Whether by sail, wing, paddle, wave or pure leg power - the Swiss Water Man can always be found on the water. Thanks to the foil revolution, his personal surfing Mecca is now right on his doorstep, on Lake Biel in Switzerland. Having swapped his spade for a foil, the trained horticulturist and family man is now living his dream: living from and for water sports. Often referred to as a surf punk together with his brothers in the past, the pragmatist takes every possible innovation in his stride and simply tries it out in his very own way. This sometimes seems very wild and raw, but the multi-talented artist absolutely knows what he is doing. With clear goals and ambitions, the 30-year-old foil freak looks to the future ... and here with us to the past.
When did you first hear about foiling or even see a foil?
It was ages ago, probably 25 years ago, believe it or not. It was a photo of Laird Hamilton on a big wave in Jaws, with snowboard boots tied to a yellow foil board. That was crazy. It looked a bit like freeriding on a snowboard and I think that's what it must have felt like. Laird Hamilton was a real pioneer in foiling. I remember seeing it as a kid and thinking: Wow, three-dimensional surfing ... what more could you want? It fascinated me right from the start, but it was a few years before I took off myself for the first time.
When did this happen?
That was in 2016 during the World Cup on Sylt. So much, much later. In the meantime, you didn't hear much about foiling until the French windsurf racers around William Huppert suddenly had the parts with them on Sylt.
Did you just try it out there?
Exactly. I think that day on Sylt, when one of the guys lent me his foil in twelve knots, I was on the water for eight hours. They were actually still freeride foils back then. I went completely crazy. It was like a revolution for me, or almost like a drug. That first floating, weightless, free feeling - you can't shake it off. I immediately realised that I needed one of these!
How was the atmosphere at your home on Lake Biel after your return from this special trip to Sylt?
How can I put it ... we suddenly had a surf mecca on our doorstep (laughs). I mean, foiling makes perfect sense in our home, gusty inland waters. It moved the surfing Mecca from Hawaii to the European inland waters. It was a dream come true for us.
We suddenly had a surf mecca on our doorstep."
How many more surfing days did you suddenly have at home due to foiling?
Yes, 100 per cent, you could almost say (laughs). Here at the lake, we have a maximum of 25 windy big days a year, i.e. good days on the fin. And I mean, now, with the foils, we're up to over 300 surfing days a year. Last year, for example, I had 310 surf days and most of them at home in Switzerland. It's crazy how many foil sports there are now. It's no longer just windsurf foiling. Now with wing foiling, SUP foiling, kite foiling, pump foiling ... you can actually get out on the water every day.
What did you and your brothers used to do all day before foiling blessed you?
We went formula windsurfing and broke our backs pulling up the sails (laughs). And otherwise we just pumped ourselves up like crazy with small freestyle equipment and were able to knock out a Willy Skipper here and there at the end of the lake. That's also quite cool, but no comparison to the possibilities on the foil in the lower wind range. When there was no wind at all, we did a lot of skating and snowboarding in winter - board sports through and through, that's always been the case.
You've already told us about your first contact with windsurf foiling. When and how did wingfoiling come into play for you?
I would say too early, because it has stolen the show from windsurf foiling. I'm convinced that there would be a lot more young people celebrating windsurf foiling if the wingfoil trend hadn't emerged so early. The first wing came to Switzerland back in 2019. It was immediately clear to me that it was going to be amazing ... propulsion without a direct connection to the board, which expanded the possibilities enormously, especially in freestyle. The very first time I ever saw wingfoiling was with this dude who took a windsurfing board and had a small kite with a paddle as a boom in his hand for manoeuvring. I immediately thought: I need that too! That was Tony Logosz from Slingshot. The Dude changed my life with that picture ... or maybe even ruined it (laughs).
It felt like it went on like that, there was always a new foil sport coming up. Suddenly you were only seen pump foiling and then SUP foiling - completely without wind propulsion.
Yes, that's right, I really liked it too. Let me put it this way, if I could choose, I'd probably just ride waves. But in Switzerland, you can't actually call yourself a surfer. But now, thanks to the foils, the knee-high sea wave is raised to chest height, so to speak, by the mast. You can climb up over the mast and then glide down again. And that gliding feeling when you're descending, combined with the wave, that's amazing - then you're really surfing. So you can definitely call yourself a surf foiler or lake surfer. You even get this feeling when pump foiling on flat water.
