Tech Focus: FLYSURFER - 20 Years of Technical Evolution
Issue 91 / Mon 7th Feb, 2022
A brand born in Bavaria that was, and still is, ahead of its time; we check in with FLYSURFER on their 20th anniversary! Find out where it all began, the highs and lows of the past 20 years, and what the future holds in this interview with FLYSURFER Head of Marketing Christoph Hesina!
Congratulations on your 20-year celebration at FLYSURFER! What a journey. Where did the idea for FLYSURFER come from?
Thank you very much, and indeed what a journey it's been. During my job interview in 2014, I first met one of the founders, Armin Harich.
He has a passion for watersports in the form of kayaking and flying in the German flatlands with a glider that he assembled himself. He explained everything to me. Simply put, FLYSURFER is an explanation of the sport itself. We still go kiting, but the initial vision was that people would go flysurfing.
Armin has influenced the way I think about products. He is driven by the quest to create added value for customers; he never stopped believing in this concept. Here we are now, 20 years later, a supplier of sports equipment for the Olympic Games, with a foil kite.
Who was on the founding team, and what did each of them bring to the table?
FLYSURFER’s founders are Armin Harich, Ralf Grösel, Arne Wehrlin, Manfred Kistler and Thomas Allertseder. Armin founded the brand with his colleague Ralf Grösel. At the same time, Arne Wehrlin and Manfred Kistler started Paramarine. Back then, Thomas Allertseder produced lines. They met by chance at BOOT (a watersports trade fair) in Düsseldorf, and the conversation began.
Since they knew each other from paragliding and were similarly motivated, they decided to found a joint company called "Skywalk Gmbh". Their intention was to try new things and develop new systems in the foil kite area. The beauty of collaborating to build the future of a sport from scratch and save costs is what made it successful. It was a classic start-up.
In 2001, what was your most exciting innovation?
Good question! I asked the founders a while ago, and their answer was: "Our kites were flying, powerful, and you had at least the chance to relaunch them." Essentially, the innovation was that our kites kept floating for a while, and you had time to relaunch them. Our products were always known for their power, and that's why they are popular.
Now, 20 years later, in 2021/2022, what has been the product or technical innovation you are most proud of?
We have the most advanced kite to date, the VMG. It is a masterpiece that our kite designer Benni Boelli together with Theo de Ramecourt, Nico Landauer and Florian Gruber, have dedicated all their blood, sweat and tears to. It is as unique as our brand and a product that will allow young athletes to achieve their lifetime goals.
It's been a long road in-between. Can you tell us about some of the most exciting points along the FLYSURFER development journey?
There are so many, but I have to highlight the SOUL and Olly Bridge riding the kite. Together with Olly, we changed people's opinions about foil kites.
The PEAK has become a big seller for us, and you have to read my interview with Reinhart Paelinck, who pushed the single-skin kite development. It is probably the best freeride kite concept to date.
When we decided to enter the wing foiling market, we were already late to the party. But we managed to build a rock-solid wing, the MOJO, in no time. Maxi Kuehnhauser did a fantastic job and delivered a very powerful concept. If you get the chance, go and try the MOJO!
Have there been any major mistakes or dark moments in the brand history? How did FLYSURFER as a team learn or recover from those?
If you are pushing the limits, there are always setbacks. To name two painful topics, we had one of the first working inflatable SUPs and a click-in Quick-Release system almost ready around 2010. Two paths we didn't follow, which could've been very impactful.
We invested heavily in lightweight materials at the wrong time, which is another missed opportunity. We have always recovered well from major setbacks, and that speaks for a healthy company and good risk management. Within our 20 years, there has been mainly harmony, even when everyone in the office is on their heels and giving it everything for all three of our brands.
FLYSURFER has been a leader in light wind innovation from the start. How has the focus on this market guided the brand?
A foil kite is simply superior in light wind. It wasn't a focus on purpose, just the given conditions we find in Bavaria (South Germany). It was only logical to build the best product to use in our own playground. In our opinion, every kiter should have at least one foil kite in their quiver to make their kite life more enjoyable and allow more opportunities to kite on water, land and snow.
Is modern-day FLYSURFER strong wind friendly?
For sure, it is! We have several products for when the storm calls you. Our new and upcoming project, the successor of the STOKE, will be what people want to see from FLYSURFER. But I don't want to spoil too much!
The VMG has made headlines with its racing performance, and the new SOUL has stood out amongst the freeride community. Tell us more about how these products have achieved their current success!
First, I have to thank our athletes and ambassadors, as well as our demo tour teams, for putting our kites in the hands of kiters around the world. Our rebranding and the unique features of the SOUL simply hit at the right time, the hydrofoiling boom. It was the first time that a foil kite's power was easily accessible. It doesn't matter if you are good or bad at kiting; the SOUL is always fun to ride. I mean, it has everything you want! It is predictable, boosts, flies in no wind, goes upwind like a hot knife through butter, and you can take it everywhere.
The VMG, on the other hand, as stated before, was a challenge and took our athletes efforts to show the strength of the product. It operates in a wide range of wind. Max Maeder is only 15 years old and won the Youth Kite Foil World Championship in 2021. He has shown what kind of success is possible with this kite.
At the start, FLYSURFER was about foil kites. When and why did you choose to add tube kites to the lineup?
Market share! Haha, it is as easy as that. Our team's background also played a part. I used to ride C kites, and I love wave riding. If you look at our R&D team, it is clear that we love inflatable products, and our lineup will only get better with Luke McGillewie working on our inflatable design team.
How have your design goals and your team evolved over the years?
It was vital for us to establish a good product lineup, which covers every aspect of the sport and the specific riders needs. Now we are shifting our focus and optimising everything we can.
It is about selling a vision and backing it up with success. If you maintain a good spirit within the team and give young riders the chance to fulfil their dreams, everybody is striving for a common goal. We build products for making wind-driven people's life more enjoyable. We are open to anybody's ideas and inputs. Everyone is always welcome, and we are happy to share time with whoever approaches us. This is who we are.
The team has changed drastically in recent years, and we are a very young group of people in our mid-twenties and mid-thirties. Everybody is very dedicated, and we are proud to work for FLYSURFER. But don't worry, we are still innovators at heart. Expect the unexpected from us in the near future.
Tell us about the phrase 'AHEAD OF ITS TIME'. How does it describe the brand?
Open-minded, innovative and unique. Follow your own path and trust in your abilities. Don't be shy to fail, but learn from it and succeed with pride. We will change the paraglider world with a new system shortly. Check out go-flare.com and become part of the future.
What's coming up for FLYSURFER this year?
Many happy faces and new additions to our rider roster! We will introduce a new product line, fresh looking control bars, an interesting story around our board graphics, and a new website. Stay tuned and join us on the road to the Olympics!
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By Crystal Veness
Editor at IKSURFMAG, Crystal Veness hails from Canada but is based in South Africa. When she isn't busy kitesurfing or reporting on the latest industry news for the mag, she is kicking back somewhere at a windy kite beach or working on creative media projects.
