Thanks to Jack Ho for granting us an interview even though he won’t be with us this year at the Crozon Foil Festival.
Hi Jack, we’re really excited to have you back this year! This will be your third time at the Crozon Foil Festival—what keeps bringing you back every year?
Crozon Foil Festival is such a great opportunity to connect with riders from all across Europe and other international destinations. Being from Hawaii, it is a bit hard to travel to other countries. Having a set event in October is super cool because it gives us a chance to compete against the best, ride in new places around Europe, and get to be involved in the progression and evolution of this sport. In my eyes, foiling seems to be the most popular in places like Europe with such good wind and wave conditions and high level of riders. It’s a no brainer that we come to compete each year!
You live in Hawaii, so the downwind foil conditions here are obviously quite different. What stands out the most for you?
Being on an island, there’s only so much coastline to ride. Therefore, you are kind of limited to the different downwind runs you can do. In Europe however, being able to easily travel by plane or car to so many different countries opens up so many new and different places to ride. Downwind, or surf, Europe has it all.
Last year the Surf Foil event was amazing, and you finished second. What are your main takeaways from that contest?
It is really exciting to see foil surf competition being pushed. There are very few events that include this format and I think it is the closest thing to an actual surf contest. The Surf Foil event is Crozon is so far the best and most progressive format of competition. I think this is an asepct of foil competition that has yet to be further developed and it is super fun getting to be part of the early innovation of it. There is no reason why there can’t be a tour centered around surf foil competition. This seems like just the start!
You’re a multi-discipline rider, we’ve even seen you on a snowboard 🙂 but if you had to pick, which discipline do you enjoy the most?
Surfing is my first love and will always be my favorite. You can’t beat getting barreled or doing a big turn on a perfect wave. I see the foil as a tool to get me in the water daily. But when the waves are firing, surfing always comes first for me.
Coming all the way from Hawaii, do you bring all your gear with you to France?
Coming from Hawaii, it is a pretty far travel to Europe. October is my favorite time of year to enjoy the conditions and weather there so I make sure sure to bring all my gear. Usually, I travel with 4 surfbaords and 2 foil set ups. After the Crozon event, I usually try to chase swells around France, Spain, or Portugal. This year, I am hoping to score Morocco!
