The Foil Pod

In Episode 18 of The Foil Pod, Rou Chater catches up with Marcus Tardrew, co-founder of Code Foils, to find out how a lifetime spent on the water led to the creation of one of foiling's most exciting brands.

From growing up on a sailing boat and chasing waves across Australia to launching Code Foils with his brother Ben, James Casey and Dan Juengling, Marcus has a brilliant story to tell. We get into the early days of the company, the challenges of building a foil brand from scratch and why getting on the water remains such an important part of the development process.

We also take a deep dive into Code's new R2 front wings, the thinking behind their latest range of prone, wing, pump, trench and downwind boards, and the rapid growth of foil assist. Marcus shares his thoughts on foil design, stiffness, efficiency and where he sees the sport heading next.

It's a fascinating chat with someone who lives and breathes foiling. Enjoy the episode!

https://codefoils.com/

For more foiling news, reviews and features, visit Tonic Magazine: https://www.tonicmag.com/

In Episode 17 of The Foil Pod, Rou Chater catches up with Ollie O’Reilly, Brand Manager at Starboard, to explore the evolution of watersports, the latest developments in foiling, and what goes on behind the scenes at one of the industry’s biggest brands.

Having joined Starboard back in 2014 during the height of the SUP boom, Ollie has witnessed some incredible changes in the industry. We chat about his journey from running a paddleboard school in Devon to working at Starboard’s headquarters in Thailand, the early days of SUP foiling, and how the brand is bringing decades of experience in board design to the rapidly evolving world of foiling.

We also get into the technical side of things, discussing Starboard’s innovative D2 construction, the thinking behind the Above and ACE board ranges, and some of the radical new shapes coming out of their development programme. Ollie shares his thoughts on making foiling more accessible, the challenges of managing such a diverse product range, and why Starboard is investing heavily in the future of the sport.

A fascinating conversation with someone who’s been at the heart of watersports development for over a decade. Enjoy the show!

https://star-board.com/collections/wing-foiling

Guy and Emma Bridge join Rou Chater on The Foil Pod to take us behind the scenes of the latest Home of Armstrong Tour movie and their first trip to New Zealand. They talk about heading deep into the South Island with the Armstrong crew, towing into some seriously chunky waves, exploring remote coastline, dodging the local wildlife and riding alongside some of the best foilers in the world.

Emma also shares what it was like making the trip while five months pregnant, while the pair chat about travelling the world with a mountain of foil gear, life with baby Nina and how they plan to keep the adventures rolling as a family.

Watch the movie here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eX_FrDH3qA

In this episode of The Foil Pod, Rou Chater sits down with Thomas Radiguet from Manta Foils to take a deep dive into the rapidly evolving world of e-foils and foil assist.

Thomas has been involved with electric foiling since the early days and brings a refreshingly broad perspective to the conversation. We talk about the shift from traditional e-foils towards lighter foil-assist systems, why he believes the market could follow a similar path to electric mountain bikes, and how batteries, motors and integrated boards are likely to develop over the next few years.

We also get into the challenges of combining high-powered electronics with salt water, the huge importance of reliability and after-sales support, Manta’s approach to zero-maintenance motors and travel-friendly batteries, and the debate between backpacks, trench boards and fully integrated systems.

It’s a fascinating look behind the technology, but also a wider conversation about where electric assistance fits into foiling, why it doesn’t need to replace prone or wing foiling, and how it could open up entirely new ways to get on the water.

https://www.mantafoils.com/

Cash Berzolla is one of the most exciting riders in foiling right now, but despite growing up surfing on Maui, he wasn’t exactly convinced when he first tried wing foiling. In fact, he actively resisted getting his own setup before eventually becoming completely hooked.

In this episode of The Foil Pod, Rou Chater catches up with Cash to talk about growing up on Maui, his journey from surfing into foiling and how the relationship between the two sports is beginning to change. They discuss why more professional surfers are quietly discovering foiling, Cash’s career with Armstrong, the films and trips that have helped his riding reach beyond the foil world, and the equipment he is currently using.

They also get into the more serious side of Cash’s riding, from foiling Jaws and tackling big waves to crossing the Hawaiian channels by downwind foil, including one mission that left him alone in the middle of the Kaiwi Channel struggling to get back onto foil.

Above all, Cash’s approach is refreshingly simple. Surf, wing, prone, downwind or whatever else gets you into the ocean, the important thing is to have fun.

Hit play and enjoy the episode.

Watch Cash In Action!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhycxL0H93A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtKs2JM1Mq8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37LDfUO52T4

Cabrinha owner Jon Modica is back on The Foil Pod, joining Rou Chater to talk about what’s next for the brand’s rapidly evolving foil programme.

At the centre of the conversation is the new Domani, Cabrinha’s 10 aspect ratio foil designed to deliver more speed, control and manoeuvrability when there’s plenty of energy in the conditions. Rou has already been riding the 960 across wing foiling, parawinging and prone foiling, giving them plenty to discuss about how it compares with the hugely successful Prestige.

