Friction firestarting is one of those impossible skills until somehow all the pieces come together and that first ember appears. Some woods are better suited than others. One of my peeves are instructors who assemble units with premium materials. People don't always have the best materials at hand in an emergency. Once you have the basics down I strongly urge practice with the lousy stuff. I imagine your friend is probably just wearing through the board. Many woods have a substantial moisture content that must be displaced before ignition can occur. The trick is modifying the speed of rotation to the changing condition of the wood. Watch for subtle changes in colour, resistance to friction and the first few wisps of smoke and granulation. This is easier shown than described.