The Voyager Foilers with Simeon Ke-Peloma
Issue 12 / Wed 25th May, 2022
The Voyager Foilers are a group of prone downwinders in Hawai’i that share their epic sport via Instagram. They’ve inspired many foilers around the world to get into downwinding. Jack Galloway chats to Simeon Ke-Paloma to learn all about the crew and what they get up to.
The Voyager Foilers are a group of prone downwinders in Hawai’i that share their epic sport via Instagram. They’ve inspired many foilers around the world, myself included, to take up the exciting new discipline of prone downwinding. The key thing to note, is that if you fall off you can’t just pop up, you have to swim to the nearest breaking wave. Which in some cases is a 45 minute paddle in shark infested waters…
We chat to Simeon, who started the Instagram page, about the infamous Voyagers.
Hey Simeon, It’s great to have you in the mag! We’re excited to find out more about you and the infamous Voyager Foilers. Could you start by telling our readers a little bit about yourself and your background in outrigger canoe downwinding?
Being born and raised in Hawaii, I was fortunate to have grown up in and amongst the ocean immersing myself in ocean sports since I was young. My love for the ocean took a turn in middle school when I started surfing more frequently and consistently with friends. I also began canoe paddling around the same time which kept me on the hook till I was a young adult when we start competing in open ocean long-distance races. As a young adult, I was able to be groomed and mentored by some of Hawaii's top paddle sports athletes. This included my dad, I then dedicated most of my free time to learning how to improve as a canoe paddler with strength, technique, and experience in the open ocean navigating the waters and bumps. Canoe paddling was one of the unique sports where you could compensate with proper technique and navigating skills and be successful, which lured me into learning about the open ocean. I became fixated on navigating and would go on long paddles in the open ocean, on all sides of the island, in all conditions and winds, in order to expand my skill set for reading the ocean with ease and efficiency. After several years of immersing myself, I was able to break into the highly competitive elite echelon of canoe paddlers in Hawaii.
Wow, sounds like an incredible experience. Word on the street is that you were one of the first prone downwinders? Can you tell us about those early days? Where did the idea come from?
I wasn't the first prone downwinder, there was a downwind scene on Maui, North Shore Oahu, and South Shore Oahu early on. By the time I got into foiling, I had to catch up on my foiling skills before joining Jack Ho, Adam Ayers, and Scotty Mcnally (@foilwizard). I started about a month after those guys, as I saw them do their first Kaikos run, which is our local coastal run which is approximately 3 miles of unassisted prone downwinding. But being an avid navigator and paddler for the last 15 years or so paddling outrigger canoes, I saw the great potential for the new sport, because I was able to speak a language that some of the best foilers in the world at that time, were fascinated with learning. As i watched those guys compensate for their downwinding with their foiling skills and abilities, I knew that there would be huge growth as they would learn how to properly navigate and read bumps efficiently. In the meantime, I was able to get my skills up on foil, and soon enough I joined them and a small group of 4 of us has influenced a considerable and sizeable downwinding community here on Oahu. On a windy day these days, we can expect to see approximately 40 different prone foilers throughout the day voyaging down the coast, and that number is still growing.
That's awesome. Is the risk of falling far away from the shore or a chip-in all part of the fun? Have you had any long swims?
Yes, entirely. There's nothing that simulates that feeling. In my opinion, going unassisted prone downwind foiling enhances your adrenaline, focus, anxiety, flow state, and concentration like no other. It's one of the purest forms and feelings I've ever experienced. You can hear your breath, your thoughts, you can hear your pulse, you can hear the ocean, it's the most beautiful white noise. I think its the consequence of falling that locks you into this critical mindset, because I've gone off the jetski with the jetski following, and it's fun but you almost get bored in a sense; you don't get that heightened sense of focus, concentration, flow state, and anxiety.
I have and we all have had shockers as we call it, or long swims. It's totally normal, it's a part of the process, and it's necessary to improve. The entire time you're paddling in you have nothing to think about but your mistake, and ill tell you it's a good lesson learned, LOL.
I can imagine! I’ve heard there is more to the term ‘Voyager’ than meets the eye, can you explain its origins?
