Meet Tom Keda | Co-Owner of Detroit E-Foil/Kiteboard instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tom Keda and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tom, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I got into kiteboarding about 13 years ago after getting a 1-way ticket to Puerto Rico. I fell in love with the sport and went from learning it to instructing it there. I later moved to Miami, where I managed a kite school with Adventure Sports for 6 years. In that position, you’re up close with the newest water sport gear that gets released, so I was familiar with E-foils pretty early on.

I eventually moved back home to Michigan and tried to do something with kiteboarding, but unfortunately, it’s not the easiest place to instruct the sport, and there isn’t that much wind in summer. I was trying hard to figure out how to earn an income with something I would enjoy doing.

I knew a few friends back in Miami who started their own E-Foil business, which allows you to get out on the water without the wind. I asked a bunch of questions and pulled the trigger on buying one. My friend and business partner ended up buying one too.

I finally found a cool new way to be out on the water without wind, and I wanted to share this experience with others.

Detroit has been experiencing significant development recently, and I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to bring something back that was unique—another way to experience the city and share my passion for water sports.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
E-foiling is a novel experience. Not many people have heard or seen it yet around here, so when you do see someone who is hovering a couple of feet above the surface of the water, it sparks curiosity. I get excited when I get to introduce this experience to someone. They are experiencing something completely new for the first time, and to see them having fun and being caught up completely in the moment is truly rewarding.

I have done other start-ups before. I owe a lot of my knowledge to past failures. Ideas that just didn’t work out, or I really was just not that into. You learn a lot, though, how to run ads to acquire leads, making websites, creating content, accounting. I wouldn’t have learned any of these things if I had never started.

No, I failed, but learned in the process, which made my next attempts easier.

Things will not always go to plan. Something will break down. Someone will not be satisfied. Plan for what could go wrong in advance, adapt to the situation the best you can, and try not to take it personally. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to people who are better than you at certain things.

We are Detroit E-Foil. We are here to offer a truly unique experience in the city of Detroit and the surrounding areas.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Day 1: Park at the riverfront, walk the boardwalk and make are way to heart plaza then campious Martious. Grab a drink at Brisabar. Grab a couple coneys at Lafette. Take a walk through the Belt Ally and get some good views ontop of Z parking gurage. Finally catch a show at the Fox or See a game at comarica park.

Day 2: Start at Mexican town to get some tocos and chimichongas. Then do some blading at all the skate parks. First Riverside skate park. After head to corktown and refull on some Mac and cheese at Slows. Hit up heart plaza for a street session. Then head to Chandler skatepark and finally Bishope DYI park.

Day 3: Bike around. Start at Lincold Street Art Park and head to Eastern Market and grab a bloody Mary at vivios. Bike down Diquinder cut towards the board walk. Bike From there head to the hindenburg project to take some photos. Headback towards downtown and grabe a cigar at la casa cigars lounge. Head to greek town play some and end the night at Exodos rooftop bar.

Day 4: Spend the day at Belle Isle. Check out the Aqurium and Biotonical Gardens. Then take a risk sliding down the Big slide. Of course head to the beach and do some E-Foiling around the island making a stop at Hipster beach to hang out and do some rope swinging. Head back to the beach and make our way to the front of the island to see the sunset over the city.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My parents for being there for me in the ups and downs of life.
My business partner, Dewy, for jumping into the venture with me.
My friend Frances, who introduced me to this adventurous lifestyle.

Website: https://www.detroitefoil.com

Instagram: detroit_efoil

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/detroitefoil

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DetroitE-Foil

Image Credits
Dewy Short