Ten Questions - Fred Hope

Slingshot’s Fred Hope is almost out of high school, and he’s already a major presence at Slingshot’s headquarters, helping the design team improve their foil line and keeping his adult peers in check. Get to know this passionate, mild-mannered rider who has big plans for the future!

Fred Hope is a foiling prodigy from Hood River, he splits his time between there and La Ventana in Mexico and has carved a niche for himself as one of the most talented young men to fly above the water!

How old were you when you learned to kite, and how were you introduced to the sport?

I was given my first kiteboarding lesson as a birthday present from my family when I turned twelve. I learned in La Ventana the same year as my mom. My whole family switched over from windsurfing, something my parents had been doing for twenty years. I went into the lesson knowing I would like it, but I hadn’t realised how much I would fall in love with the sport. During my second week kiting, professional windsurfer Tyson Poor sent the infamous Grom Gormley out to teach me a backroll. What I love about kiting was how it felt to slice through the water, fly through the air, and the ability for every person to have their own acute riding style.

Quobba Fins | View in Mag

Core Kiteboarding | View in Mag

With so many different disciplines to explore, why have you chosen kite foiling as your main focus?

I think I chose foiling as my primary focus because of how reliable it is. Unless the wind is completely dead, I can be out there having a good time. This decision was also based on the locations where I ride. La Ventana and Hood River don’t have big waves to ride a surfboard. Overall, I think the main reason I’m into foiling is the feeling it gives me when I’m riding. The locals in La Ventana call them flyboards. When I’m riding, it feels like I am flying. I’m able to ride in complete silence and sneak up on friends, which keeps the fun alive every time I go out.

What are your personal goals in kiteboarding, both this year and long-term?

I have worked pretty hard at foiling, and I’m now finding ways to have fun with it. I’ve enjoyed helping tune and adjust both foils and kites before they are marketed, and I hope to continue to be involved with the R&D side of the sport. In the past, I taught windsurfing lessons and have just begun teaching foiling. I have competed many times in the La Ventana Windfest as well as the La Ventana Classic and a few times in Hood River in KB4C. I like the connection that the community of kiteboarders has both on the water and on the beach. It seems so easy to go and talk to anyone on the shore.

What advice would you give someone who is about to get on a foil for the first time?

The main thing I tell everyone is to lean forward. By doing this, you are instantly overcoming one of the hardest parts of foiling. The next thing I say to people is to begin relying on the kite to hold as much of their weight as possible. Watching other people is also a great way to figure out foiling. Looking at people's stance and how they fly their kite can be the easiest ways learn new techniques.

It feels like, across all disciplines, the youth are taking over. What are your predictions for the future of the sport?

I don’t have very much experience in the whole freestyle/boot riding side of the sport, so I can’t say much for that. For foil racing, it seems that young people do well if they have the right equipment. I think there are only a few kids worldwide who would like to focus solely on foil racing and have the funds/time to dedicate themselves to this discipline. I entered some high-level hydrofoil races while riding an inflatable kite and a strapless board. I didn’t find as much enjoyment in racing because I felt that the only way to be on top was to have all the newest gear, and with the equipment changing every year, it’s a huge commitment. I like to ride strapless on a surfboard, and I’ve been watching the strapless tour closely. It seems that the leaders are all still the original strapless guys.

Slingshot’s foil program is blowing up. What do you like best about your equipment, and what’s coming next from Slingshot and Slingshot foil?

The best thing I like about my equipment is how well it works for my each of my riding styles. I can go out on the Ghost Whisperer with the race wings and zoom around, or change to the big wings and focus more on strapless tricks. I have two main types of kites that I use. For foiling, I could get away with having just two kites: the 4m Wave, and a 7m Turbine. I use the Wave in high wind and for instances when I want to ride with more of a flowy style. When I go out on the Turbine, I focus on speed and strapless tricks that require me to put most of my weight in the kite. The great thing that's coming out of Slingshot in the future is our modular foil system. As far as I can tell, almost every foil product we have is going to be interchangeable. There are also so many new wings that we are making. I can hardly keep track.

Duotone | View in Mag

Armstrong Foils | View in Mag

Hood River or La Ventana?

That's a tough one. I don’t think I prefer one over the other. It all depends on the time of year. La Ventana doesn’t have much wind unless it’s winter, and Hood River is cold and gusty unless it’s summer. My childhood in La Ventana was amazing, and the culture of the Mexican people was very influential in shaping my life. I would spend hours on the beach in La Ventana as a young kid, overturning rocks in tide pools and collecting the little creatures under the surface.

How do you keep up with school while you are on the road?

I’m either in the Gorge or La Ventana. When I’m in the Gorge, I take community college classes through my high school, and when I’m in La Ventana, I take online classes so I can fulfil my credit requirements. Motivating myself to do my schoolwork while in Mexico is kinda tricky. I either get up early and do it or begin after the sunsets. I was thinking about it the other night, and I realised I have only attended just over a year of actual high school. I’ve been creative in finding other routes to acquiring my education.

When the wind is light, and there isn’t anyone else on the water, what motivates you to get out there?

What motivates me to get on the water is the fact that there's nobody out there. I could be the only one on the whole river or ocean. It's also the challenge of seeing if I can get up when it is blowing under ten mph. I didn’t think there were any days where I couldn’t be motivated enough until the other day when I went to go kite in Portland, Oregon with some friends. The water was so cold without booties or gloves. Now, I have no motivation to go out on the Columbia River until next May.

What’s it like to interact with the OG foil army on a daily basis? How do you deliver advice to riders who are two or three times your age?

I spend a lot of time on the beach talking with people about everything kite related. I think that, because I’m young, people feel that it’s easier to talk to me. It's always a blast being out with the regulars who foil every day they can. I deliver advice to them on the beach, then if I see them out there, I’ll go over to them and show them some examples and help walk them through it. I am very comfortable on a foil, so I tend to get close to other people who, more often than not, get a little scared.