The Origins of PWR-Foil: A look back and a view to the future.

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Since 2016, Christophe Defrance has been convinced that e-foil is much more than just a sport, it's a passion that deserves to be pursued without limits. Guided by this vision, the brand is evolving to embody the modernity of this passion, symbolised by the slogan: "All Ways Ride". This mantra represents PWR-Foil's unwavering commitment to e-foiling, ready to explore every facet of this unrivalled experience.

Passion as the only compass

Born in the 1970s, Christophe Defrance fell into extreme sports at an early age, when the creative ferment of the seventies and the virgin paths full of new sensations were waiting to be explored. He is one of those people who have built their lives around their passions. Windsurfing and snowboarding, his childhood loves, were the driving force behind his adventures. Galvanised by the rise of these new sports, he armed himself with a healthy dose of audacity and fashioned his own surfing sanctuary by creating B.T.R (Born to Ride), a shop in his image combining tattoos, gaming, chill and rock'n roll! With the advent of these sports, he decided to open two other shops in Narbonne and Carcassonne, offering his community a unique experience with carefully selected, 100% original products and clothing that can't be found anywhere else. He also added his own touch by creating his own skateboard brand, Vegas. Naturally, a community of riders grew up around this concept, mixing effervescence and experienced souls. These years spent serving the community and creating a real family of riders forged his deep understanding of the needs and expectations of enthusiasts. Eighteen years have flown by at the speed of a guitar riff, with every second sounding like an electrifying solo, propelling this adventure into an extraordinary dimension!

Digital Evolution: A New Chapter

The Internet arrived on the scene, making a dramatic entrance with a 360° turn, transforming commerce into an open arena. The foundations of traditional commerce crumbled and everything became possible again. Christophe sold all his shops with one idea in mind, and threw himself wholeheartedly into the vast world of digital commerce.

The emergence of Redwoodpaddle

In the back of his garage, he gave birth to Redwoodpaddle, a Stand Up Paddle brand that sprang from his convictions and his vision of the water sport in 2008. Over time, Redwoodpaddle has established itself as one of the leaders in the sector, working on a brand image that has the biggest names shaking in their boots. With a fun, innovative identity and unwavering quality, Redwoodpaddle is once again weaving an authentic network of enthusiasts. Its commitment to quality, innovation and ease of use has enabled the brand to quickly make its mark, earning the trust of paddle enthusiasts across the continent. It's this same philosophy that inspires the creation of PWR-Foil and allows the brand to rise to the top of the e-foil industry.

2016 - 2020 : From dream to reality

The years 2016 and 2017 marked the start of an incredible epic, where creative and adventurous minds came together to give life to an electric foil. The brains never stopped creating, orchestrating and releasing outlandish experiments flirting with madness.

These were years of doubts and big questions, sometimes failures that undeniably pushed us towards new avenues of exploration! These were years of perseverance and of "never giving up"!

Until one day, it all worked!

The prototype of the first PWR-Foil e-foil was presented at the Paris Boat Show in 2018. Positive feedback was pouring in, with constructive opinions and, above all, a real craze for a MADE IN FRANCE e-foil.

In 2019, the first e-foils were ordered. The work of several years is finally rewarded. Riders put their trust in France's leading brand of e-foils.

In June 2020, the small team made up of a crack trio produced more than 80 e-foils, which set sail on all the seas of the globe.

2021 - 2023 : The industrialisation stage

In 2021, SAS PWR-Foil was born.

The e-foil is not just a new product that can be added to the Redwoodpaddle catalogue, it's a world in itself: a complex and innovative product that demands a lot of skills and a lot of high standards.

It's the emergence of a new water sport! Demand exploded: 260 e-foils were sold that year.

The team grew from 2 to 15 people, passionate, committed and mobilised to make the PWR-Foil e-foil the new must-have nautical product.

In 2022, a new building was erected on the Canet-en-Roussillon nautical zone: a formidable 1400m2 work tool with direct access to the water. A real workshop was designed and created to meet the growing demand from customers in the best possible way. Nearly 400 e-foils were sold that year.

2024 - 2026: Conquering new markets

The next three years look set to be frenetic for business development! PWR-Foil is going to strengthen its human presence as close as possible to its customers in France and abroad.

PWR-Foil is opening up a large number of markets with dedicated human contact to strengthen its local presence: Germany, Benelux, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Norway, Sweden...

Hold on tight, because what's to come promises to be totally incredible!

All Ways Ride