Nick Leason doing what he loves: testing Lift Foils latest products himself. Photo courtesy Lift Foils
When Nick Leason had the idea for an "eFoil" — a hydrofoil with an electric motor on it — he didn't expect to create an entirely new segment within the action sports industry. But that's exactly what happened for the 39-year-old founder of Lift Foils.
Nick, a waterman from Puerto Rico with a background in mechanical engineering, had been making and perfecting hydrofoils since launching Lift Foils in 2011.
In 2015, he was chatting with a friend — "one of those what if conversations" Nick says — and they talked about "electrifying" a hydrofoil. The idea stuck with Nick, and just like he had done when he began making hydrofoils, he went back to the drawing board.
The following years involved breaking prototypes, pitching his dream to suppliers who weren't enthusiastic about it, and in 2017, the eFoil took off. Today, with an emphasis on quality and performance, Lift Foils sits at the pinnacle of both eFoils and hydrofoils.
We chatted with Nick about creating hydrofoils, eFoil prototypes, launching an eFoil when there was nothing like it on the market, and his advice for others looking to start or grow a business in the action sports industry.
No waves, no problem: with Lift Foils eFoil, you can generate your own momentum. Photo courtesy Lift Foils
ASM: Nick, what's your first surfing memory?
Nick Leason: My first surfing memory is my old man pushing me into Caribbean slop.
I also remember this one Christmas, we woke up and there was a foamie surfboard and foamie boogie board. I told my older brother ‘Santa got you a boogie board’ and my dad said ‘no, that one's for you’. I was so stoked.
Take us back to the idea behind the eFoil. How did it start?
I went to school in Utah for mechanical engineering, and when I came back home in 2008 after graduating, my dad and I started a surfboard factory. By 2010, we had a nice small factory where we built surfboards, racing stand up paddleboards that were all carbon fiber with custom paint jobs, and hydrofoils for kiting. We had a C&C machine that cut boards, and we had a great lamination crew.
That’s where we did our 10,000 hours plus, if you know what I mean.
In those days there were only 2 hydrofoils out there: the original SkySki, an aluminum hydrofoil that you would sit in behind a boat, and the other aluminum hydrofoil — Carafino — was created by a character in Maui who tried to make it out of carbon fiber, and he inspired several of us around the world.
What makes the eFoil so appealing? Unlike a surfboard, you can ride it in nearly all conditions — including flat water. Photo courtesy Lift Foils
We talked to Carafino to partner with them, and I got excited about it, even though I had no idea how to go about building a hydrofoil. Those conversations fell apart.
I ended up getting a real job in the city, and the first day I sat down at a desk, I said 'nope — not a chance'. I told myself that I was going to work this job during the day and build a hydrofoil at night — and do whatever I needed to do to make the hydrofoil business happen.
I knew I needed to advance in CAD, composite molding, hydro dynamics, so I bought a bunch of books and went to work. My dad invested in a 4,000 square foot space with a building and some equipment in his backyard, and I spent years there learning how to build a hydrofoil.
In 2015, we finally figured out what it takes to build a good hydrofoil. I was doing my biggest production ever for Slingshot Sports ... they were selling our foils under their distribution ... and at the same time, a friend came to me with the idea of putting an electric motor on these foils.
Some time later, I was traveling on a mountaintop, and I had the realization that this electric motor on a foil could be awesome, and when I got back home, I decided to go for it.
It was like I was starting over … learning how to build hydrofoils all over again … but this time we were going to electrify it.
I had no idea what I was getting into, but I had a vision for it. We made a rough prototype that flew for a hundred feet before the whole thing caught fire. Seeing that it worked, we dove in deep, and it took 3 years to bring something to market from that point.
The result of years of R&D — including many busted prototypes — Lift Foils' "LIFT4" eFoil. Photo courtesy Lift Foils
During those 3 years when you were building the eFoil, what was it like for you to believe in this concept when no one else did? Back then, there was no eFoil market because there were no eFoils.
That’s probably the biggest challenge you’ll run into while running a business. We didn’t have a reference or video, so it took a lot of convincing for certain suppliers. They didn’t see the vision that I had naturally.
Once we got some better looking prototypes, we could sell our dream, and that built momentum.
Lift Foils' eFoils' allow you to access places you've never been able to access before. Photo courtesy Lift Foils
Talk to us more about some of the early eFoil prototypes.
We were slapping stuff together from hobby world.
I had a hand controller for an RC car that controlled one eFoil prototype. To keep it from getting wet, I put it in a ziploc bag, and taped it up.
