"Foiling is the future," says Florian Gruber

It’s done and dusted. German kite racer Florian Gruber has put an end to his Raceboard career in kiteboarding after finishing his fourth participation in the Sailing World Cup Melbourne.

“Foiling is the future. It’s the fastest thing on the water. Let’s see what the decision is for the 2020 Olympics. If it’s the race board, I’ll be back in Melbourne on a race board,” reveals Gruber.

“I always enjoy the Australian lifestyle, pretty relaxed and super friendly people, and I always have a great experience at this event.”

The Melbourne competition was a walk in the park for Florian Gruber. He ended up winning 14 out of 17 races, and it was probably the easiest gold medal of his career. Silver went to Martin Dolenc, and Ric Black won bronze.

Gruber will now return to Germany to help on the development of hydrofoils with Kite Foil Australia and Ozone. “The Formula Board is a great discipline. The foils are the future. They have more speed, more efficient on the upwind and downwind,” he concluded.