The word voyage or voyaging holds really strong significance here in Hawaii. Our Hawaiian ancestors are some of the best navigators in the world, being that they traversed the pacific ocean in wooden sailing canoes, using celestial navigation. There's been a modern resurgence/renaissance of Polynesian voyaging canoes and it's fascinating as they have been discovering to learn and sail in the old way, they have explored how the old ways and techniques exemplify some of the most logical, technical, knowledgeable and wise methodologies that would surpass anyone's expectations. When I came up with Voyager Foiler, I had that in mind. Our ancestors and how they are navigators and true voyagers because they knew the open ocean as master navigators. I saw the raw and exciting potential in this new sport of surf hydrofoiling and the blend of the ancient practice of navigating. Almost like an ancient future.
That's seriously inspiring stuff Sim. So, what does it take to make the ‘A Team’?
Haha, the A-team! One of the things that have developed with no intention. To me, anyone that tries or gets into downwinding, or makes connections down the coast, or stomps the whole thing out in one shot is a voyager, which is an admirable accomplishment in itself. As we started becoming fascinated with downwind foiling early on, we started a group text message thread so we could coordinate the Kaikos run when we had wind and favorable conditions to go together. Over time and as the more frequent we would go, we would encounter, encourage or influence other voyagers out there so they were added to our group chat. And sure enough, we met our maximum capacity on a group chat, so at some point, as we were growing and getting close to that number, we had to make sure the individual met some qualifications.
Here in the UK, foiling already feels like a super sociable & supportive sport, particularly when compared with surfing. What’s the foiling community like on O’ahu?
Yes, it's amazing. Foiling is one of the most supportive sports I have ever been a part of. I think it's because we understand the struggles and failures of the harsh learning curve, so when we see someone learning, we can relate and have an instant connection and yearning to help them and encourage them. Even the learning stages are so exciting, being able to catch a wave, being able to learn how to pump and connect waves, being able to rip turns as if you're surfing, when you see someone encounter those stages you have nothing but stoke and excitement for them. So imagine that stoke process, but for downwinding. That's why the downwind foil community is so strong and bonded because it's the foilers who took the extra step, the extra humbling that we all can acknowledge and relate to and completely welcome and encourage.
It’s super cool what you guys are doing via Instagram, sharing all of your adventures. What inspired you to start doing it?
I just remember when I first saw Jack, Adam and Scotty do it, how amazing it was and how much potential it had, I needed to document it and take video, There was nothing like it at the time, especially unassisted prone downwind foiling, only using a wave to chipshot. It has been cool to see everyone's styles evolve and change over the years and it's cool because if you look at the old videos compared to the new ones we have, you definitely can see the growth and evolution in equipment and everyone's skills.
How’s your progression in downwind SUP foiling? Do you think that’s the future, or will prone still have its place?
Prone will always have a place. in my opinion sup foiling just unlocks new doors. It allows you to encounter longer and more adventurous runs without the obstacle of potentially falling and not having a way to get back up onto foil. You also ride differently prone and SUP. The prone can be more enjoyable in the sense you apply surfing lines out there in the ocean, whereas the SUP being a larger board, you have different sensations, and it focuses your experience in a more voyaging sense; meaning you're just concentrating on efficiency and bump reading. Also with the SUP, there's a greater sense of accomplishment and satisfaction because the skill of paddling into a bump is an intense learning curve in itself. You also enjoy your voyaging with less anxiety compared to prone foiling. You still have that element of consequence as you don't want to fall because you respect the fact of how difficult paddling into a bump can be.
The video of you beach starting at Waikiki is so sick! Got any tips for us on the beach start?
If you truly want to beach start, you will. It's one of the most difficult skills in foiling. You just have to try and try and try again. When we learned, everyone fails and struggles and puts hours into it, but eventually, if you're committed enough you'll crack through and breakthrough. It's a mental thing for sure. Beach starting is difficult because you need the right area, you need to learn how to activate the wing while you run, figure out your technique, trust the jumping, nail your foot placement, and trust the glide and pump to continue once you get onto your board. There are so many variables that all need to come into play to get a successful beach start. That's why it's one of the toughest skills and most rewarding.
Thanks so much for joining us!
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By Jack Galloway
