Adam Bennetts showcases stylish foil surfing in near-perfect empty waves

Adam Bennetts made a nearly empty little point break look soft, but the ease was the product of elite judgment, not low difficulty. In the clip highlighted by The Inertia, the Australian prone foiler flowed through the waves with the kind of control that hides the hard part: choosing the right line, staying in the pocket, and never letting the foil run away from him.

What stands out is how deliberately Bennetts uses open water. He told The Inertia he looks for waves with no one out because it gives him room to move and lets him surf more like he would on a standard board. That matters in foiling more than it does in most surf disciplines. A crowded lineup forces hesitation. Bennetts thrives on the opposite, using the blank space around him to draw cleaner, longer lines and keep his speed in check instead of scrambling to avoid collisions.

That is why the clip works as a reminder that style in foiling is not just about looking smooth. It is about reading the wave early enough to make the right first move, then controlling speed so the ride never gets messy. Bennetts is not just gliding; he is managing every part of the wave face, which is what separates stylish flow from the wild, overcooked version of foiling that can look out of control in lesser hands.

The emptier the wave, the more that skill shows. Bennetts said he would love the chance to foil iconic spots such as Bells Beach, Jeffreys Bay, and Snapper Rocks with no one out, a wish that says plenty about how he sees the sport. He is not chasing hype or crowds. He is chasing the room to express the wave like a surfer, only higher and faster.

His path to that point has been decisive. Foiling Magazine described him as one of the most stylish prone foilers in the world and said he first got properly hooked after a session in early 2019, then bought a foil the next day. Bennetts said he had not ridden a surfboard since late February or early March 2019. Fliteboard says he grew up surfing on the Gold Coast, turned pro at 18, and was introduced to prone foiling by his brother in 2018. He also remembers a Wategos session in Byron Bay where he stayed on foil for more than an hour because the swell and wind created unusual convex waves.

The broader context helps explain the moment. Foiling’s modern rise accelerated after a viral Kai Lenny video in 2016, and the sport has since grown into something bigger, along with ongoing debates about etiquette and safety in crowded lineups. Bennetts sits right in the middle of that tension: a rider whose best work only looks easy because he has already solved the hardest part.