I remember this one prototype taking off its own, doing circles around me. And I was in the water, staring up at it zooming around me, thinking ‘how am I going to get out of this one’?
In the early days, there were a lot of swims home, broken parts, batteries and controllers blowing up.
We see eFoils all the time today. At what point did it go from unknown to popular?
When we had some better working models, we shot some content painting the picture of what it was, and at the end of 2016 & the beginning of 2017, the videos went mega viral. Between all the shares, it had over 100 million views.
It went way bigger than I expected, and at that stage it became real.
Orders started filling in, and then we had to produce and deliver it reliably.
Whether it's in the ocean, river, or lake, Lift Foils' eFoil is the ultimate adventure accessory. Photo courtesy Lift Foils
For a surfer who’s never used an e-foil … why should they?
The efoil is a fun way to fly.
It’s a mix between flying and surfing. You are cruising through 2 fluid mediums — the air and water. You’re carving turns, everything is quiet.
It’s different from traditional surfing for sure, but it has that sensation we all gravitate towards as surfers.
You can use lakes and flatwater. You can go fast, or slow — it’s versatile in that sense. It’s fun to share it with friends and family, too. I love looking out and seeing mom, dad and kids using this toy in different ways.
It’s not a hardcore surfing apparatus; it’s a pretty fun watercraft that you can use 99% of the time.
Let's shift gears from the eFoil to the hydrofoil, another one of Lift Foils' products. What do you love about surfing on a hydrofoil?
Surfing on a hydrfoil is so addicting.
One, it completely expands the realm of what is surfable. It's the true definition of evolution in that it transcends and includes.
With hydrofoils, all the surfing you know is brought forward, and that vision goes from a narrow band to this wide band of 'I can ride this or that', 'I can down wind on that swell', 'I can tow in on that big wave', 'I can ride this bump'.
I’m on a surf foil 90% of the time I surf because conditions are more appropriate for that product. It lets you surf whenever you want.
It’s a fantastic exercise too. You’re paddling a smaller board, and when you’re up surfing, you’re really working your legs by catching bonus waves. If I go out for 45 minutes, I feel like I got a really good workout for the day.
I think a lot of people in the surfing world would appreciate the product if they took the time to learn it, because there is a learning curve.
What makes Lift Foils hydrofoils different from others on the market?
We have been doing this for quite some time, we have a big variety of product, and we strive for performance.
What do today's top surfers and watermen think of Lift Foils' hydrofoils? John John and Nathan Florence certainly approve. Photo courtesy Lift Foils
When we are making our hydrofoils, we will 95% of the time choose quality ... for example, if its a higher grade carbon fiber or it feels better under your feet … we don’t care about the cost difference to use that more expensive element That’s our mentality. Maybe it doesn’t work out as profitably as a business on our end, but that’s our nature and what we focus on: performance and quality that we’re proud of.
That being said, the hydrofoil market is growing and there are a lot of great foils out there. The industry as a whole is advancing, which is great, and a rising tide raises all boats. I’m excited to see where it keeps going.
What's next for the Lift Foils team?
I don’t want to divulge too much now, but we’re working hard on new stuff that we’ll be launching soon.
When I ride and test our new products, I feel like we’re re-launching the eFoil all over again … I’ve gotten that same sensation I did in 2015, so I’m very excited.
What's your advice to others looking to start a business or succeed in their current business in the action sports realm?
That’s a fully loaded question because theres a lot of aspects that come into running a business.
I’ve learned the hard way you have to keep a balance between what you’re passionate about and running a healthy business. If those things get out of balance, it might sneak up on you and take you under.
Nick's advice? Discover what makes you unique and stick to it. Photo courtesy Lift Foils
Also, from my standpoint, it’s nice to find something that is unique. For us, we went out and started a whole new segment that made us unique, but you don't have to start something new entirely; you just need something unique.
Find something people are not doing right now and say 'I'm going to do this'. Or, if someone already is doing it — if you for example want to start an apparel company — say 'I'm going to do this better than everyone else'.
Keep in mind that when you believe in that yourself, you’ll have 99% of people tell you you’re wrong. I say BS — do what feels good to you, follow your heart and instincts. That's always worked out for me.
A lot of people go with the flow in life, and if you want to forge your own path, you have to go against the flow.
And once you have your business and you feel like it's growing, it's smart to build out all aspects of it so it's organized. You can have the best product or service in the world, but if you don't run a good and sound business, it will fail.
To learn more about Lift Foils' eFoils and hydrofoils, visit their website.
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