Thank you for posting this, interesting stuff! They seem to be a bit light on info related to kiting. I would guess many of their members are into boat towed foil riding anyway.
From:
http://www.fksa.org/showthread.php?t=11
Here is a shot from a presentation Elliot Leboe made in Miami at Waterplay in 2004. He was introducing the new at the time, Cabrinha foil board out of Maui. It is interesting to note that the board required the use of snowboard boots and clicker bindings for sufficient ankle support to be able to ride the board. Because of the weight, bulk and cumbersome nature of this, the rider had to wear a substantial PFD. Elliot also rigged a quick release line between the binding releases on the clickers. Primitive and nothing to take lightly going on the water with. If you lost your PFD and couldn't get out of the boots fast enough you could well drown!
All this makes the next development so important for kiting applications. No more snowboard boots and heavy PFDs required.
The Carafino boards came out a few years later in 2007 to 2008. You could use normal foot straps with these boards, what a quantum leap forward for kiters using foilboards.
http://carafinohydrofoilboard.com/
How many folks out there have used these?
There are still more odd historical images of hydrofoil craft, some follow, at the link below:
We used to have three of these in Port Everglades providing ferry service to the Bahamas.
More at:
http://www.worldsstrangest.com/drb/t...of-hydrofoils/
.