In the summer of 2020, Jack and a small group of friends including the likes of Simeon Ke-Paloma & @foilwizard Scotty started chipping in and sending it offshore into ocean bumps. The Voyager Foilers were formed and the rest is history. We catch up with Jack to find out all about it.

Hi Jack, welcome & thanks for taking the time to chat! Can you start by telling us how you first got into foiling?

Aloha, honoured to share the space and talk! For me, it all started in 2013 when I was in middle school. I grew up longboarding and would always see the early day foilers flying around the local surf spot. Since I was on a longboard and they were on foils (old Go Foils at the time) we were both sharing mushy waves. After months of seeing them having way more fun than me, I begged my dad for a try. He surprised me with a trip to the Used Surfboard's shop and bought me a complete "Made in China" setup for $600. The foil barely lifted out of the water and the board was a bulky 5'6 but that was all I needed to get started. The rest is history!

Growing up on O’ahu must’ve been seriously fun. When did you first set foot on a surfboard? Did your family have a big input in helping you become the athlete you are today?

O'ahu is my home and in my opinion, the best place in the world. I grew up and still live minutes away from the world-famous Waikīkī Beach so surfing was inevitable. I learned how to surf at the age of 5. Kindergarten or first grade if I can recall. From there, it escalated into a career and a lifelong passion. I never planned for it to go this far but with my love for the ocean and my drive to be the best in what I do, it has gone in a great direction. My dad has been a lifelong surfer so of course, he is the one who has taught me and showed me everything I know. In addition to my dad, with the community presence here in Hawai'i, there are so many role models and people that I look up to daily. 

That sounds amazing. Moving forward a bit, what were those early days of prone downwind foiling like? You were essentially discovering a completely new sport. Must've been great to get your first successful runs.

The first real downwind run I did was about a mile long. I was already foiling for a couple of years at the time and I had a pretty good stamina for pumping. However, I had no idea how to read the bumps and the swells. At the time, I was using a Lift 200 classic surf wing. For me, this had a ton of lift and I was able to pump it pretty well. With the help of my good friend and lifeguard/waterman Simeon, I paddled out to Diamond Head, caught a wave, and went roughly a mile down the coast. Simeon was the first guy to do it within our foil community at the time so he was the one telling and showing me what to do. He paddled and raced canoes his whole life so he already had the ocean and downwind mindset. We did this short wind swell shore run for a few weeks to practice and log our reps. About a month later, Lift released the 170 HA and we instantly cracked the code. Since we (myself, Adam, Scotty, & Simeon) were all used to the surf wings, once we got on the HA wings it was so easy. We all decided to try a little further, so one day, my dad drove us up the coast and we started 2 miles away from the finish. We all caught a wave and made our way down riding bumps. We all made it on the first try without any falls and that was the start of the "Kaiko'os run" that everyone here does now.

That's inspiring stuff right there. Things have progressed a lot since then, in the space of just 3 short years downwind foiling has grown massively. What’s your preferred method of downwinding now? Still prone, or is it SUP, hand paddles or just paddle?

Prone for sure! I think it's the most fun because it's the most similar to foil surfing, the board is small, you can ride super small front wings, and go fast! Yes, you can do all of that on the SUP board but I still think it's the most fun on the prone. I recently bought a ski so I've been taking it out a lot and downwinding. It's fun because I get to take my friends and explore any zone that I want!

For me, one of the best parts of foiling is the community. What’s it like to go surf & downwind with the Voyager crew? It looks like there are more & more of you every time it’s windy!

I agree with you 100%. The community aspect of foiling is unmatched! The Voyager Foiler crew started out as a little joke with Simeon posting some downwind clips. We never expected it to turn into 30+ guys bouncing down the coastline. Also to mention, the IG account has close to 10k followers now! The beauty of the crew is that there are so many different surfers and ocean lovers from all different backgrounds. This group includes teenagers like myself, my dad's friends (who are now my friends), my teachers, my role models, my friends' dads... it's so classic! It seems like every time it's windy, more guys are showing up to the spot to try their first attempts at downwind foiling. It's amazing to see!

What are your favourite locations to foil surf & downwind?

My local surf spots on the south shore of Oahu! In the summer, I'll go to Maui a lot to do the Maliko run. Flights are like $100 and it's fun to see my friends who live there. I also look forward to going to Hood River. It's the mecca of wind sports and has insane conditions! It's also such a rad little town. I really want to go to Europe and do some downwind runs there. It looks insane.

I’ve recently spotted a fair bit of F-ONE gear in your Insta posts. Is that the new SK8 or the Eagle you’re riding? What’s your go size for downwinding?

Yeah! So I recently joined the F-One foil team this year. Prior to signing, I tried a few of the foils and they felt mental. Probably the best stock foils that are on the market now. I've rode just about every brand by now and I can unbiasedly say that F-One is one of the best. I have been frothing on the 790 Eagle for downwind and I use the new 750 SK8 and 690 Eagle for surf. The 690 is actually the dark horse in my opinion because it's soooo fast downwind and rips in the surf. It's an all-around amazing wing for all conditions. 

Glad to hear you've joined the team! I have to know more about that new F-ONE Downwind board. F-ONE has kept it very secret, what dimensions is your board & how are you finding it? Did I spot that you’re paddling into bumps without hand paddles on it?

Haha! I can't say too much as this was an out-of-the-box prototype idea that came to life. It's 6'6 x 18 and was created for the Molokai to Oahu channel crossing. I wanted something I could flat water start on but at the same not be too long in length while up on foil. I don't like the feel of the super long SUP boards. The little dug-out by the foil boxes is inspired by my local shaper who does that on the prone boards he makes. The theory is that it puts your foot closer to the mast for more sensitivity and feel. I posted a clip riding it without the paddle on a downwinder. No, I didn't paddle into a legit wind bump with it. That day, the wind was blowing hard onshore so it was wind bumps mixed with ground swell waves. So basically I paddled into a wind/wave chop to get up. In my book, it doesn't count... Lol!

Haha fair enough. You must be about 19 by now Jack. What are your goals in the future? Have you finished studying? Will you continue living the ocean athlete life or do you have another career in mind?

I am actually 18 years old. I graduate high school this spring and will be attending the University of Hawaii in the fall. I decided to stay home for college because it will allow me to study while still pursuing my ocean career. I plan to enjoy the ocean for the rest of my life! My career goal is to be a commercial airline pilot. It's been my dream since I was 12 so I am determined to make it happen. It's kinda like foiling in a sense 😉

Can't believe you're still only 18! Sounds like a great plan, best of luck, and thanks for chatting.

Videos

Soaring like the 'Iwa birds, except on a hydrofoil - Downwind foiling in Hawaii
Waikiki Skatepark - F-One SK8
By Jack Galloway

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