Foil Fest 2026 — Josh Ku Takes the Kruzer V2 to the Podium
Foil Fest Australia 2026 once again proved why it has become one of the biggest surf foil events in the world. Held on the Mid North Coast of NSW, the event brought together over 120 riders from across Australia for a weekend of surf foiling, foil assist competition, demos, movies, and community catchups.
Among the standout performances was team rider Josh Ku, who took 2nd place in the Men’s Prone Division riding the new Amos Shapes Kruzer V2 — a board he has helped co-design and refine over the past months.
We caught up with Josh after the event to talk competition, board design, and how the Kruzer V2 performed under pressure...
Take us back to Foil Fest Australia 2026 — you came 2nd in the Men’s Prone Division. Walk us through that day. What were the conditions like and what was going through your head in those final heats?
“So Foil Fest was an incredible event this year. We had over 120 people attend with 60 people in the prone competition and 60 in the foil assist. People from all over Australia were there to compete in Australia’s and potentially the world’s - largest surf foil event.
Waves were perfect for the comp, knee to head-high rollers that were similar to a Mexican point break. We had heats, quarters, semis and then finals - all stacked with six people in each heat.
I’ve been working really hard on my surf foiling, adding airs to my repertoire. Canning Mason was on fire with his beautiful surf style attacking the lip and Adam Bennets, as usual, was flowing perfectly through the sections.”
You’ve co-designed the Kruzer V2 from the ground up. When you’re competing at that level, what specific design elements of the board are you leaning on hardest - and did anything about how it performed surprise you at the event?
“So with doing airs in foiling, I find it critical to have that longer mid-length design for an easy landing and planing onto foil again.
The board, as usual, catches plenty of waves easily, so in a surf comp environment it’s important to be agile and able to catch even a non-breaking wave or paddle out the back fast to catch your next set.”
Paddle power and takeoff speed are obviously critical in prone comps. You’ve said the narrowed outline and refined rails on the Kruzer V2 were deliberate decisions - can you explain what that actually feels like underfoot when you’re charging into a set wave trying to get on foil before your competitors?
“So yeah, those aspects are critical for getting onto waves. When it’s small it helps to get onto unbroken waves, and when it’s a shore break it’s easier to gain speed quickly and get out of the critical section before it dumps.
If you’re in a surf comp and you’re struggling to get waves, you’re already at a hindrance, so I felt like I was at an advantage naturally.”
Someone reading this is probably a weekend prone foiler who just watches events like Foil Fest for inspiration. What’s one thing about how the Kruzer V2 rides that the average surfer-turned-foiler would immediately feel the difference on - even in their first session?
“So the beauty of this board is that it catches waves easy, which appeals to your foiler who is maybe not the strongest paddler.
It also handles critical sections nicely due to the longer outline. That means if you make a mistake while foiling, it allows you to recover with less of a penalty.”
Seeing the Kruzer V2 perform at the highest level in competition is exactly what the development process was built around - real-world surf performance, wave count, recovery, and speed without sacrificing accessibility.
The same board Josh rode to the podium at Foil Fest is now available to order at Amos Shapes and all boards are built in house right here in our Australian Factory. Check out our Boards in Stock page as we have lots of sizes currently or we can build your board to order.
A huge congratulations as well to the entire Foil Fest team for running another incredibly successful event, and to all the competitors who travelled from around the country to be part of it. Events like this continue to push surf foiling forward in Australia and showcase the progression, community, and talent within the sport.
Images by Trevor King.
Order Your Kruzer V2 Here
