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Hugh had to get his paddle fixed on Maui, and stepping up to the task was none other than Frank Maffie. Step into Frank’s shaping bay and hang out with the man behind some of the fastest, most dialled-in foilboards on the planet. We’re talking resin fumes, fresh designs, race stories, and the little tweaks that make a big difference on the water.Thanks for helping with the interview, Jake! I hope you enjoy this episode!

It was the standard sunny summer day on the north shore of Maui. A constant 22-knot wind blows down the coast, creating ideal downwind conditions on the 15km Maliko harbour run. A crew of foilers are packing down their gear in the harbour carpark, comparing split times and discussing the best lines for speed. To Jake Dailey’s disgust, one brave foiler starts patting the local feral cat. Another ops for the sanitary choice, lying down under the foot tap, turning on the water for a makeshift shower. Someone quickly dances barefoot across the hot pavement to grab cars for the next shuttle, while others sit under swaying palm trees seeking shade. Suddenly, a murmur ripples through the crew of foilers. Head swivels towards the harbour, and T30 tools are lifted from half-unscrewed bolts. Even the local cat sits up straight to see what’s going on.

In through the small bumps of harbour dances a peculiar sight. A 6’3” foiler navigates the bumps, carrying a paddle in his hand, pumping high on the mast and rapping a cutback. But the cause of the commotion isn’t his unique style, above average height, nor the ease he navigates the small bumps, but rather the unique board under his feet.“What on earth is that?” gasps Dave West. “No way he paddled that up!” exclaims Luke Atkinson. “Ahhh get away from me!” yells Jake as the feral cat slides past his leg. “That thing looks epic!” exclaims Hugh Mitchell. “Woahhhh” sighs John Mann as he uses the temporary distraction to check out Kane De Wild’s foil.The board in question appears to defy physics, short, stubby and off-white, it shares an uncanny resemblance to a bar of soap. So short that it looks like a prone board, it is unlike any other in the car park. Giovanni De Le Rosa continues casually down the boat ramp, blissfully unaware of the commotion he has just caused up in the car park. He picks up the tiny contraption, walks to the back of his van, pulls out an esky, and starts handing out soft drinks, coconut water and beers to the starstruck crew.“What are the dimensions of that board?” the crowd asked in unison, followed by the sound of ice-cold cans cracking open and contented sighs from the much-needed hydration. “6 foot by 17” and 90L”, replies Gio casually, “Oh, and I call it the Soap Bar”

Flying into Oahu was a surreal experience. I landed at 5:30 a.m. with a message from Oskar Johannson telling me to meet at Tongg's Beach (where this was filmed) at 8:30 a.m. Next thing I know, I am jumping in a car with John to do an HK run, then a second, then a third, and you wouldn't believe it, a fourth. By 5 pm, I had been living off of John's trail mix, bottled water and electrolytes for the past 10 hours, my Garmin told me I needed 96 hours of recovery, and I was fully stoked.For those who know John, this is a pretty standard day. Each evening he sends a message out on the Oahu foiling chat with the times to meet for a downwind send the next day. It is not uncommon that he lists: 630, 830, 1030, 1230, 330... 5 runs in a day! And although he may not foil all of them, he sure will be there, helping with car drops, handing out trail mix and waters and keeping foilers foiling. It was epic to meet John on Oahu and see everything that he does for the sport here. He met every single one of us visitors with open arms and made this trip to Hawaii just that much more special. Cheers HearnDawg!

