Hydrofoil Surfer Lands First-Ever Double Backflip (Watch)

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated May 23, 2025 3:43 PM ET

Hydrofoils hold a special place in surfing. They are maligned by many “core” surfers for the dangers they pose when slicing through traditional lineups – like an underwater guillotine cruising through the water, surfers be damned. And yet, some of the world’s best embrace the foil for small waves, open-ocean training, and peak performance in some of the world’s largest waves.

Then there’s the fringe world of aerial hydrofoil surfing. Not many folks taking this one up in their spare time. But Greek water skier, snowboarder, and foil lord aerialist Nikolas Plytas is in a world of his own when it comes to busting flips and spins on a surfboard affixed with a giant metal wing.

Take, for example, Plytas’ latest feat: the first-ever double backflip stomped on a foil.

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A post shared by Nikolas Plytas (@nikolasplytas)

Apparently, the trick took Plytas over 800 attempts. But in the end, he stuck it. Here’s what he had to say about it: “Hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life – and also the world’s first double backflip in foilboarding. Over the past six months, I gave everything to this trick. Every time I was on the water, my only focus was landing it.”

It’s also not the first time Plytas busted a world’s first maneuver. Last year, he landed the first-ever backside rodeo 540…according to him, but who’s going to argue? Well, actually, none other than Kelly Slater had something to say about it; but not with regards to the record, more so the name.

“I’m sure I’ll get tarred and feathered for this comment but…I get that skaters call rotation based on direction of rotation but in surfing, everything done facing the wall is and always will be considered frontside,” Slater commented. “The first rodeo (clowns) were done going (and called) backside rotating opposite to this. If skating is a precursor for direction of spin, then should this just be called a backside mctwist and not a rodeo? Seems the medium you’re riding matters when distinguishing and thus the confusion we surfers suffer. Super sick though no matter what.”

Stay tuned to Sterling Spencer’s Instagram; this one from Plytas is surely coming soon.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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