Brand Story

At F4, everything starts on the water.

Founded in 2008 by friends Al Mirel and Chris Radkowski, the brand grew from a shared obsession with speed, progression, and time spent chasing conditions. What began in garages in Silicon Valley quickly turned into something more — a constant pursuit of better equipment, built from real experience.

When hydrofoiling began to redefine what was possible around 2013, we didn’t just follow — we leaned in. Testing, refining, and building across disciplines, from windsurf foiling to winging and beyond, always with the same mindset: push performance forward in a way that riders can actually feel.

From those early prototypes to today, the process hasn’t changed. We still build through iteration, time on the water, and direct feedback from riders. Whether it’s on the beaches of San Francisco or along the Black Sea, the connection to the sport and the community remains at the center of everything we do.

Racing has always been part of our DNA. With multiple PWA victories and speed records, our development has been shaped at the highest level — not in theory, but in real competition. That environment continues to define how we think about design: efficient, responsive, and built to perform when it matters.

We’ve always believed that performance isn’t a feature — it’s the baseline.

Every product we create is driven by a combination of advanced design, hydrodynamics, and composite engineering, but more importantly, by how it translates on the water. The goal is simple: gear that feels intuitive, connected, and fast without effort.

But performance alone isn’t enough.

What ties everything together is intent.

We’ve built one of the most competitive race packages out there, but just as importantly, we’ve taken a hard look at how the sport evolves. Racing has always driven innovation, but too often that innovation stays out of reach. Our approach is different.

Through a direct model, we bring this level of design, construction, and performance to riders without the barrier that usually comes with it.

Our pedigree is in racing.

Our focus has always been the rider experience.

Our goal has always been to build the most advanced gear possible.

Now, we’re putting the same energy into making that gear more accessible — not just for a few, but for riders everywhere.

We build with our community, not just for it. Listening, testing, refining — constantly. Because the best ideas don’t come from isolation, they come from time on the water, shared experiences, and pushing limits together.

At the same time, we recognize that the environments we ride in are part of what makes this sport so special. Protecting and respecting those spaces is a responsibility we carry forward as we grow.

The 2026 season is shaping up with momentum, clarity, and a lot of stoke.

We’ll see you on the start line.