Skip to main content

Kai Lenny shows Steve Aoki how to ride a hydrofoil surfboard

Kai Lenny takes Steve Aoki Foiling
On paper, big wave surfer Kai Lenny and superstar DJ
Recommended Videos
Steve Aoki don’t appear to have a lot in common. But both men have left significant marks on their chosen professions, with Lenny winning major championships for stand-up paddleboarding and kiteboarding, while Aoki is recognized as one of the most talented and innovative DJs working today. The duo recently got together so that Lenny could introduce Aoki to another one of his aquatic passions — hydrofoil surfing.

In the video above, Aoki traveled to Maui to visit Lenny, who took him hydrofoil surfing for the first time. The pair headed out onto the water, where the pro surfer towed the DJ behind him on a jet ski. After a couple of practice runs, Aoki was off and running, riding the board like a pro.

In much the same way that a hydrofoil attached to a boat increases speed by lifting the craft out of the water, the same principle applies to surfboards equipped with a hydrofoil too. Surfers of all skill levels are discovering that by converting to a hydrofoil board, they are achieving faster speeds, allowing an ordinary wave to become much more challenging and interesting.

Iker Basterretxea / Red Bull Content Pool

That same effect is amplified all the more when they ride larger waves. Lenny learned this all too well earlier this year, when he managed to ride his hydrofoil surfboard for more than 50 miles, crossing the Alenuihaha channel that connects the Big Island to Maui in Hawaii. Those kinds of feats simply aren’t possible on a traditional surfboard.

A number of big name surfers — including the legendary Laird Hamilton — feel that hydrofoil boards are the future of the sport. For many, these boards are viewed as the great equalizer, turning average waves into something that is far more surfable. More importantly, they allow riders to chain multiple waves together, making it possible to surf further and longer without stopping.

Judging from the video, it seems safe to say that Lenny made a convert out of Aoki, who looks like he was thoroughly enjoying the experience. Whether or not the mainstream surf crowd will flock to the hydrofoil movement remains to be seen, however.

Kraig Becker
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kraig Becker is a freelance outdoor writer who loves to hike, camp, mountain bike, trail run, paddle, or just about any other…
The best hurricane trackers for Android and iOS in 2024
Best hurricane tracking apps.

The hurricane season instills fear in those who find themselves in the paths of these storms, and in their loved ones who are concerned for their safety. A hurricane app is essential if you’ve stayed up all night worrying about a family member who's alone during a destructive storm.

Many hurricane trackers are available to help you prepare for these dangerous events, monitor their progress, and assist in recovery. We’ve compiled a list of the best apps for tracking storms, predicting their paths, and providing on-the-ground suggetsions for shelters and emergency services. Most of these apps are free to download and supported by ads. Premium versions are available to remove ads and add extra features.

Read more
Best lawn mower deals: Cordless, gas, electric and robotic
A robot lawn mower in a backyard while a family relaxes.

Mowing a lawn can be very therapeutic unless you have an older lawnmower, which makes life difficult and constantly causes you frustration. Luckily, you can snag a new lawnmower for a pretty good price, and even the more budget-oriented options have a lot of quality-of-life features that you wouldn't find on lawnmowers ten or even five years ago. To that end, we've gone about and collected some of our favorite lawnmower deals across the board, including some great robot lawn mowers that are worth checking out.
Litheli Cordless Lawn Mower U20 Handy+ -- $120, was $140

If you want a solid lawn mower, this offering from Litheli has a 13-inch cutting width, which is pretty good for the deal that you're getting. Even better, you get a 30L grass bag so you're not having to clean up after yourself, and you can mow for longer without having to stop. You also get 5 height adjustments so you can hone in the length of your grass to the perfect height, plus you get a 4.0Ah portable battery included.

Read more
Juiced Bikes offers 20% off on all e-bikes amid signs of bankruptcy
Juiced Bikes Scrambler ebike

A “20% off sitewide” banner on top of a company’s website should normally be cause for glee among customers. Except if you’re a fan of that company’s products and its executives remain silent amid mounting signs that said company might be on the brink of bankruptcy.That’s what’s happening with Juiced Bikes, the San Diego-based maker of e-bikes.According to numerous customer reports, Juiced Bikes has completely stopped responding to customer inquiries for some time, while its website is out of stock on all products. There are also numerous testimonies of layoffs at the company.Even more worrying signs are also piling up: The company’s assets, including its existing inventory of products, is appearing as listed for sale on an auction website used by companies that go out of business.In addition, a court case has been filed in New York against parent company Juiced Inc. and Juiced Bike founder Tora Harris, according to Trellis, a state trial court legal research platform.Founded in 2009 by Harris, a U.S. high-jump Olympian, Juiced Bikes was one of the early pioneers of the direct-to-consumer e-bike brands in the U.S. market.The company’s e-bikes developed a loyal fandom through the years. Last year, Digital Trends named the Juiced Bikes Scorpion X2 as the best moped-style e-bike for 2023, citing its versatility, rich feature set, and performance.The company has so far stayed silent amid all the reports. But should its bankruptcy be confirmed, it could legitimately be attributed to the post-pandemic whiplash experienced by the e-bike industry over the past few years. The Covid-19 pandemic had led to a huge spike in demand for e-bikes just as supply chains became heavily constrained. This led to a ramp-up of e-bike production to match the high demand. But when consumer demand dropped after the pandemic, e-bike makers were left with large stock surpluses.The good news is that the downturn phase might soon be over just as the industry is experiencing a wave of mergers and acquisitions, according to a report by Houlihan Lokey.This may mean that even if Juiced Bikes is indeed going under, the brand and its products might find a buyer and show up again on streets and trails.

Read more