Skip to main content

For his latest challenge, Kai Lenny and his hydrofoil board take on a sailboat

Hawaiian surfer Kai Lenny and his hydrofoil board seem to have no limits.

After braving Hawaii, Idaho, and even New York, the new age surfer is taking on a new kind of challenge — a race against a sailboat. In a new video from Hurley, the hydrofoil extraordinaire challenged famous sailor John Florence to a race on the open water. “Now that I’ve pushed myself by myself so many times, the next challenge would be to see how I compare to another craft,” Lenny said in the video. “Challenging myself to a sailboat would be cool.”

Recommended Videos
And to raise the stakes just a bit more (as though they weren’t already high enough), there was a wager involved in the race. If Lenny were to win, he would get Florence’s boat. And if Lenny falls in the ocean, well … don’t expect Florence to be throwing in any lifesavers.
While the video doesn’t quite show us the results of the race, it certainly looks as though Lenny can hold his own, even against a sailboat.

Last month, Lenny came to New York for a taste of East Coast waters. Although East Coast surfers are generally met with characteristic summer flatness, the big wave rider was unfazed.

Lenny made a trip New York’s Long Island to partake in events at the Hurley Surf Club in Long Beach — but he couldn’t resist taking the hydrofoil out for a ride across the Atlantic. In a video posted on Instagram, Lenny rides a downwinder as he explains to the cameraman that “[the board] measures 3 feet, 8 inches and has a Nash hydrofoil, the perfect combination for a flat day in New York.” 

A demo video captures Lenny riding further out in the ocean, with a boat providing some wake for added surfing antics.

Lenny performed an amazing feat this spring, riding 50 miles on his hydrofoil surfboard across the Alenuihāhā Channel — including some of Hawaii’s most dangerous waters. It stands as his longest and most impressive hydrofoil ride to date, and it was all for a good cause — to help clean up the Hawaiian islands.

Just a month ago, Kai Lenny tested his hydrofoil board on a river in Idaho, becoming the first hydrofoil river surfer in history. Adding to his already impressive résumé, the surfer also invented the hydrofoil boogie board by fixing a hydrofoil to a traditional boogie board so that he could stay in the water shortly after breaking his ankle. 

The athlete boasts quite the variety of water skills, including SUP surfing, big wave surfing, windsurfing, and kitesurfing — but his claim to fame is becoming more hydrofoil-centric as he travels the country and puts on surprising performances. 

A hydrofoil board is essentially a standard surfboard with a hydrofoil hull fixed underneath that causes the board to lift up out of the water. This feature allows surfers to glide above the waves, helps the board move faster, maintains momentum, and eliminates choppy conditions. Foilboards give surfers the unique opportunity to continuously navigate waves without having to get off and paddle.

Regardless of conditions, the surfer seems to be having a blast, and we can only wonder where he will head with his foilboard next.

Lenny continues to document his journeys on Instagram.

Update: Lenny recently took on a sailboat in his latest adventurous feat, as documented in a new video. 

Amanda Ellis
Amanda is an outdoor junkie and digital nomad with an insatiable hunger for gear. Based out of Raleigh, NC she travels to…
Aventon goes all in on smart security and connectivity on Level 3 commuter e-bike
Aventon Level 3 right profile with Queen Mary in the background.

Aventon invited me to a pre-launch press briefing on its new Level.3 commuter e-bike in Long Beach, California. The Level.3 has several significant upgrades from the Level.2, including increased range and an adjustable suspension seat post, but the greatest upgrade is the Aventon Control Unit (ACU).

The ACU is a proprietary technology that incorporates 4G, Bluetooth connectivity, and GPS tracking. It enables a host of security, convenience, and personalization features. The Level 3 isn't the first Aventon model with the ACU; the Abound SR utility and cargo e-bike was the initial ACU-equipped e-bike.

Read more
Anker Solix EverFrost 2 Giveaway (Winner Selected)
anker solix everfrost 2 electric cooler giveaway february 2025 1024a241 40be 4543 9e71 cf91899c8f33

Would you believe that Anker, an electronics brand that's known for its power banks, also has an electric cooler? Known as the Anker Solix EverFrost, it's the perfect companion for backyard parties and outdoor adventures. It's so good that it's getting a sequel in the form of the Anker Solix EverFrost 2, and you've got a chance to win one!

Anker's giveaway for the Anker Solix EverFrost 2 runs from February 27 to March 27, which means you've got a month to send in your entries. You're going to want to do so as early as you can just to make sure that you don't forget. There will be only one lucky winner of the all-new electric cooler, so we wish you the best of luck!

Read more
Aventon launches Abound LR super-cargo smart e-bike
Aventon Abound LR left rear three-quarter view facing Long Beach harbor.

Aventon announced the Abound LR e-bike, a longer alternative to the Abound SR and original Aventon Abound cargo e-bike lineup. During a pre-launch press briefing for the Abound LR in February, Aventon characterized the Abound SR as an all-purpose utility and cargo bike and the Abound LR as a cargo carrier for families and a possible replacement for a second car.

The new long-rack LR version shares the short-rack SR's technical and ACU-based smart features and most physical details, except length and weight. The Abound LR is 8 pounds heavier and 7.1 inches longer than the SR. The two new Abound models are similar to the Chevy Tahoe and Suburban, two other vehicles built for the same purpose; one's just longer.
Abound LR features and capabilities

Read more