Jon also takes us through the Tweaker tail system, reveals the new Winglet Monobloc stabiliser and gives us an early look at Cabrinha’s new parawing, developed with a focus on power, stability, upwind performance and ease of use.

They also get into the wider direction of foil design, why bigger foils are becoming increasingly capable, Cabrinha’s strategy of keeping product ranges simple and focused, and Jon’s perspective on where the watersports industry is heading.

Another fascinating conversation with one of the people helping shape the next generation of foiling equipment.

https://www.cabrinha.com/

The Kernow Foil Classic is back for 2026, and this year it’s shaping up to be something very special.

In this episode of The Foil Pod, Rou Chater catches up with longtime friend Chris Burke, founder and organiser of the Kernow Foil Classic, to talk about how a grassroots gathering at Daymer Bay has grown into one of the most exciting events on the UK foil calendar.

Chris explains why keeping the KFC inclusive and accessible remains at the heart of everything he does. This isn’t an event just for elite competitors. Whether you want to race for a result, freeride with your mates, try some new equipment, watch the action from the beach or simply hang out with the foil community over a beer afterwards, you’re invited.

And there should be plenty worth watching. Naumi Eychenne, Guy Bridge, Cash Berzolla, Finn Spencer, Jeffrey Spencer, Benoit Carpentier, Luke Atkinson, Tom Earl and Jack Ho are among the riders heading to Cornwall, giving UK foilers a rare opportunity to see some of the best riders in the world up close and riding the same conditions we do, rather than watching them on YouTube from the other side of the world.

Rou and Chris also discuss the evolution of the event, wing and prone competition, parawing, the arrival of foil assist, freeriding, demo equipment, the challenges of running a weather-dependent event in the UK and the new Celtic Crown collaboration with France’s Crozon Foil Festival.

Most importantly, they talk about why events like the KFC matter. Foiling is growing quickly, but Chris is determined that as the level rises, the community that built the sport doesn’t get left behind.

The Kernow Foil Classic runs from 29th September to 4th October 2026 in Cornwall.

Find out more, enter the competition or register as a freerider:

https://www.kernowfoilclassic.com/

Sponsors for this event are:

• Armstrong Foils, lead sponsor of Prone
• F-ONE, lead sponsor of Parawing
• Foil Drive, sponsor of Foil Assist
• Duotone, sponsor of Wing Foil
• The Mailing Room
• Slingshot
• AFS
• Viking
• Appletree
• Blundstone
• Code Foils
• AXIS
• Surflogic
• Soöruz
• Kāohi
• Ozone
• Poseidon Watersports, event host 

Read more foiling stories, reviews, interviews and features at:

https://www.tonicmag.com/

The Foil Pod is brought to you by Tonic Mag, with support from our Diamond Sponsors Armstrong Foils, Cabrinha and Ozone.

In this episode of The Foil Pod, Rou Chater sits down with Matt Maxwell, Marketing Manager for Starboard Wing and Starboard Foil.

Matt’s journey through the watersports industry is a fascinating one. Growing up in South Africa, he progressed from bodyboarding and SUP into strapless kitesurfing, eventually joining the F-ONE international team. But rather than putting everything into becoming a professional athlete, Matt recognised early on that education could open up a much longer career within the industry.

He studied product design before adding marketing to his skillset, eventually working with Under Armour before an opportunity at Starboard brought him back into the watersports world.

Rou and Matt chat about the realities of being a young sponsored rider, breaking into an international team, why education matters, what he learned from working for a huge global brand, and how relationships within the industry ultimately helped shape his career.

They also dive into the evolution of FreeWing into Starboard Wing, the restructuring of Starboard’s foil business, the thinking behind the UCS foil connection system, product development, testing, and why greater standardisation could be good for the foiling industry.

It’s a great conversation about watersports, careers, education, product design, marketing, and finding a way to turn a passion for the sport into something that can last a lifetime.

If you enjoy the episode, please follow The Foil Pod, leave us a five-star rating, and share it with someone who might enjoy it.

More from Tonic Magazine: tonicmag.com

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In this episode of The Foil Pod, Rou Chater sits down with Starboard Foils designer and brand manager Tiesda You to talk about his journey from shaping windsurf boards as a teenager in Qatar to leading foil development for one of the sport’s most innovative brands. They discuss how design has evolved from hands-on shaping bays to computer-driven hydrodynamics, the challenges of stiffness, materials and connection systems, and the thinking behind Starboard’s new foil range. It is a fascinating insight into the process behind the equipment we ride and the future of foil design.

Check out the new range here: https://starboardfoils.com

Join us for an in-depth conversation with wing foil racing legend Mathis Ghio as we explore his journey from windsurfing to high-speed wing foiling, the development of innovative equipment like the Ozone Fusion wings, and insights into the future of racing and speed records.

Check out his Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mathisghio/