Interesting! So you're foiling on a wind wave that's only one metre high, but with an 80 centimetre mast. If you then drop in from the top of the lip...
... Exactly! Then you drop what feels like a head-high wave down into the wave trough. And now imagine you had a 20 metre long mast, then you wouldn't have to go to Jaws (grins).
Do you always have an idea of what's coming next in the world of foiling?
I have a bad suspicion that the future will simply be too technical and no longer so relevant to sport. I'm really worried that you'll soon be floating over the water on some modern hoverboard. But that's actually a bit of a dream of mine too, if you imagine that you'll have a magnet where the foil actually sits ... But I mean, we all have the desire to fly. And foiling is the easiest way to fly for me. Because you can fall into the water a thousand times and nothing will happen to you. If you fly with a paraglider and hit yourself in the mouth, it usually doesn't look so good. That's why there's nothing better for me. It's like flying, but safer - no matter what technique is involved. I was surprised every time something new came up. And every time I tried it out, I fell flat on my face again. The beginning was never easy. Foiling is unpredictable and every foil session feels different.
For me, foiling is the easiest way to fly. Don't we all have the desire to fly?"
To go into a little more detail about the differences between the sports: Where are you faster? In wing foiling or windsurf foiling?
What I can say: I generally feel more comfortable windsurfing at higher speeds. And I think I'm usually faster too. With the wing, the speed can quickly become breathtaking, because without the fixation of the mast, you can twist in all directions. With windsurfing, I have more control and it feels like I can go faster. Although that's no longer entirely true, because the speeds with wings are also going through the roof at the moment.
And what glides on earlier or lifts off more easily?
Ha! I can take off with the wing without any wind (laughs), that's why I say wing. Depending on the shape of the board and the size of the foil, I pick up speed just by pumping and can take off without any real ambient wind. I can generate these vibrations even better with the wing in my hands than without it. It's like a butterfly-like movement with the wing. And the nice thing is that once up, the relative wind from the airstream kicks in and creates a little pressure in the wing. That means I can pump myself up with the wing in zero wind and foil until I run out of breath (laughs). That doesn't work so well with the windsurf sail. The wing can be used more efficiently to get from zero to flying. The windsurf sail is more efficient when you're already flying in the lower wind range, because it generates more propulsion and pulls you through wind holes. The wing provides a little more resistance at this point.
Apart from that, what other important differences do you think there are?
Wingen is somehow more pragmatic. Yes, I think that's the right word. It's a compact wing that is quick and easy to set up. Everyone can understand it and usually gets it right straight away. I also think the wind range is greater. And the wing is naturally light as a feather - it flies all by itself. It also feels freer without the connection through the mast. But you don't have that "hang-in feeling" that I love so much as a windsurfer: tighten up, hang in and accelerate. With windsurfing, you feel the propulsion much more intensely.
But for you it's all just "funboarding", as you like to say, isn't it? No matter what you have in your hands or under your feet?
Yes, but what is funboarding anyway? The term originally comes from the days of stand-up sailing. As stand-up sailing developed and the boards became smaller and therefore faster and more lively, it was sometimes called funboarding. I would like to revive this term. It's such a cool word that makes perfect sense to me in relation to all the different fun board sports. If you google funboarding, almost no results come up. I think it was the French who adopted it and kept it. They thought: Hey, you can't call that stand-up sailing any more, it's funboarding! You still hear that in France nowadays. But flying down the lake on my new downwind board "Waltz" - that's funboarding for me too. You put something on and under your board to have "fun" on any body of water, in any conditions, or you take something in your hand, be it a paddle, wing or kite. Funboarding is a matter of attitude, it's my way of life. If you want to have fun, get yourself a board and throw yourself into the water.
Do you currently have a favourite foil sport within the world of funboarding?
No, I can't say that. The coolest thing is when you can do whatever you feel like doing all day long. But what I can say is that the discipline I have the most respect for is pure surf foiling (also called prone foiling, editor's note), i.e. riding waves without wind power. I find it absurd to be in the white water of a wave with a foil. And that's despite the fact that my passion for surfing is actually the greatest - that's where I'm most dependent on, on the rush of riding a wave. But I realised that I always avoid the peak and the white water with the foil. Then I started riding the non-breaking, long wind swells in the centre of the lake and discovered what I currently enjoy the most. And that is riding waves in Switzerland that I didn't even notice before. Thanks to the foil, I can now surf waves right on my doorstep. The possibilities that the foil brings with it are still unbelievable for me.
