Bucklehorn Blue

Backstory

Bucklehorn Blue got his start in standup towed foiling by accident, stubbornness, and a terrible idea that turned out to be a great one.

He was digging through an old lakeside storage shed looking for a tow rope when he found a dusty vintage convertible Sky Ski, the old sitdown hydrofoil kind that could be switched into a standup setup. It still had the snowboard bindings on it, the metal looked older than half the dock crew, and one binding strap made a noise like a haunted screen door. Naturally, Bucklehorn said, “This looks fast.”

His first attempt was pure chaos. He clicked into the boots, gave the thumbs up, got pulled up behind the boat, and discovered that old school gear does not care about your confidence. He bounced, over-corrected, slapped down, and skipped across the lake like a blue furry rock. The whole boat laughed, including Bucklehorn, who came up grinning and yelling for another pull. That became his origin story: one part wipeout reel, one part obsession. He kept showing up, learned the rhythm of the tow, learned how to stay centered over the mast, and slowly turned that clunky vintage setup into a training tool that taught him real control.

These days, he rides modern standup foil boards behind the boat with way more finesse, but he still credits that old convertible Sky Ski for teaching him the fundamentals. He loves telling beginners that progress is not about looking polished on day one. It is about getting back in the water, learning one clean run at a time, and treating every crash like part of the lesson.

Bucklehorn Blue's Merch Shop

Bucklehorn Blue's Foiling Discipline

First Flight

Bucklehorn still talks about his first clean lift as if it happened in slow motion. After a string of splashy starts on that vintage Sky Ski hydrofoil, he finally got one pass where everything lined up: steady pull, soft knees, and just enough patience to let the foil rise instead of forcing it. For a few seconds, the old convertible Sky Ski foil board felt smooth, quiet, and strangely familiar.

That moment changed him. Up to then, standup towed foiling had felt like a wrestling match with lake water and bad decisions. Once he felt a stable glide on foil, he understood why riders get obsessed with it. He was still rough around the edges, but he had his first real flight, and that was all he needed.

Personality

Bucklehorn is the kind of monster who can laugh at a crash before the spray settles. He has an old school heart, a patient teaching style, and a very specific love for gear that looks slightly dangerous. He is endlessly curious, too, which is why he went from messing around on a Sky Ski standup hydrofoil to becoming one of the most consistent riders in the local boat crew.

He brings a calm energy to sessions, especially when someone is learning standup tow foiling for the first time. Bucklehorn notices the little things, like foot pressure, rope tension, and body position, then explains them in a way that makes sense. He is serious about progression, but never serious about himself.

Favorite Conditions

Bucklehorn’s ideal day starts with a glassy lake and a driver who knows how to hold speed without chasing numbers. He loves boat tow foiling at sunrise, when the water is clean, and the wake shape is predictable. Those are the sessions where he can carve wide, float back in, and work on smooth transitions without fighting chop.

He also loves a relaxed crew day that turns into a mini history lesson, with stories about old school towed foiling and the weird early setups that got everyone started. Even though he rides modern gear now, he still smiles extra hard when a vintage board comes out. For Bucklehorn, the best tow foiling behind boat sessions have equal parts clean water, good jokes, and a little respect for the roots.

Bucklehorn’s Code

Bucklehorn follows a simple code every time he rides.

First: earn your run. In towed hydrofoil riding, the best runs come from balance and timing, not brute force.

Second: respect the driver. A good pull makes everything safer, smoother, and more fun.

Third: progress in small steps. He treats wake foil boarding the same way he learned it, one clean habit at a time.

Fourth: remember the roots. That old convertible setup still taught him lessons he uses on every modern standup foil board during a behind-the-boat run.

Fifth: help the next rider. If someone is struggling, Bucklehorn is already reaching for the rope and offering a better tip than “just stand up.”

Beginner Tips

Bucklehorn’s first tip is to stay patient through the awkward phase. Standup towed foiling feels strange at first because the foil reacts fast, and beginners usually try to muscle the board around. Instead, focus on a soft stance, steady hands, and small adjustments. Let the foil do the lifting.

His second tip is to treat the first few runs as balance practice, not performance. On a boat foil board, staying centered matters more than trying to carve or jump right away. If you are learning on a standup foil board during behind-the-boat sessions, ask for a steady speed and work on short, controlled flight before anything else.

His last tip is pure Bucklehorn: do not be embarrassed by wipeouts. Every rider in boat tow foiling has had ugly starts, weird launches, and surprise crashes. The ones who improve are the ones who keep smiling, keep listening, and take one more pass.

Preferred Ride

Bucklehorn loves a glassy mountain lake at sunrise with a steady driver, a clean rope line, and a mellow boat speed that lets the foil sing. His favorite ride is a smooth standup tow session where he can carve outside the wake, drift back in, and pop small controlled airs off the wake without rushing the setup.

He also has a soft spot for old school sessions where someone brings out vintage gear, and the whole crew starts swapping stories about the early days of towed hydrofoils.

What Makes Him Bucklehorn

Bucklehorn is equal parts old school respect and modern progression.

He is the monster who will geek out over wing sizes, mast length, and line tension, then immediately crack a joke about how his first foil board weighed as much as a boat anchor. He has one big eye for detail, and he notices everything: driver speed changes, wake shape, rider stance, and when someone is about to nail a trick they have been chasing for weeks.

What really makes Bucklehorn Bucklehorn is that he never acts too cool to be a beginner again. He remembers the awkward starts, the stiff-legged runs, and the “why is this so hard” phase. That makes him a favorite in any boat crew, because he brings patience, stoke, and the kind of advice that actually helps.

Signature Move

The Bootleg Buckle Pop: Bucklehorn starts with a wide carve outside the wake to build tension, then cuts back in with a low stable stance and even pressure through both feet. As he reaches the sweet spot near the wake face, he gives a quick controlled pump and a gentle upward release, lifting the foil into a compact hop.

At the top of the pop, he keeps the board level with a slight nose-up attitude, then lands softly on foil with knees bent and weight centered to absorb the touchdown. It looks flashy, but it is technically sound for towed standup foiling because it uses line tension, wake energy, and a short, controlled release instead of a wild oversized jump.

Fun Facts

• Bucklehorn still owns the vintage convertible Sky Ski, and he keeps it polished like a museum piece with bad ideas attached.
• He once rode with mismatched snowboard boots because he could only find one original binding set.
• His first clean run on the old setup lasted about eight seconds, and he called it “historic.”
• The monster driving the boat in his favorite sessions is his friend Docksy, who claims Bucklehorn only rides well when the stereo is loud.
• Bucklehorn names all his boats in group chats, even when they are not his boats.
• He can identify an overpowered tow speed by feel within a second and a half.
• He teaches beginners to relax their ankles first, because “stiff legs make splashy monsters.”
• He keeps one old binding strap in his gear bag for luck.

Buckelhorn’s Motto

““Respect the roots, trust the pull, and ride the next pass smoother than the last.””