Lake Constance: This is what lies behind the trend sport pump foiling

It’s an unusual place for surfing: the trade fair lake in Friedrichshafen. No waves, not particularly big, and a stiff breeze doesn’t make it through the surrounding trees. And yet surf influencer Ben Beholz is on his board for the press tour before the start of the Interboot and happily does his laps through the water in front of the trade fair entrance.

Surfing without wind

This is possible with the trendy sport of pump foiling. “The possibilities are endless. “You can do it anywhere,” says Ben Beholz. What is special about this type of surfing is that you really only need water under the board. Everything else is done by technique and your own muscles. You don’t need wind.

“With the board you can basically trick gravity,” says Ben Beholz, explaining how it works. A wing is attached under the board, a so-called hydrofoil. This dips under the water surface when surfing and then pushes the board so high that it not only glides over the water, but quickly flies.

However, this does not work completely automatically with pump foiling. The “pump” means that the person on the board has to pump their legs properly in order not to sink. This pumping is what keeps the board above water and moving forward – even without wind.

A lot of work before you can “fly”

However, according to the influencer, it takes a lot of patience and dedication to be able to do this: “Learning the technique is very difficult. It takes a long time to get the hang of it. You have to approach it like you would in the gym. Train every day and have a high tolerance for frustration.” When Beholz himself started the then new sport about four years ago, it took him about a month to manage ten meters in one go before he and his board dived. But all the effort is worth it for the fun if you can do it right, he continues.

Getting into the water is particularly complicated: “The start is the crucial point if you want to learn it.” The exercise that Ben Beholz demonstrates on the exhibition lake looks like a skateboarder trying to get onto his board from a run. Here, as part of the Interboot water sports trade fair, he wants to show visitors in taster courses what pump foiling is all about, along with other types of surfing. “I always say it’s like Captain Jack Sparrow in the first ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ film, who comes into the harbor on his sinking boat,” says Beholz, laughing after he has demonstrated the ideal start.

Basically, the lighter the person, the easier it is to learn pump foiling. At around 90 kilograms, he himself is not ideally built for the sport. “Anyone who stays above water for a really long time is usually very light.” The best even manage to stay above water for several hours.

Interboot 2024The water sports trade fair Interboot will take place from September 25th to 29th in Friedrichshafen. In 2024, the duration will be reduced from nine days to just five days. According to project manager Felix Klarmann from Messe Friedrichshafen, the reason was that a survey of exhibitors showed a desire for a shortened trade fair. 346 exhibitors and companies are taking part in the Interboot – about the same number as last year, says Klarmann. Together with the diving trade fair Interdive, which begins on Thursday, September 26th, eight halls will still be used in part.

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For inexperienced surfers who want to start foil surfing, Ben Beholz recommends courses that are now offered in many surf schools around Lake Constance, where windsurfing is also offered. This is mainly because beginners often switch to smaller boards as they gain experience, so they don’t have to buy the equipment themselves.

“Wing foiling, on the other hand, is quicker to access than pump foiling,” says Ben Beholz. He has noticed that many windsurfers are switching to the new trend. Wing foiling is not possible without wind, but the light breeze that blows over the exhibition lake is enough for Beholz. He still has to work a little with his legs, the rest is done by the wing that Beholz holds above his head. The speed of the foil pushes the board upwards. “Wing foiling is easy to learn because you can approach it step by step.” First with a normal board, then the hydrofoil is added under water. “You can already experience success on the first day.”