Let's say you wake up in the morning on Lake Biel and the forecast is for 15 knots from the west all day. Which foil device do you pack?
I have a bike trailer and a garage full of toys. I pack as much as I can onto it in the morning. It's very rare that I only load up one type of foil equipment. Because if the wind isn't quite so strong in the morning, I can go kite-foiling, when the wind picks up, I can go windsurf-foiling, and when it finally reaches full strength at midday, it's time to inflate the wing. And then in the evening, when the windswell that has built up during the day is big enough, I can do a downwinder. At the end of the lake, the waves often break a little - I can finish off with a round of surf foiling. A dream day - the perfect foil day! Paradoxically, this is what most of my sessions look like (grins).
Is there any overlap between the different disciplines in terms of foils? Or do you have a special set-up for each discipline?
Yes, but there are overlaps. For example, I now basically ride the same foil for windsurfing and wingfoiling. The only difference is that the fuselage is 25 centimetres longer for windsurf foiling.
You've been a family man for some time now. You are often travelling together as a family ...
Very often, yes! And my wife Eva is also on the water a lot. Seeing our offspring grow up and passing on our passion - that's the best thing. I'm very, very active and I can already tell that our daughter likes this active lifestyle. I recently put her on a foil board in the pool for the first time and pushed her around on the fly - she didn't want to stop. I then had to push her round in circles for several hours (laughs). That was exhausting.
You are known - regardless of the discipline - for your daring approach and radical departures. Has the fact that you are now a father influenced your willingness to take risks on the water?
I think I've always had a healthy respect and common sense. But I just like to constantly push myself to the limit and expand my comfort zone. Nothing has changed in that respect - I certainly enjoy taking risks. With the right people on the water and in good conditions, I can switch my head off and all my fears vanish into thin air. Then I try things like the Shifty into Forward. A lot can go wrong with foils, yes, but it's definitely still more dangerous to drive to the spot by car than to try a shift into forward on the water.
Have you already had foil-specific injuries?
I once got my foil washed into my face by white water in a shorebreak - that was nasty. Then two years ago I drilled the wing through my calf. It was a seven-centimetre puncture. We're playing with kitchen knives, it has to be said. Paradoxically, the industry only focusses on pure performance and hardly thinks about making the equipment more user-friendly. The edges of the foils could probably be much rounder and most people would still have fun with them. You shouldn't think about what could happen in the worst case scenario (knocks on the wooden table).
How do you rate the risk of injury compared to "normal" windsurfing on the fin?
I've cut myself just as often with fins and just as badly. And I find that foiling is generally a bit gentler. You often ride in light winds with relatively small material. However, a foil has more surface area than a fin, which makes it riskier. But with windsurf foiling in particular, you're actually always very far away from the foil - I feel safe there. It's different with wingfoiling, where the board flies unconnected underneath you. If you sail off into the air, you usually land on the board or foil. When I switch from windsurf foiling to wing foiling, I notice the difference particularly acutely - I sometimes even panic for the first few minutes. But I actually have less respect for the cuts. It's the leverage of the foils in the water that you shouldn't underestimate to avoid breaking your ankles or tearing ligaments.
You're on the water in Switzerland all year round. It seems like you don't really care about the temperatures. What's your best winter surfing tip?
Well, I mean, everyone likes boardshorts and warm temperatures, but here in Switzerland the best conditions are the winter storms, when the lakes really get going. My best tip? Don't hesitate! Just get changed and go out. Don't check the conditions in your clothes first and then get back into the warm car. Once you're in your wetsuit, you're ready to go! Winter surfing is a matter of attitude! Grit your teeth and get to work with a warm attitude, that's the most important thing. Suffer for ten minutes, then go back to the shore, shake your hands warm and then surf all day. When you're older, you'll probably have prostate problems ... but oh well.
Do you have a favourite discipline in winter in particular? What is your favourite thing to do on the really cold days?
