INBOUND: Stoke Foil Boost

No resting on laurels over at Stoke Foil HQ, as the team release two new technically advanced additions to the Boost setup that’s gonna make your Stoke Foil assisted experience even more responsive… and even more fun.

Hey guys. Talk to us first about the new mechanism in the remote. Can you explain how the adjustable throttle sensitivity works, and how this benefits riders?

As our remote has been purpose designed for a wide range of foiling activities (and not just a repurposed skateboard/eFoil remote), we have listened to rider feedback and completely redesigned it to be thinner, lighter and most importantly to be highly ergonomic when held in the hand. This is especially important when popping up onto a prone foil board. The whole remote design is now omni directional and is equally comfortable when used in a pistol style grip or flipped over and used with thumb control. To minimize the remote’s size we’ve separated the mount for attaching it to a wing or paddle handle into a removable component. The remote trigger has been completely redesigned in shape, location and action. The trigger mechanism now works via a torsion spring making the remote more robust and it has an improved trigger action, movement range and feel. We’ve also added rider selectable settings to the remote’s software so that responsiveness can be set based on rider preference, experience and activity. The new round brighter screen not only looks great, but the display is also easy to read in sunlight and the information layout is improved to tell you everything you need at a glance. The new tactile button design is great for wet fingers and we’ve added a fifth totally customizable power level so the rider can have exactly the thrust they need depending on their weight and equipment.  

What is the role of the configurable throttle safety lock timer, and how does it work? 

We always prioritize rider safety and our unique trigger safety lock is a great example of this. After a configurable period of inactivity, the remote software automatically locks the remote and requires a short pull on the trigger to unlock the remote ready for use. This is another customizable feature making the whole experience tailorable to individual preferences. Experienced riders might want to extend the time until the lock engages to be ready for an incoming wave or bump. Similarly, novice users might want this lock to engage quicker to provide more peace of mind. 

How does the Series 2 Remote maintain a reliable connection with the Receiver in varying water conditions, and are there any environmental factors (or otherwise) that can impact performance? 

The remote has brand-new electronics based on the latest in communications technology and chipsets. It provides a transmission signal that is over 150% stronger and has intelligent software to cope with short interruptions to the signal such as when a wave passes over the board. As the remote is designed to work with a wide variety of foiling equipment, from prone boards to winging through to foiling dinghies, we needed to ensure industry leading connectivity as the foundation to providing consistent and reliable motor control. Water is very hard to transmit through, especially salt water, but if at least part of your board is near the surface then the remote will function seamlessly. We’ve also designed the remote for prone foiling so that the motor can maintain power even if the remote is briefly submerged during a swimming stroke.

What inspired the new remote design? And is there anyone who should be name-checked for this? 

Our original remote was a world first. We set out to design a remote specifically for foiling, and importantly to have it easily attach directly to a wing or a paddle. It worked incredibly well, but we’ve been learning and weren’t happy to just rest on our laurels, so we went to work and have improved the remote in almost every way! With close to two years’ worth of rider feedback, countless design iterations and extensive testing, we’ve created the only remote you’ll ever need for any foiling activity. It’s been designed by foilers for foilers.

Onto the new Stoke Series 2 Receiver – can this be used with all types of boards, including those made from carbon fiber? 

We’ve designed our new receiver to work on every single board without having the customer needing to buy additional aerials or parts. Our receiver’s clever design with its antenna located right up inside the board foil track, along with the improvements that we’ve made in our electronics and signal strength mean that as an under-board receiver it works brilliantly with most boards. It even works with some boards that our previous under-board receiver couldn’t quite. That said however, full carbon foil tracks can still pose connectivity issues, which is why we’ve designed and included a sleek mount for use on top of a board that the receiver slides into. The amount of cable stored inside the receiver has been also increased, allowing you to mount the drive unit at any height on the mast and still utilize the receiver either under or on top of your board. No matter what board you ride this receiver will work. We wanted to take the guessing game and extra cost of additional aerials out of the picture. 

How does the Receiver improve performance and how easy is the installation process? 

Installation follows the same quick and easy installation ethos of all Stoke products, and takes literally 30 seconds. The thin connection cable runs up the mast, secured via simple silicone rubber straps and then the receiver is attached via a single bolt into a foil track T-nut. If you are using the receiver mounted on the top of the board then there are supplied adhesive cable guides to keep everything neat, tidy and hydrodynamic.  

For receiver performance, crisp and reliable throttle response is guaranteed from the improved signal connectivity and if you’re on a small prone board then you can have even more water above the board without worry while waiting for your wave choice. For additional piece of mind, if the receiver ever somehow gets damaged, it can be replaced via a quick single plug. Our online help center via our website has all the video tutorials and if needed, we’re ready to chat through any questions.

And finally, anything else in the pipeline from Stoke crew?! 

The team at Stoke are constantly innovating and we’re not scared to take a different approach to others to design and build the best performing products. As foiling evolves, our equipment is being used in increasingly diverse ways, so if the riders want it, we’ll create it!