From a garage to a factory in the Alps
Tools rather than toys
At 8, I asked my parents for tools for Christmas rather than toys. That year, I fitted a Solex engine to my child's bike. It got me stopped by the police on Place Victor-Hugo in Grenoble: riding that kind of machine was strictly forbidden. At 10, I learned to weld with the little "coccinelle" welder my mother had given me, and I built a sidecar bike out of an old BMX.
On my way home from school, I stopped every day at the small garage next to our house. That is where I learned to take apart motorbike and car engines and to understand how mechanisms work. Metalwork came later: TIG and MIG welding, then building and tuning plasma cutting machines, still in my garage.
Everything that flies and everything that glides fascinates me. As a child, I told my mother I would become an aeronautical engineer, without really believing it. I spent a huge amount of time designing and building all kinds of flying objects, gliders, small planes and helicopters, at a time when electronic assistance did not exist. In the end, it was designing foils that truly fulfilled me.
Mechanics, software and board sports
My background is mechanics and technical drawing. Back then we still drew with Rotring pens on drawing boards, and the first CAD software, such as AutoCAD and SolidWorks 98, was just arriving.
At the start of my studies, the first Windows versions appeared, Windows 95 at the time, and computing became one of my passions. I taught myself to write software and sold my first small programs as shareware.
In 2000, I changed course and moved into software development, hired as a developer by a very large industrial group. I designed software for PCs, and also for the electronics embedded in small devices.
I learned an enormous amount about industry in those years. I worked in the design office and often had the chance to work with the mechanical design team. Software, mechanical and electronics teams genuinely shared their work, and I built up a lot of know-how. My passion for mechanics never left me. This mix of computing, mechanics and design is still how we work today: simulate, measure, then build. Alongside all this, I always practised board sports and free flight.
2003: a chair that lets disabled people fly a paraglider and discover the joy of free flight
Alongside my job, I kept tinkering, designing and building all sorts of objects. In 2003, in partnership with paragliding equipment maker Airbulle, I designed the first flying chair for people with reduced mobility.
In the evenings, after work, I went to Xavier Beauvallet's workshop and we built the seats together. We made quite a few of them, and the chair earned Airbulle the 2003 Artinov award. I am very happy to see that the basics of those chairs are still relevant today: other brands have taken up the concept, with the same design.
2007: the first foil, to stop waiting for the wind
On alpine lakes, the wind is often very light. We spent more time waiting on the shore than on the water. My idea was simple: to be able to ride with as little wind as possible.
The first Alpinefoil prototype was made of aluminium, built entirely from 0.5 mm sheet, bent and welded. Even the wings had ribs. The mast slid along the fuselage so I could move the wings forwards or backwards and find the right balance. There was no reference at the time; everything had to be worked out.
With that foil, I went from 30 minutes on the water a day to nearly 4 hours almost non-stop, and riding almost every day. That is how it all began.
2010: the leap
In 2010, I left a stable engineering job to become a small craftsman working in my garage. It was a real gamble, a very risky one. Today it is the best decision of my life.
Three difficult years
At first, everything was made in my garage. For three years it was very hard, and not a day went by without me thinking about giving up. I built all my machines myself, including my first CNC controllers, at a time when there was almost nothing on the internet.
We then moved into a small workshop and I switched to pre-preg carbon. With very little money, I built my first digital cutting table.
Learning by doing
In 2014, I bought a second-hand machining centre. The seller swore it worked: on delivery, nothing did. I had never used that kind of machine. I learned thanks to the forums of the time and a lot of perseverance. I remember whole evenings on the phone with another Damien, who told me which button to press to program the machine. It was a wonderful time.
I wanted to master everything to keep costs reasonable. Sanding is one of the hardest steps in making a foil. So we developed sanding heads that follow the wing profile, mounted on old Kuka robots recovered from dismantled BMW production lines.
Le Touvet, at the foot of the cliffs
Paragliding has been one of my greatest passions, and it still is, even if it takes up a little less room today. It is the reason I settled in Le Touvet, one of the most iconic paragliding spots in the world.
