Freedom Foil Boards is proud to officially introduce the newest member of the Pro team
Dane Wilson!
Learn more about Dane and his dedication to flight.
CHRIS SAYER:
Dane, we’re all stoked to have you join the FFB Team! I remember meeting you in La Ventana as we hired you to shoot us winging… When you weren’t behind the camera I saw you sneak in some quick sessions winging and I quickly realized that we needed a photographer to shoot our photographer haha! I have noticed that you’re foiling across all genres but especially winging has progressed pretty quickly! Fill us in on how long you have been foiling for and what your favorite genre is?
DANE WILSON:
It’s amazing to work with FFB behind, and now in front of, the camera. Stoked to be a part of this amazing company. Chris has been on the forefront of making foil boards for a long time and to now watch it blossom into this company that has taken over California is so cool. I’ve been riding FFB for a while now and have had a great experience with the boards. They look good, work well and the company provides a really wide range of products.
My current addiction is downwind SUP foiling. The ability to be fully self reliant with a foil, board and paddle is an amazing feeling. Riding waves, weightless out in the middle of the ocean is so freeing. The struggle of figuring it out is also half the fun. I’ve been learning Downwinding for just about two years now and am more addicted to it than ever! I even entered my first big downwind race.
CHRIS SAYER:
Most may not know that you have an extensive pedigree in sailing. Can you tell us a little about that? I would imagine that understanding how to read the wind was beneficial to you picking up winging so quickly?
DANE WILSON:
I grew up sailing all kinds of boats and ended up teaming up with my brother Quinn, representing the US at Youth Worlds, then evolved to Olympic sailing in the 49er class. It was all a remarkable experience, but also really intense. After the grind of that, I switched to formula kite racing for something new. Foil racing taught me a lot about control of the foil. Soon after I realized that enjoying time on the water was more my style, rather than speeding over it, so I switched to foil surfing, and the addiction began. I grabbed any foil I could get my hands on, progressing within the little Ventura foil community that was really supportive. I then got my hands on a wing and became obsessed with that, searching for waves and downwinds. It all lead to downwind foiling, which combines my love of racing, the ocean and wind, all together into one insane sport. I’m super lucky to have Freedom designing my boards for this ever progressing sport. They understand the need to be quick and innovative, and they welcome the change.
CHRIS SAYER:
You and your brother Quinn run @saltybrother on Instagram. You two seem to have a great relationship sharing a business and a sweet adventure sprinter van. You guys always seem to be on the road traveling, foiling and capturing all the fun with your video edits. Do you guys have any trips planned for this summer?
DANE WILSON:
We do have the Salty Van! It’s something we had wanted for a while. And once we got it, it changed our lives. We can throw all of our camera gear, foils and whatever else we need inside, hit the road and find adventure. Our plans are constantly changing depending on our desire to travel, work and foil. We have tentative plans for Hood River this summer and Baja in the winter.
CHRIS SAYER:
I know we have yourself, Brady and Cole entering the Molokai 2 Oahu downwind race this July! You and I spent some time designing a custom Dagger for the race. How’s the board working and tell us what you are doing to prepare for the race? Have you done any other downwind races that compare to this one?
DANE WILSON:
I entered the race! It’s my first big downwind race and one of the gnarliest races around. I am currently in Brazil training and so, sadly, I haven’t been able to try the new board. I’m preparing for the race down here in Brazil as there’s endless wind and shuttles so downwinding every day is super efficient. For training, I’ve sort of reinvigorated my Olympic campaigning roots, getting as many reps downwinding as possible, eating well, running and trying to tick off all the boxes of organization so that the event goes smoothly. The whole downwinding racing scene is pretty new so kind of hard to tell what the competition is going to be like. I will be stoked if I can put my race together with as few mistakes as possible and linking waves together to go fast. Where I finish is where I finish. I’m super excited and a little nervous, but stoked to have this FFB downwind weapon under my feet.
CHRIS SAYER:
The equipment in foiling is always changing to keep up with the progression of the sport. Where do you see the sport going from here and what changes do you envision in our gear to make sure Freedom stays ahead of the curve?
DANE WILSON:
That is an impossible question! Two years ago I would never have guessed it would have progressed to where it is now. And, in two more years it will have changed that much more again. I believe we are just entering foiling’s golden years. The riders will get better, there will be longer and bigger crossings, and people will be surfing crazier waves, and new ideas will come out of nowhere. The level is ramping up quickly. My take is that as long as the gear companies have open minds they’ll not only keep up with the trends, but be a big part of its evolution. FFB being the first to provide production downwind boards is so good for the sport and exactly what the sport needed to continue its progression. Everyone is desperate to get their hands on DW boards! I’m excited to see what the future holds and really stoked to be a part of the FFB team and keeping our eyes forward! The best is yet to come!
