Grom Oarfang

Backstory

Grom Oarfang got into SUP foil riding because he was trying to prove a whale wrong.

He used to paddle a regular stand-up board far outside the break just to “inspect the horizon,” which mostly meant looking serious while avoiding crowded lineups. One morning, a humpback surfaced nearby, slapped its tail, and absolutely drenched him. Grom took it personally. He paddled back out the next day, then the next, then the next, determined to get better at reading swell and staying balanced in rough water. An older foiler on the beach finally told him, “If you are going to stand that far out and grunt at the ocean, you might as well foil.”

His first SUP foil session was a mess. He missed waves, poked the paddle in at the wrong time, and launched himself off the board like a green lawn dart. But he kept at it. The paddle gave him a rhythm, then a little extra leverage, then confidence. He learned to use a few strong strokes to get into the wave, set his feet, and let the foil lift rather than forcing it. These days, Grom is the monster beginner that beginners trust because he remembers exactly how awkward the early days feel, and seasoned riders respect him because he can turn a bumpy shoulder into a smooth, flowing line.

Grom Oarfang's Merch Shop

Grom Oarfang's Foiling Discipline

First Flight

Grom still remembers the first time his board fully rose out of the water and stayed there, even if it only lasted a few heartbeats. Up to that point, SUP foiling felt like a strange mix of paddling hard, missing waves, and getting launched in ways he did not think were physically possible. Then one morning, he timed a small shoulder perfectly, took a few clean strokes, and felt the SUP foil board rise under him.

The sound changed first: less slap, more hum. Then the drag dropped away, and he realized he was actually flying on a stand-up paddle hydrofoil instead of just surviving on top of it. He came back to the beach looking serious, nodded once, and then admitted he wanted to go right back out. That first clean flight turned him from a stubborn paddler into a true SUP foil surfing addict.

Personality

Grom looks intense, and he knows it. He has the kind of face that makes beginners think he is about to critique their stance from fifty yards away. In reality, he is patient, funny in a dry way, and one of the most encouraging monsters in the lineup once you get him talking.

What makes Grom different is how calm he stays when conditions get messy. In SUP foiling and paddle foil boarding, calm matters because panic makes every wobble worse. He has a way of slowing things down for newer riders, breaking stand-up paddleboard foiling into simple steps they can actually use, rather than dumping 10 tips on them at once.

Favorite Conditions

Grom loves shoulder-high swell with a clean shoulder and enough room to work a line. His ideal day for ocean SUP foiling is early morning, light wind, and a little texture on the surface, just enough to reward timing without turning the session into survival mode. He likes waves that let him paddle in early, settle his feet, and let the SUP hydrofoil build smooth lift.

He also enjoys days when the surf is not perfect, because those sessions sharpen technique. A slightly bumpy surf SUP foil day forces good paddle placement, balance, and patience. Grom says pretty conditions can make riders lazy, but mixed conditions teach you how to really ride a stand up paddle foil.

Grom’s Code

Grom follows a simple code every session, and he does not bend it much.

First: earn the wave. In paddle in foiling, he believes positioning and timing matter more than charging blindly.

Second: paddle with purpose. Every stroke should help the takeoff, the setup, or the recovery.

Third: stay humble. SUP foil surfing has a way of correcting bad habits quickly, and Grom respects that.

Fourth: keep the lineup friendly. He treats beginners, prone riders, and experienced foilers with the same respect.

Fifth: leave with one lesson. Whether it is a cleaner takeoff, a better brace, or a smarter line, every session should teach something.

Beginner Tips

Grom’s first tip is to stop trying to force the lift. In SUP foiling, most beginners push too hard with their back foot and overreact when the foil starts to rise. Instead, focus on steady paddling, soft knees, and staying centered while the SUP foil comes up naturally.

His second tip is to practice rhythm before performance. Good stand-up paddleboard foiling is not about big turns on day one. It is about learning how the board accelerates, how the paddle helps stabilize the takeoff, and how to make small corrections without fighting the foil. A calm, repeatable takeoff on a SUP foil board is a bigger win than one lucky long ride.

His last tip is pure Grom: be patient with yourself, but keep showing up. Every rider who looks smooth now once had awkward starts and missed waves. If you stay consistent, pay attention, and treat each session as practice, your stand-up paddle hydrofoil skills will build faster than you think.

Preferred Ride

Grom loves shoulder-high rolling swell with enough shape to paddle in early and enough room to carve. His favorite ride is a clean SUP foil run where he uses the paddle to time the takeoff, pops onto foil smoothly, then links long glides and controlled cutbacks without rushing the wave.

He especially likes days with a little texture on the water, because he says they reward patience and good timing more than brute strength.

What Makes Him Grom

Grom is steady when everyone else gets twitchy.

He has a big, intense look, but he rides with surprising patience. He studies the ocean, waits for the right bump, and commits when it counts. He is also one of those rare monsters who can give advice without making you feel dumb. If your stance is off, he will fix one thing, not ten. If you crash, he will laugh with you, not at you.

What really makes Grom Grom is how he uses the paddle as part of his style, not just a tool to get moving. He treats it like a metronome for timing and a third point of balance when things get sketchy. Calm, powerful, and oddly encouraging, he makes hard things look learnable.

Signature Move

The Whale Tap Wrap: Grom paddles into a shoulder with three strong strokes, then uses a quick inside paddle brace during the lift phase to stabilize the board as the foil rises. Once he is flying, he carries speed into a smooth frontside carve, climbs slightly higher on foil, and wraps a tight cutback back toward the pocket.

The move is flashy, but it is technically sound for SUP foiling because the paddle brace happens early, while he is managing lift and balance. The carve stays compact, the foil remains loaded but controlled, and the recovery line is clean. It looks dramatic, but it is all timing, edge control, and a well-placed paddle.

Fun Facts

• Grom has named every paddle he owns, and the names all sound like retired pirate captains.
• He still claims the whale that splashed him was “giving feedback.”
• His first successful foil glide lasted less than five seconds, and he replayed it in his head for a week.
• He practices paddle timing on flat water by chasing boat wakes when the surf is small.
• Grom prefers slightly scruffy waves because he says perfect water makes monsters overconfident.
• He keeps a notebook of “mistakes that taught me something,” and it is much thicker than his trick list.
• Kids on the beach call him “Coach Grump,” even though he is secretly the nicest rider in the lineup.

Grom’s Motto

““Paddle with purpose and let the wave do the hard part.””