So it was natural to build the Alpinefoil building in this valley I love so much. It is ideally located between lakes and mountains: an incredible playground for skiing, hiking, cycling, paragliding and foiling.
2024: pumpfoiling, a new passion
In October 2024, I took up pumpfoiling. My first attempts were a complete failure. So I studied the subject closely, and a video by Yvon Labarthe helped me find the best method for a beginner like me.
I also needed a wing truly suited to people my age. I was 53, not very flexible, and not necessarily as agile as others. That is how the DK 1240 was born, a pumpfoil wing far easier than anything on the market at the time.
It worked straight away: on the very first afternoon, I was flying on my pumpfoil, after exactly 55 attempts. It was the start of a new adventure and a new passion.
2026: the year of the Pierra Manta
2026 has been an extraordinary year for me. The Pierra Manta project is a real milestone: three innovation awards for this project alone, the InnoSport award in spring, the Artinov award in October and the Grésivaudan call-for-projects award. Going from 300 to 400 watts down to only 150 watts: that is the magic.
To develop it, we compare simulation with data measured on the water: power sensors fitted to the board measure the power actually produced, just like on a bike. All the measurements are online: Pumpfoil Analyst Pierra Manta, the data from our data loggers.
See all the real data from our data loggers →
With the Pierra Manta, I pumped for 21 minutes 30 seconds, over more than 5 km. I rode around the southern part of Lake Annecy, with several stops, thanks to my friend Norman, who has always trusted me and follows me blindly on my new concepts. I also linked Treffort beach to the Monteynard dam on a pumpfoil, with only 3 stops.
But what matters most to me is the creation of the Alpine Lake Riders association, after two years of negotiations, and permission to pumpfoil on the Lac de la Terrasse. My real passion is sharing: there is no sport without sharing. Since September, the association and our spot are here, and I can finally share my passion close to home. I pass on what I know through coaching for beginners, simply to help them progress.
Today
I design all the Alpinefoil foils and all the boards, and I create the look of our products. I also take care of Alpinefoil's communication, sales, marketing and videos.
I have always wanted to combine industrialisation, technology, craftsmanship and research. The Pierra Manta is the culmination of that whole journey.
Alpinefoil is a family business. I was lucky enough to pass on my passion for board sports, the mountains and flying to my son Hugo. Today, one of my proudest achievements is that he has become the designer of the prestigious paragliding brand AirDesign, which has just moved into new premises in La Terrasse, right next to Alpinefoil. And Hugo seems to be following the same path of innovation: his new wing, the Exta, has been a runaway success.
I am lucky to be surrounded by a team of true enthusiasts, to whom I have been able to pass on this know-how. We choose the best materials: French, German, Swiss and European carbon. We developed our own manufacturing processes and showed part of them in our videos. Many have since been adopted by other manufacturers; that is the game. A good part of the know-how stays in the workshop.
And we kept what matters most: compatibility. Almost every wing we have made since the beginning fits on our foils today.
Staying a craftsman, to stay close to riders
I have always wanted Alpinefoil to remain a highly refined craft and industrial business. That is what keeps us close to riders, lets us fully control quality and know-how, and keeps us responsive. Mass production does not interest me. Today, it is high-end craftsmanship that guides innovation in large companies.
Staying ahead technologically is essential to keep going in the face of mass production. In the end, being copied is the finest reward.
Foiling is above all a passion. Being able to make a living from it is my greatest wealth today.
Caring for our environment
At Alpinefoil, we pay close attention to our environment. We have developed a whole set of recycling processes, and we make our own shipping boxes, each one sized to the product. Who has never received a huge box for a tiny parcel?
A large share of the boxes used in Europe comes from Asia, and many end up in the bin without ever being used. At Alpinefoil, we make every box, and only what we use. We are also working, on an experimental basis, on recycling carbon into lightweight concrete.
Our boards use no highly polluting PVC, but a core material developed in partnership with the Swiss company Airex, made from recycled plastic bottles.
Call me
In the past, you walked into a shop, talked with the salesperson and got advice. Today, on most websites, it is almost impossible to find a phone number or to reach anyone.
At Alpinefoil, we do the opposite. I am the one inviting you to call me: I am always happy to share my passion with you.