World Record Snapshot
- Record Title
- Longest Proxyfoil Ride by Distance
- Class
- Open / Distance
- Measured Result
- Distance: 18.14 km in 1:32:14 - (Higher is better)
- Date
- 2023-01-21
- Has Stood For
- 3 years, 112 days as of 2026-05-13
- Location
- Lake Starnberg, Bavaria, Germany, Bavaria, Germany
- Record Holder
- Jan Grebe
- Verified By
- Ian Lauder
Record Holder Spotlight
Jan Grebe is a German engineer and the inventor of Proxyfoil, a uniquely designed self-powered hydrofoil that he developed over many prototypes. As the creative genius behind the Proxyfoil, he is well qualified to review this article on the product's design, function, and real-world use.
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Monster Council Approval
Gritch, along with the foiling community at large, has given this glorious achievement the official Foiling Freaks nod for The Proxyfoil.
May it inspire better evidence, cleaner runs, bigger claims, and even louder hooting from the crowd.
The Epic Record Run
On January 21, 2023, Jan Grebe set out on Lake Starnberg in Germany to prove something most riders would never attempt in the middle of winter: a true long-distance Proxyfoil ride.
The conditions were brutal. The water temperature was only 1°C, barely above freezing. The air temperature was -3°C. This was not a warm summer test session with easy conditions and safety boats nearby. It was a cold, quiet winter day on a German lake where boating was forbidden, and Jan had no external support. While most people preferred skiing that day, Jan chose to foil.
Because of the freezing conditions, Jan had to ride with extra winter gear, including a 5 mm wetsuit, cap, gloves, shoes, and nutrition. The added equipment weighed about 5.5 kg, making the ride even harder. Every movement required more effort. Every correction mattered. Falling into the water was not just inconvenient; it meant the run was over.
Jan rode up and down the shoreline of Lake Starnberg, keeping the Proxyfoil controlled and moving steadily across the cold water. According to Strava activity, the ride covered 18.14 km in 1:32:14 of moving time.
That distance and time made the ride a major endurance test for the Proxyfoil system and for the rider. Jan stayed on foil for about an hour and a half without falling. Eventually, fatigue caught up with him. As his concentration faded, he finally fell into the water and stopped the run cold - literally cold.
The ride proved that long-distance Proxyfoil rides were possible, even in harsh winter conditions. It also showed that the gear remained controllable and reliable throughout a sustained endurance session, not just during short test runs.
Rules of the Beast
Proxyfoil ride distance must be recorded by GPS or equivalent activity tracking and completed without external propulsion.
How This Got the Nod
Distance and moving time are visible in the screenshot of the record; public URL for the exact Strava activity was not available.
