Go Foil Blog
To Patent or Not To Patent?
Partner and designer Mike Giblin discusses decision to protect the Go Foil
Things have been exciting here since the world discovered the foil possibilities, thanks to Kai’s video. Designing and building the GoFoil for SUP has been an act of faith. Years in the making and countless hours of tinkering, designing and testing. Most people, even the experts had dismissed it as impossible. When people first watched the youtube videos many thought it was a hoax. In just a few weeks things have swung around to, “oh yeah, of course!”. Funny how that happens.
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they join you.”
A couple of years ago Alex and I were working on a foil for an OC-1, I almost gave up after a series of failures, but Alex, as anyone who knows him will attest, is stubborn. His Quonset hut turned workshop is littered with foils of every shape and size. Since he got it right he’s looking a little less batty and a little more brilliant.
The question then came up, do we patent this thing? What happens if we do? How will that effect the end user and the growth of the sport? We knew a guy, who knew a guy, and he convinced us to protect the design that Alex has given his life to, and long story short, he filed a patent.
The question then came up, do we patent this thing? What happens if we do? How will a patent effect the end user and the growth of the sport?
Alex has been working nonstop building foils and putting boxes in boards. The number of foil riders has grown as fast as the molds can be cycled. Meanwhile, we’ve been working hard to ramp up production in the Ozone factory where the GoFoil is in production using a high tech method of prepreg single piece construction. We’ve partnered with Svein Rassmussen of Starboard to match the foils with great boards and make them available through retailers everywhere.
We are humbled by the opportunity and we’re prepared to do everything it takes to make it happen. We welcome this adventure and invite you to join us, we want to push the envelope and take our ocean experiences to new heights.
~Mike Giblin
GoFoil Partner / Ozone Founder
World meet GoFoil, GoFoil meet world – The Hydrofoil for SUP
This week has been quite a ride. We’ve been working hard and closely together, Kai Lenny, Alex Aguera and partner Mike Giblin, to try and get this foil thing off the ground, which really is to say “off the water surface”. The thing about the foil is it’s all new territory. The knowledge base for hydrofoiling comes from motor propelled craft. We were able to learn from this as tow in surfing was developed using Jetski. That knowledge led us to understand what we needed to do for a foil to work with a kite, which uses the power of the wind not a motor. Now take both motor power and wind power out of the equation for a sport that uses manpower and we had to rethink everything.
What is most inspiring about this breakthrough is what we will learn about the relationship between man and wave, between paddle and water. Many truths we held so sacred in downwind sports are now coming into question, ie: “what waves are we actually riding?” and “what is happening beneath the surface?”.
Kai let the secret out Sunday May 1st 2016. Showing the world what could be done on a foil and stand up. First a photo, everyone called it photoshopped, then a video, which they also said couldn’t be true. Next a video showing how to catch a bump on the foil. Finally, they saw what we saw. The beginning of something new.
Who are we?
Alex Aguera Circa 1988
GoFoil is a product that came together from contributions funneled together by Alex Aguera who brought it to life. Alex Aguera is an OG in ocean sports. World champion Windsurfer and innovator in Kite Boarding at Alex Aguera Designs. Alex Aguera Designs is proud to bring you the GoFoil and we look forward to working with you and creating a community of innovators and adventure seekers like us.
Thanks for reading, hope to see you above the waves!
~Naim Ferguson
GoFoil