The hydrofoil has long been a contentious development in surfing.
Whether it’s due to foilers taking over lineups, leaving traditional surfers left in the dust, or it’s the guillotine nature of the deathly foil wing, the surf novelty has seen no shortage of controversy. And yet, even some of the world’s best have caught the foil bug over the past few years, riding them on occasion, soaring above the water.
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Below, you’ll find a video example of where the debate stems from – a foil surfer taking on friendly fire from another foiler, and nearly being chopped in half.
The video comes from Oscar Triana, and appears to show a session at Chicama, Peru – often called the “world’s longest wave,” yet mostly a mushburger. Perfect for the foiling crowd. Triana experiences a collision with a fellow foiler, with the other’s board striking him with the blade in the gut. Miraculously, he came out unscathed.
“Close call in the wave party with my friend,” he wrote. “After having fun with 10 waves together I tried take his board but he saved it with his leash. All good, [not] any person, board or foil was damaged in this scene.”
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Related: Foil Surfer Dies After Shark Attack ‘Mutilation’ in New Caledonia
Elsewhere, when reposted on the endlessly entertaining KookSlams account, the video garnered many comments on the merits of foiling. And also, a guillotine gif.
It wasn’t too long ago that, within Orange County, CA, surfers were petitioning to ban hydrofoils from specific surf spots, due to the dangers they pose. The plea, which stemmed from Seal Beach Jetty, included the following:
“When I see a foil board(er), I feel sick to my stomach. I feel super uncomfortable when a foil board comes close to me or any other vulnerable surfer. I would hate to have to deal with a foil slicing me open; a fatal accident due to lack of skill/control.”
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Related: Mark Zuckerberg Hydrofoil Surfs XL Wave (Video)
Thoughts on foil surfers mingling with regular surfers?
This story was originally published by Surfer on Mar 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Surfer as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
