A foilboard or hydrofoil board is a surfboard with a hydrofoil that extends below the board into the water. Laird Hamilton, a prominent figure in the invention of tow-in surfing (the use of a jet ski to tow the rider into a wave), is credited with popularizing the foilboard. Mango Carafino, a big wave tow surfing athlete and water sport instructor from the Hawaiian Island of Maui, is the leading developer of the hydrofoil board design for stand-up hydro foil boarding applications.
The stand-up design allows the rider to glide with the moving wave and eliminates the effects of choppy or rough conditions. Kite surfing with a foilboard allows the rider to angle higher into the wind than on traditional boards which ride on the surface of the water. As a result of reduced friction, hydrofoils can attain high speeds and lift at lower speeds compared to conventional designs. In addition to surfboards, hydrofoils have been employed on wakeboards, skis, seat towers, and windsurfers.
The Daily Omnivore 
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