Three questions with the aerospace engineer who helped make the eFoil happen

Jack W. Langelaan efoiling over Lake Ontario. 

The technology behind this revolutionary watersport took years of research and development, and an aerospace engineer is among those who made it happen. And yes, he's an avid electric hydrofoil surfer, too.

Several years before the first efoil product was released, Jack Langelaan, the Penn State University aerospace engineer, teamed up with Nick Leason, founder and CEO of Lift Foils (the first eFoil manufacturer and the only one in the United States) to enhance the perfect technological design to allow surfing above the water without wind or waves. (More information on that partnership). 

eFoil Over Erie had the opportunity to talk to Jack about his experience and insight with the technology, and here's what he had to say: 

1. Many people ask us, "How does it work?" What's the best, easiest way to explain this new technology? 

It is a battery-powered hydrofoil. A hydrofoil is a wing that “flies” underwater… it is a really cool device that reduces the power you need to travel over the water by a factor of three or four, so even a small motor can allow you to travel really fast. We can steer the hydrofoil by leaning, so controlling the foil is a really natural motion. We have a little hand controller with a trigger that controls the power going to the motor and a display that tells us how much energy is left in the battery. Combine it all together and you have something that lets you skim over the lake (or ocean)… it’s quiet enough that you can hear the other sounds of the lake while you explore.

2. In order for the whole system to function, it's not only about the motorized hydrofoil but also involves the advancement in lithium batteries and Bluetooth technology. Do you think we'll see even more of these types of technological advancements coming together to create new sports and adventures outside the water? 

In my day job I’m an aerospace engineer, so that’s where I see the big innovations. The improvements in battery technology are enabling battery-powered aircraft and giving much better performance for drones. In 2011, I was involved in a NASA competition called the Green Flight Challenge, where we demonstrated a battery-powered aircraft that could carry four people and fly 200 miles on a charge. Since then, battery technology has continued to improve, and now there are battery powered ultralight aircraft, battery-powered paramotors, and battery-powered aircraft for flight training. I have been riding a battery-powered skateboard to work… it is way more fun than driving!

3. You are an eFoiler as well. What's it like to personally enjoy a brand new sport that you helped create? 

It is great! The feeling you get when you lift out of the water and realize that you’re flying on a little wing is a huge rush. And it feels so smooth… you cut through the chop and the wakes of other boats and you barely feel it. It’s like snowboarding in deep powder

It has been really cool to see this go from an idea and a rough prototype to a beautifully designed and built product. Nick and his crew at Lift Foils have done an amazing job developing the technology and turning the sport into a user-friendly, exciting experience that we can enjoy in pretty much any body of water in the country… no waves needed!