Definitely downwind foiling! Because as the name suggests, you move with the wind and not parallel to it - so there's no wind chill. This is very pleasant in winter. I was downwind last week in minus four degrees. The sail and boom would have frozen immediately in the wind. But when I was downwind, I was able to start without gloves and I wasn't cold at all. Firstly, because the pump works, and secondly, because I move with the wind. The difference is enormous.
To go into your career a little: You weren't really able to make a living from water sports before, when you were mainly pushing yourself in windsurfing, and worked full-time as a landscape gardener. Was it the foil revolution that made it possible for you to turn pro?
Yes, definitely. As foiling shifted the mecca in my favour and the inland waters also became an attractive market, I got the chance to live from and for water sports. It was always my childhood dream. I used to imagine myself as a surf pro in Hawaii in board shorts ... And now I'm a surf pro, on my doorstep, with a 6/5 wetsuit and bonnet (laughs). I now live here as an athlete who competes and shoots video clips, and also as a material developer. There is still so much potential in material development. We are still in our infancy. I've realised that you can still try to simulate it and put it on the board in theory, especially when foiling. But the feeling and the sensation that you experience when you try something new on the water is the decisive factor. And I believe that there are still many hours to be spent on the water.
Hand on heart: Which sport pays the bills?
It's certainly a combination, the whole funboard lifestyle. But let me put it this way: without wingfoiling, it certainly wouldn't have worked out for me. And that's actually frustrating, because I've been a passionate windsurfer since I was a child. But I don't think you can categorise people. The crucial thing is the attitude: motivating people and getting them out on the water, on this unique playground, and having a good time there. That's what it is! At the end of the day, I'm a motivator. I want to get people out on the water and share those great feelings.
How often did you get out on the water when you were still working as a gardener?
Almost as much (laughs). I just spent another nine hours a day doing dry training in the garden. My boss didn't understand the world and wondered why I was swinging the shovel through the air all the time.
My boss used to wonder why I was swinging the shovel through the air all the time."
Your diary counts 310 water days last year. More than half of them with a thick winter neo and bonnet. Are you equally motivated every day?
Of course, there are always days when you have more or less fun out there. But you know what? I make more progress with a thick 6/5 winter neo at home by the lake than I do with board shorts in the Caribbean. I feel naked and unprotected there. Then I just cruise around and enjoy the atmosphere. It's a different story at home in winter, where I really get down to work, push myself and try to get the most out of every session.
You said your goal is to get people on the water in general. What's your best tip for foil beginners?
Don't overestimate your choice of material. Starting with equipment that is too small is no good at all. The newcomer doesn't have to sell the big equipment after two weeks - if he makes rapid progress - because you can still use it as a light wind weapon in less wind. For freeride sessions in light winds, I still use the large foils from time to time, which are great for beginners. I use them to ride 360s on the spot or try 720s. And a bit of volume in the board doesn't hurt either - even for freestyle beginners. It takes a lot of energy to start again with a small board after a crash, especially when wingskiing. If this becomes too strenuous, you don't even try the new trick. With a larger board, you try the manoeuvre again and again because you are not afraid of crashing and starting. This allows you to make better progress.
Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?
I have no idea. But I hope that I can share my passion with as many people and my family as possible over the next few years - that's one of my big dreams. And, as I said, I don't have to fly halfway round the world to do that. I owe this to foiling in particular. I want to get to know my local environment at home even better - there's still so much to discover. My ecological footprint is important to me, because I want my children to still be able to surf here in 25 years' time.
I want to develop water sports equipment that other people enjoy as much as I do."
Do you think you'll stick with funboarding until you retire?
I will try to funboard for the rest of my life. My dream has always been to live from and for water sports. And I will continue to do so for as long as possible. But I don't think I could ever be a managing director of a water sports brand and sit at a desk. I'm very pragmatic and always have to try everything out there. My goal is to pass on water sports over the next few years and develop water sports products that other people will enjoy as much as I do. It should be pragmatic, brutally pragmatic. "Brutal Pragmatic" is what I would call my brand. I don't like it when you force something in theory and everything is so strict and serious. I'm a big fan of this punk image that me and my brothers used to have. The industry has lost that nowadays. It's all become far too serious, it's become like the car industry. And that's where I want to try and do my bit and just keep sharing the pure passion for watersports.
Balz, thank you very much for your time and the detailed interview.
Thank you, thank you, see you on the water! Yi-haa!
