and the skill level that it would take to stand on one of those would be amazing. The slightest movement of body weight or arm movement will greatly effect what the foil does in the water. Here's a couple photos of me taken this summer.


My first attempt at a flip (didn't turn out well).

Caption contest anyone? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

That's quite a thermometer he's got there....

"I can't seem to get this thing off my butt!!! Lets see if this will do it?"

"I hope I don't go in deep, cause that foil's gonna push me farther under..."

Oh crap! I dropped my beer!

I've heard of "raining frogs" before but this is getting rediculous.

The foils on the surf boards are basically air-chair foils. The work I did on them was in an effort to raise the effective foiling transverse metacentre (because the guys were having trouble keeping the foil under them) and then moving the tail fin further aft to increase longitudinal stability. The boat builder who manufactured the first prototype cut some corners (and a whole lot of fibres) and it broke during its first testing section. The guy who was meant to be paying me (the son of a friend) decided he couldn't be bothered developing "better" foils and went off to learn to use what they had. I never pursued the issue because we're not talking about a lot of money and I'd really taken the job on as an intellectual challenge.

"In Soviet-Russia, Airchair rides YOU!!"

does it pitchpole ????

Ooooowwwwwww! Man that hurt. I gotta reduce the fiber in my diet.

Nice muscles!