I met the founder of Swiss brand Indiana at the «boot» water sports trade fair. A true enthusiast of every board sport, Maurus Strobel is like a fish to water whether it’s skateboarding, paddle boarding or pump foiling. Find out what he thinks about the future of foiling as a trend sport in Switzerland.
We’re at the Indiana stand at the international «boot» water sports show in Düsseldorf. Why did you decide to exhibit here? We just knew we had to be here; it’s where the whole board sports scene congregates. Networking with athletes, customers and bloggers is particularly exciting. Our team riders take part in world cup competitions on site and also answer questions from visitors and other water sports enthusiasts.
You’ve been involved in foiling for a number of years. Why have you focused on this? We want to invest in the future. For us, foiling includes pump foiling, wing foiling and downwind foiling. We’ve been prioritising this and seeing a great deal of interest.
Research diver, outdoor guide and SUP instructor – I love being in, on and around water. Lakes, rivers and the ocean are my playgrounds. For a change of perspective, I look at the world from above while trail running or flying drones.
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The Indiana Paddle & Surf brand has anchored itself on the Swiss water sports scene for years. Founder Maurus Strobel can often be found out on the water himself. Sometimes on a surfboard, other times on an SUP or wakeboard. In recent years, he’s become a big fan of the latest trend sport, foiling, and has been spending more time out on his hydrofoil. In this interview, he explains why he’s fascinated by the sport and where he thinks it’s heading.
Maurus, you’re the founder and CEO of Indiana Paddle & Surf. Can you briefly introduce yourself and your company? Even when I was little, I was fascinated by board sports. Starting with skateboarding, then snowboarding, windsurfing, surfing and kite surfing. I’ve been a fan of foiling for a good few years now. Workwise, I studied to become a sports teacher at the ETH university in Zurich and then went on to a career in events and PR. Since 2017, I’ve been working purely for the Indiana Paddle & Surf brand that we launched in 2010. We only develop and sell products we enjoy ourselves, which includes inflatable and carbon SUPs, surfboards and foils as well as foilboards.
Indiana CEO Maurus spends a lot of time on the water and the waves himself. Source: Maurus Strobel
Maurus with Indiana pump foil boards at the «boot» trade fair. Source: Siri Schubert
In your opinion, where’s foiling headed? People have known about foiling for about ten years, since the America’s Cup when the racing yachts took off on hydrofoils. Then there was the new Olympic windsurfing class iQFoil at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Kitefoiling has also been around for years, with the Olympic Games putting it on the radar. Internationally speaking, wing foiling is growing the fastest, while Switzerland is a hotspot for pump foiling. Across all of these disciplines, you can see the level of riders and product performance increasing rapidly.
The hydrofoil, better known as a foil, is a lifting surface under the water. In theory, it works like an aeroplane wing. As the front wing is curved, water flows more slowly over the upper part and quicker under the lower. The difference in pressure creates buoyancy, which lifts riders out of the water. Foiling requires a certain speed, which you achieve by pump foiling. As the name suggests, this requires the sport’s characteristic pumping movement, reminiscent of squats and involving a rhythmic alternation of pressure and easing off with forward movement.
Indiana used to be best known for SUPs. Do you think foiling will replace paddling boarding? Almost anyone who can stand and swim can have a go at paddle boarding. Foiling is much more difficult. While wing foiling (foiling and holding an inflatable sail) is still comparatively easy, pump foiling is much more demanding in terms of athleticism. And stamina. It takes a bit of bite to get through the first 500 attempts, which usually end after a few metres in the water.
Are there enough athletes who can hack that? For sure. The market isn’t as big as it is for paddle boarding, but we predict great potential. In Switzerland in particular, there are a lot of sporty people who ski, snowboard or skateboard, as well as surfers and track and field athletes who’re interested in this new sport. We don’t have access to a sea in Switzerland and the wind conditions are just so-so. But pump foiling is a sport that you can do at any time, day or night, summer or winter. You’re not reliant on anything or anyone, and it delivers the ideal combination of adrenaline and fitness, a promising mix. That’s why we’re investing in this young sport.
The first pump foilers took to Swiss lakes about five years ago. What’s happened since then? We’re seeing enormous progress in terms of materials. The boards and foils are becoming more rigid and manoeuvrable as well as lighter and faster. With the support of our development team and engineers and, of course, computer-aided modelling, we contributed to these changes and in some cases also propelled them forward. The leap in performance from year to year is remarkable. This isn’t possible in other sports, such as paddle boarding, but development is rapid when it comes to foiling.
What are the most exciting topics in this industry at the moment? Pump foiling will be even more about speed, as you can see from the races in this discipline. Downwind foiling, the sport that’s still least known here, is also on the up. In fact, we’re developing new boards that are longer and narrower than those used for wing foiling. The overall aim is to optimise speed, gliding periods and turning ability. In other words, making them faster as well as more agile and responsive.
Competitions, such as the world cup race at the «boot» trade fair, demand speed and agility. Source: Indiana Paddle Surf
Indiana has a very successful team, including world record holder Nicolas Iten and world cup winner Sarah Spalinger. How important do you consider the team? Incredibly. It’s the athletes who use our equipment and show what’s possible and how far you can push it. What’s great is that they specialise in different disciplines. In Fuerteventura, we have two athletes who’re really strong in wing foiling, but also good at surfing, freestyle and downwind foiling. Similarly, we have successful foilers in Germany, Austria, France, Italy and mainland Spain.
Not everyone is at this level. What tips would you give to people interested in giving foiling a try? It’s worth taking lessons, either from clubs, schools or private individuals. You can’t go wrong by doing that, you’ll be in the right place to get the appropriate kit and do the correct preparatory exercises. It’s a fun way to get the hang of the sport quickly with less risk of getting injured. By quickly, I mean after about 500 attempts. You sometimes feel like you’ve cracked it part way through. At times, you’ve got the hang of it and the next moment it’s not going great at all. You have to be prepared for a flat learning curve. I’d be lying to claim otherwise. Because if you expect to learn it in an afternoon, you’ll only be frustrated.
Paddle boarding has come under criticism in the past because people haven’t looked up the rules, flouted nature conservation and endangered themselves as well as others. Do you see a similar problem with foiling? There are parallels. Those with no previous experience of water sports should, of course, get clued up about the dangers, rules and correct way to behave on the water. Our community’s code of conduct is a new addition that I very much welcome. Pump foilers can sign it to show they’re familiar with the rules on safety and nature conservation and that they’re willing to follow them.
