Join us on a journey down memory lane as Paul Wakelin uncovers the origins of AFS, a brand deeply rooted in expertise, excellence, and a relentless pursuit of pushing boundaries. Read ‘The Origins of AFS’ exclusively in Tonic Mag!

To some, the brand AFS may seem relatively new; however, they are hugely popular in France with a quickly widening global reach. Little known is the team's knowledgeable experience and deep history within the watersports industry. AFS has its roots interlinked to the iconic Windsurf brand AHD, founded in Australia in 1987; yep, you read that right, a long time before the first kitesurfers arrived, before SUP and way before wings and foils arrived. AHD quickly moved to the USA to continue its expansion on the renowned Columbia River Gorge; buckle in as we’re about to take a trip down memory lane! 

In 1990, Christophe Piaget acquired the AHD brand and established a production facility in Switzerland. Christophe and his team continue to manufacture AFS boards, to this very day, using all the know-how they have developed over the last 30 or so years. Back in the 90s, AHD introduced the very first sandwich construction boards into production, with the flagship model being the dominant Eliminator, winning the World Championship in 1991 and the Europeans in '92. Several highly successful new models followed, and AHD was the brand to ride if you wanted to go fast. 

In 1993, it was on the revolutionary AHD 288 that Sébastien Carle won the World Championship in Egypt before finishing second on the same production board at the World Cup in La Torche, showcasing the effectiveness of the new production boards against the world's top, custom prototypes! Previously, all the pro riders had been riding custom equipment at the top level, but AHD brought that race-winning technology right into the hands of the consumer. 

In 1996, the Breton duo of Patrice Belbeoch and now AHD and AFS shaping legend Jean-Marie Guiriec joined the team. Success followed quickly, coinciding with a new world title and Patrice's first wave title in the World Cup, becoming the first Frenchman to achieve this. The following year, 1997, marked the beginning of AHD's total dominance in the industry, revolutionising the windsurfing scene with shorter and wider boards, including the innovative 310 race model. 

French Champion Antoine Albeau and Jean Bouldoire joined the team, adding shaping expertise. Bruno André, a competitive windsurfer and Waterman, also became part of AHD's R&D team and has since grown to become a Partner, continued R&D expert, AFS Brand Manager and coach.

AHD's focus on innovation during this time was reflected in their introduction of the compact "Diamond" race boards, freestyle boards, and Super-X "Maxxride" boards, the first of their kind in the industry. This commitment to innovation and developing disciplines continues to be the driving force behind AFS's creations today.

The AHD NT, a groundbreaking hollow board technology, took centre stage in Formula racing. At the same time, the Maxxride claimed victory in freestyle events and helped Antoine Albeau secure his first world title. AHD riders consistently placed on podiums across the globe, earning recognition for their skill and dedication. The top-notch AHD boards drew the attention of the most talented riders, such as Antoine Albeau, Matt Pritchard, Julien Taboulet, Cyril Moussilmani, Web Pedrick, Jamie Hawkins, and Paula Daian, resulting in a winning partnership for all involved.

In a small world, we eagerly anticipate our 2024 return to Jamie Hawkins' "The Beach" restaurant during the Tonic Demo Weekender in Littlehampton on June 29th and 30th! 

AHD relocated its production plant from Switzerland to Tunisia in 2002 and welcomed Pascal Gerber to further add to their shaping team in 2003; AHD continues to thrive.  Brazilian rider Kauli Seadi became the face of the brand in 2003, and in 2005, he won the world wave title on his Kauli Pro Model.

The launch of AHD's Seal in 2006 marked a new era in wave riding and encouraged strapless riding, eventually leading to the Sealion family of boards, shapes that ultimately led to the first SUP foiling.

In 2007, Tridenn, a new company founded by Thierry Pen, Jean-Paul Riou, Pascal Gerber, and Bruno André, took over the AHD brand—the goal was to innovate in the forgotten 0-15 knot wind range.

Hydrofoiling has existed for decades, with the pioneering "sit down" foiling product ‘Air Chair’ gaining some popularity in 1990. This particular foil design required a boat to tow it, limiting its appeal and use; it was also a strange new sport in that you sat down in the chair with the foil rather than standing like a waterskier or wakeboarder. 

Meanwhile, on Maui, Laird Hamilton and Dave Kalama, revered big-wave surfers and watermen, embarked on an ambitious venture in the late 1990s and early 2000s by attaching hydrofoils to surfboards to enhance speed and ensure smooth rides on massive waves. However, their construction and design still necessitated a powered tow to achieve flight; looking back now with heavy foil and snowboard boots screwed to the board, they were arguably death machines, especially if you wiped out and got washed by a big wave.

This early foray into using foils for fun on the water, though, had started to open up the potential of the sport. However, due to the limitations of the equipment, the sport of foiling never really took off; excuse the pun. However, the quest for the perfect combination of low-speed take-offs and lightweight gear suitable for the masses was well underway.

