Share the stoke. Share this accomplishment with your crew and let the foiling world know this world record is in the Foiling Freaks record vault.
For Instagram paste the link into your post, story, or profile update.
Current Record - Longest flatwater paddle-up pump foil distance
World Record Snapshot
- Record Title
- Longest flatwater paddle-up pump foil distance
- Discipline
Pump Foiling 
Freefoiling- Class
- Open / Distance
- Measured Result
- Distance: 9.56 km in 38:39 (avg 14.8 km/h; max 5s 16.2 km/h; max 10s 16.0 km/h) - (Higher is better)
- Date
- 2026-04-16
- Has Stood For
- 1 month, 14 days as of 2026-05-30
- Location
- Lago San Pablo, Imbabura Province, Ecuador, Imbabura, Ecuador
- Record Holder
- Michael Kihn
Record Holder Spotlight
Monster Council Approval
Nixie, along with the foiling community at large, has given this glorious achievement the official Foiling Freaks nod for Pump Foiling.
May it inspire better evidence, cleaner runs, bigger claims, and even louder hooting from the crowd.
Adopt Nixie and celebrate this victory with a little monster merch from the Nixie merch store.
The Story Behind the Record
The public Instagram reel claim describes a flatwater paddle-up into pump foiling at Lago San Pablo in Ecuador on 16 April 2026. The rider is identified from the Instagram comments as Michael Kihn, posting as @kihnautic. The indexed caption identifies the discipline as Flatwater Paddle Up to Pump and places the attempt at Lago San Pablo, Ecuador, at 2660 m above mean sea level, listed in the post as 8727 ft MSL. The gear listed in the indexed caption is a Kalama Barracuda 7'10 with Axis FB1750 front wing, Fatty80 mast, Psychshort fuselage, and Skinny25 tail, with the rider listed as 70 kg dry. The indexed activity details show a total run of 38:39 over 9.56 km, with average speed of 14.8 km/h, max 5-second speed of 16.2 km/h, and max 10-second speed of 16.0 km/h. The indexed app statistics also show 3,086 pumps and an 80 per minute pump rate.
Rules of the Beast
Rider must start from flat water using a paddle and a SUP or downwind-style foil board, without a dock, beach run, tow, boat wake, wind wing, parawing, kite, sail, motor, bungee, winch, wave takeoff, or other external propulsion. The measured flight begins after the rider reaches sustained foil flight from a flatwater paddle-up and continues while the rider remains foil-borne under body-powered pumping only. A touchdown, fall, remount, tow, paddle-driven displacement travel after touchdown, or outside assist ends the attempt. GPS track, app stats, video, public post, or credible witness record should support distance, duration, location, and route continuity.
How This Got the Nod
User-reviewed Instagram comments identify the rider as Michael Kihn (@kihnautic). Indexed Instagram text: 16.04.2026 New Record Set; Discipline: Flatwater Paddle Up to Pump; Lago San Pablo/Ecuador (2660m ü.M./8727ft MSL); Gear: Kalama Barracuda 7'10, Axis FB1750, Fatty80, Psychshort, Skinny25; Rider: 70kg dry. Indexed activity text: Details 38:39, 9.56 km, avg speed 14.8 km/h, max 5s 16.2 km/h, max 10s 16.0 km/h; section overview 26:52 and 6.40 km; 3,086 pumps and 80 per minute pump rate.
Video Proof From the Vault
Claimed 9.56 km flatwater paddle-up to pump-foil run at Lago San Pablo, Ecuador, completed in 38:39 at high altitude.