Armstrong Foils backs Foil Surf Race League’s three-stop U.S. tour

Armstrong Foils did more than put its name on a tour. By backing the Foil Surf Race League’s three-stop U.S. schedule, it gave foil riders a clearer pathway from local sessions to a structured national circuit, with racing, freestyle and demo opportunities folded into the same calendar.

That matters in a league that started in 2020, when Brian Grubb and Billy Bosch set out to stage the first professional foil competition in the United States. FSRL said the format has since scaled fast, growing from 20 riders in its first year to 90 competitors in 2025. The league’s 2025 run also added a Pensacola Beach stop tied to Foiling Week and introduced the Foil Assist division, showing how quickly the event structure has expanded beyond a single surf-race template.

The 2026 tour opened at the flagship Cocoa Beach stop, March 6-8 at Shepard Park in Cocoa Beach, Florida, with event activity centered around Good Breeze. Registration closed Thursday, March 5, at 9:00 p.m. Friday brought sponsor demo day from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., a shop party from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and a hard check-in deadline of 6:00 p.m. Saturday’s races ran from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., followed by an evening after-party and raffle drawing. Sunday was reserved for expression sessions from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with awards set for 4:30 p.m. on the beach.

For riders, the value of the schedule was in its range. The surf race used a Le Mans-style beach start and a surf-race lap pattern, with leashes required, helmets strongly recommended, board straps banned and motorized propulsion forbidden in the standard race. The Expression Session opened the door to strapped, strapless and foil-assist categories, with a three-judge panel scoring tricks or wave riding depending on the class. Wake Freestyle gave riders two passes and scored creativity, difficulty, execution and style. The 1v1 Pump Race added a head-to-head, PWC-assisted format that could be run in ocean or freshwater.

Armstrong’s broader demo-day push fit that same logic. Riders could try the latest gear and ride alongside pro team riders at select locations, turning each stop into both a race meet and a product test. With more than $10,000 in prize money on offer, the tour gave amateur riders a reason to enter, local scenes a reason to gather, and the sport a repeatable domestic model that can grow without forcing every event into the same mold.