Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lift Foils
It’s a picturesque winter afternoon in Miami: there is not one cloud in sight, and the water is so calm it mirrors a glass reflection. Spotted on the docks of The Standard hotel, east of the Venetian Islands, a new luxury watercraft is being put to the test. Throughout the day, various guests are taking turns trialing the latest board from reputable electric hydrofoil brand, Lift Foils.
Lift Foils, the innovative creator of the original electric hydrofoil—or eFoil—and the dominating leader in the global eFoiling space, is at the forefront of luxury, electronic water sports products. Founded in 2013 in Puerto Rico by engineer and avid surfer Nick Leason, the brand launched with the original eFoil, a proprietary battery-powered carbon fiber board and specially designed hydrofoil that delivers unparalleled performance with the smoothest riding experience possible. And impressively, all eFoils produced are powered by a lithium-ion battery, creating a ‘one-with-the-board’ virtually silent ride that allows the rider to be synonymous with the water, without harming the environment.
Being the ideator, creator, and ideal target customer, Leason manifested the idea for the original model by fusing the technology from smartphones, the intricacies of electric vehicles, and drones to create a board that ‘flies’ above any water—and wave for that matter. Leason’s mission is to make the sensation and freedom of flying on the water accessible to all kinds of consumers without limiting to those keen on the extreme sports lifestyle. On the heels of the major success of the original e-Foil, Lift Foils recently unveiled its third generation of luxury watercraft: the LIFT3 F.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lift Foils
As the brand’s most user-friendly and accessible board yet, the LIFT3 F features new advancements designed to maximize the ride experience without sacrificing Lift Foils’ premium technical quality. Unlike the traditional Lift Foil’s boards made of carbon fiber, the LIFT3 F features a proprietary fiberglass blend intricately crafted by in-house engineers to ensure optimal, aerodynamic shape for hydrofoiling, making this board an incredibly stable ride. Haute Living sat down with Lift Foils Founder and CEO Nick Leason to hear how exactly he got started in the industry and what lies ahead for the brand.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lift Foils
HAUTE LIVING: Can you tell us how you got started in the industry?
NICK LEASON: We got into hydrofoils early on before the sport became so popular—and so we were learning how to do aerodynamic design. It was a lot of years in the workshops, learning and growing from mistakes. Then in 2015, we started working on the eFoil. We started thinking: how do we build the sport and start reaching a larger demographic of people that are not surfers. [This led us to] build an electric hydrofoil—a very intensive project. It took us three years before we launched our first product in 2018. [Today]. we’re continually working on the product and finding techniques to evolve the product. The launch in 2018 marked the beginning of the business we currently have today.
HL: How has the brand evolved since launch?
NL: It has been amazing. Since day one, it was always a question of whether the product would grab or not. It’s an expensive product from the surf world perspective. So, it was a debate if it would be accepted into the market, but as soon as we put it out there, it was. We had pre-orders right away. Our videos had hundreds and millions of hits. And, every year, we’re almost doubling—we’re growing in a conscious manner.
HL: How did the pandemic affect the business?
NL: In terms of sales and the demand, it grew. With everyone traveling and moving around—ultimately wanting to escape— we found that they wanted to buy a toy and enjoy the water.
HL: What are some major lessons you learned at the beginning of starting the company?
NL: I was extremely naive about the difficulties of building a product like that and the intricacies of the design. And you really only learn that through hard lessons, trial and error, and failures. It takes a lot of detail and organization of people.
HL: Are you currently working on any new products (that you’re able to disclose)?
NL: Absolutely. Generally speaking, I see a lot of improvements and evolution to be made in the current eFoil. I see a lot of ways we can make this product more accessible — which is a huge word and mission we are focusing on to make a greater impact.
