Hampton eFoil riders raise thousands for food bank with 19-mile bay crossing

Falling is part of the story in foil surfing, and Patrick Devine and Jason Brown built that reality into a fundraiser that used a 19-mile eFoil crossing to make the sport look less intimidating and more accessible. The Green Wave Watersports co-owners rode from Buckroe Beach in Hampton to Kiptopeke State Park across the Chesapeake Bay, then tied the feat to “Failing for Food,” a campaign designed to show that getting up after a wipeout can be part of learning the sport, not a reason to stay away from it.

The pair asked for $19 donations and set an initial goal of $1,900. By Wednesday morning, the total had climbed to about $2,600, which Virginia Peninsula Foodbank Chief Development Officer Craig Gallaer said was the equivalent of about 7,000 meals. Devine said he hoped the effort could reach $3,333.34, a level he said would translate to 10,000 meals. Donations were scheduled to be collected through Memorial Day weekend, giving the ride a broader payoff than the crossing itself.

That larger need is what gives the stunt its edge. Virginia Peninsula Foodbank said more than 71,000 people on the Peninsula were food insecure in 2026, up 10,000 from 2025, and the organization said the pressure rises in summer as donations typically decline. The food bank serves Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg, James City County, Gloucester, Mathews, York, Poquoson and Surry, and says every dollar donated can provide the equivalent of three healthy meals.

Devine and Brown bring local credibility to the effort. George Mason University identifies Brown as a 2002 sport management graduate and Devine as a 2007 graduate, and says both are Hampton Roads natives. The university also describes Green Wave Watersports as the first and only business offering eFoil boarding lessons at Buckroe Beach, a detail that makes the fundraiser feel less like a one-off spectacle and more like part of a small but growing water-sports footprint on the Peninsula. Green Wave lists its Hampton address at 100 S. First Street, Hampton, VA 23664.

The real value of the crossing may be what comes next. By tying a 19-mile endurance ride to a $19 ask, Devine and Brown gave newcomers a clear on-ramp into a niche sport that can look technical and expensive from shore. If they turn “Failing for Food” into an annual event, it could become a model for beginner-friendly community sessions, demo days and club outreach, using public-facing challenge to demystify eFoils while keeping the focus on access, not just performance.