Why Choose A Screwless Foil

Why Choose a Screwless Foil?

Slingshot made foiling accessible to the masses. Our first system gave riders around the world a way to experience the magic of foiling at a reasonable cost, without the intimidation. In 2015, foiling finally clicked for wind sports athletes.

Fast forward ten years, and we’ve learned a lot. We’ve spent tens of thousands of hours riding, refining, and sometimes struggling. We’ve experienced the thrill of perfect sessions—but also the frustration of not even being able to get off the beach. Forgetting a tool bag at home, dropping a screw in the water or sand, missing a session because of a corroded/snapped fuselage, or fighting to remove a seized or stripped screw (sometimes at our local machine shop). I have more stories than I can count of times I couldn’t foil because of something screw related.

So, three and a half years ago, we decided to rethink everything. We scrapped the Phantasm and Hover Glide platforms and started fresh—no limits on ideas, no constraints from past designs, and no factory restrictions. Every component was reimagined. At the core of what became the One-Lock system, we had three goals: No Corrosion. No Screws. No Tools. No foil brand had done this before, so there was no blueprint to follow. Therefore, we looked outside the industry for inspiration. In early meetings, we studied car hood latches, sailboat riggings, bicycle wheels, and even construction clamps. 

Eventually, we landed on a hybrid solution—a combination of innovations from multiple industries. Dyneema line from sailboats, a quick-release skewer from a bike, and the flush fit of a car hood mount. The Dyneema line (used in world class racing sailboats) provided an ultra-high tensile strength but with the flexibility to also bend for a CAM mechanism, the bike skewer clamp made assembly fast and adjustable, and the hood mount design kept everything sleek and hydrodynamic. 

In solving corrosion, screws, and tools, we uncovered three additional breakthroughs: reduced drag, significant weight savings, and a set up time that blows minds… 

By eliminating screws, we removed vibration from the foil. We didn’t realize how much drag every screw head created until we took them away. The same front wing and stabilizer that felt great on the Phantasm system suddenly felt three times smoother on the One-Lock platform. No more sudden "pull-down" effect when flagging out the wing, outrunning a wave, or releasing kite power. Lift stayed more consistent, making the entire ride feel more fluid. Our prototypes started riding like a Rolls Royce.
Screws also required inserts in carbon masts and fuselages, or an aluminum construction. By removing screws, we reduced weight and removed the risk of corrosion. Without aluminum-to-carbon interaction, we no longer needed lubricants or anti-seize compounds. The result? One of the lightest foil setups in the industry.
With no need for tools, screws, or grease, setting up this foil takes less time than finding someone to zip up your wetsuit. At first, the speed of assembly seems like a novelty—but once you experience it, you’ll never want to go back. Being able to swap wings in seconds means you’re more likely to experiment with different setups rather than forcing the wrong gear to work. Need more lift? Just size up your front wing instead of rigging a bigger wing or kite. It’s so easy that I can now change my stab or front wing with my kite still in the air. And because it’s so quick to take apart, with zero chance of seizing together, you don’t need a sprinter van just to transport your foil (trust me, I’ve had two sprinters for this reason).

So, when someone asks me, “Why choose a screwless foil?”—I flip the question. “What’s your biggest frustration with your current foil?” Because whatever pain point they name, we’ve solved—and as an unexpected result, we’ve raised performance in ways we never expected. 

P.S. Did I mention how much attention you’ll get on the beach when your foil pops together?

- Fred Hope