Meanwhile, in Brittany, independent developments were also being made and in 2009, the AFS-1 wind foilboard and foil, explicitly designed for foiling, hit the water. The high-tech carbon foil was a game-changer in recreational foil development due to its low weight, high-strength construction and efficiency.

The Paris Boat Show in 2009 saw the presentation of the AFS-1, the first carbon, production, wind foil board and foil combination; this was followed by the birth of the AFS brand. You can now see why the history lesson is important; for many wingfoilers, AFS is a relatively new brand on the market, but in reality, they were making production carbon hydrofoils in Brittany way back in 2009.

The AFS-1 Board, 112-litre x 25.5 inches wide, powered by a 7m sail, unlocked the holy grail of early flight in the calmest conditions. Its distinctive shape, which featured a sculpted opening in the nose, enables air to feed beneath the hull, promoting early take-off, reducing drag, and maintaining the rail length required to glide effortlessly in light winds—very similar design considerations we are now being seen in the downwind boards coming to market today. 

Development of the AFS-1 by AFS helped to create a growing following of passionate early adopters, resulting in Bruno making the first SUP surf foil flights in 2010 on a Sealion board with the AFS-1 carbon foil. Waves and paddle power replacing powered tow-ins. Advancements in design and materials, primarily carbon, facilitated complete autonomy for the AFS production facility in Brittany. The Sealion board, perfect for windsurfing, windfoil, and SUPfoil, proved popular in its ability to do it all. A new generation of multi-sport enthusiasts saw the potential of foiling. 

The combined talents of the design and R&D team, alongside world-leading production, also resulted in the establishment of the NahSkwell SUP division. A brand anyone who was into paddle boarding in its heyday will remember. This division played a crucial role in the development of various foiling innovations, as well as the creation of exceptional SUP designs. Additionally, AHD concentrated on producing an extensive range of value-for-money, versatile shapes with cutting-edge construction.

Over the last decade, Diony Guadagnino, a Venezuelan windsurfing athlete, has worked with AHD, capturing breathtaking images of different locations worldwide using his "DG Pro Model." Moreover, he has delivered exceptional performances on AHD slalom boards such as the SL1, SL2, and SL3, which are still highly efficient from generation to generation.

In the years between 2015 and 2018, foiling technologies like SUP foil, Windfoil, and Wingfoiling saw a huge increase in participation. As a result, Tanguy Le Bihan and Thierry Pen established Foil & Co, which later merged with Tridenn to become the current Foil & Co.

Today, Foil & Co. manufacture its AFS brand of innovative and immensely capable foil ranges comprising of boards, wings and 100% carbon foils for every level of participant, beginner to expert alike, with equal passion and know-how. AFS Advanced, in particular, stands out as the range of cutting-edge developmental board and foil designs.

Naval Architect, Foil and Co-President Tanguy Le Bihan leads an exceptional in-house design team. The AFS Team is also drawn to work collaboratively with some of the best industry sector designers worldwide. Such as multiple Moth World Champion foil designer Kevin Ellway with his high-aspect creations and Laurent Borgna with his signature SILK foils.

AFS comprises passionate, expert representatives in a wide range of foiling disciplines: freeride, race, freestyle, prone, SUP and downwind. A cohesive and exceptional family that values both fun and performance. Moreover, the factory, admin, marketing, and production teams are all equally driven.

The downwind charge is spearheaded by Richard Boudia, a true waterman and AFS International business manager. Chipri Courde is trail-blazing within the world of prone foiling wave-riding abilities. Co-founder and R&D legend Bruno Andre coaches the AFS GWA podium riders Alan Fedit and Axel Gerard.

During the 2022 Weymouth Speed Week, Bruno himself broke the unofficial 500mtr world record with a speed of 30.05 knots, while Emeric Mouret, AFS head production engineer and tester, came in second place at 29.52 knots. In 2023, Emeric returned to Weymouth Speed Week and took home the win by pushing the unofficial World record to 30.88 knots on the PURE 560, a production race foil with an AFS Board and wing. Four AFS riders, including the first female and third overall, used the same products and secured the top 10 places, validating AFS as the complete package. The foiling passion runs deep.

AFS takes great pride in producing all its carbon foils and advanced boards in Pencran, France. The long-standing expertise of Christophe Piaget’s Tunisian production team continues to produce AFS, One Shot Sandwich (OSS) construction wing foil and SUP boards and AHD Windfoil and windsurf production.

The factory in Pencran facilitates every stage of every product, from design to prototyping to CNC mould creation and final product production. All ensure an unparalleled DNA of innovation in every product released with incredible responsiveness. The state-of-the-art production facility operates with eco-friendly, energy-efficient principles, which aligns with the company’s core values.

Made in France and with a history that stretches back to 1987 and reaches the globe, AFS is here to stay. 2024 is an incredibly exciting time to be on a foil with so much development and emerging styles. We will continue to push to be at the forefront of it all and bring products to market that allow you to maximise the time and fun you have on the water…

By Paul Wakelin

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