M2M Results: https://www.pseresults.com/2025-events/molokai-holokai-maui-to-molokai-2025?utm_source=M2O+Master+List&utm_campaign=c18e2b04ad-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_03_11_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e86d69ad1a-c18e2b04ad-620155043M2O Results: https://www.pseresults.com/2025-events/m2o-foil-edition-2025?utm_source=M2O+Master+List&utm_campaign=c18e2b04ad-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_03_11_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e86d69ad1a-c18e2b04ad-620155043Here it is, the last podcast for the Hawaii Race Season! Sorry it took so long to get out, Hugh has been on the move since the end of the race. What a time it has been in Hawaii, meeting so many amazing people you've only ever seen online. The atmosphere is insane, you can feel the sport growing, and hopefully, we just get more and more people interested. The atmosphere at the end of these races is seriously cool, and I hope it was captured in a way that transports you there.To all the athletes I talked to at the end of these races, a massive thank you! For everyone tuning in, thanks for spending an hour of your time listening to the stories, banter and insights.See you soon with some more standard podcast episodes!Contents:00:00 - Edo Tanas18:41 - Connor Tremble (Edo's filmer)21:21 - Annie Rieckert and Oskar J @OskarJohansson1  31:25 - Kai Thompson35:19 - Finn Spencer39:23 - Jeff Spencer47:00 - Jarrod Snow51:07 - Liam Wood and Shep Nelson54:23 - Marley Franco (#1 Wind Foiler for M2O)57:25 - Armie Armstrong and Oskar J1:02:48 - Outro

RACE RESULTS: https://www.pseresults.com/2025-events/paddle-imua-2025Join Hugh as he reviews the Paddle Imua race with some of the top competitors pushing the level of Downwind Foiling in what has to be THE BIGGEST TFP podcast yet. We have some massive names of Armie Armstrong, James Casey, Edo Tanas, Annie Rickeit, Hobey Moss, Kai Thompson and even Kai Lenny, all in 1 show! Come along for the adventure!Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to grab Kane (Mens 1st) and Gabby (Womens 2nd) for a chat after the end of the race. Hopefully can talk with them another time.I will try my best to bring a podcast for both the M2M and the M2O, but with logistics on Molokai, it may be tricky to get the microphones there. Worst comes to worst, there will be an M2M + M2O podcast review. A MASSIVE RUNDOWN!Thanks for tuning in. If you have any questions you would like answered or people I missed, please drop them in the comments!The best way you can support the podcast is by renting Desert Winds at thefoilproject.com . The support will go a long way in keeping these podcasts happening, and 5% of sales will also be donated to Protect Ningaloo. I promise that the film will not disappoint! 47 minutes of laughs, downwind and adventure, it is the longest foiling film to date and has been submitted to 4 ocean-related film festivals!timeline:00:00 - Kai Lenny + Tom Constant03:10 - Oskar Johansson + Annie Reickert10:00 - Add in Olivia Jenkins13:36 - Olivia Piana17:53 - James Casey21:55 - Edo Tanas32:35 - Kai Thompson33:47 - Guido Ferrer39:54 - Hobey Moss44:29 - Hugh’s Dad! Chris Mitchell47:00 - Armie Armstrong53:51 - Jadon Neuendorf

Rent Desert Winds at thefoilproject.comBen is an anaesthetist from the UK now living in Tasmania, and like the rest of us, he is addicted to foiling. Coming from other disciplines his most recent endeavour has been going full downwind mode, and he is seeing success. Ben talks us through his past of water sports and the state of foiling in both the UK and Tasmania. We also chat about Shipsterns bluff (before foiling it) and a heap of other interesting topics. This also has to be my favourite podcast for visuals as we drive through some beautiful scenery in Tasmania. What a place! Tasmania definitely is a place to remember.

Join Hugh as he chats to a group of the top foilers at the end of the 2025 Voyager x Wetfeet Downwind Race on Oahu, Hawaii.Content:00:00 - Edo Tanas09:09 - Nick Kapule15:40 - Gabriella Bella, Kane De Wilde and Oskar Johannson23:06 - Anne Starr27:26 - Kai Thompson30:08 - Simeon Ke-Paloma34:40 - Sinjin Bradley and Ryan Kim

Join Luc and Hugh as they drive back from an (eventful) tow foiling session on the Northern Beaches with fellow foiler Zac Chappelow. Luc recounts the story then dives into how he got into the sport and where he is going. On top of being an insane foiler, Luc is an engineering student and clearly has an epic path ahead! Can't wait to see what is in store for him and I hope you enjoy this episode.

Rent Desert Winds Here: thefoilproject.com

Perth has done his fair share of podcasts, including a Casey Catch Up... but probably none quite like this. Filmed in Perth's house, at 10pm with a few Asahi's it's about as raw as it gets. Great to chat Perth and stoked to continue to Aus Tour Podcasts!

Timeline:

00:00 - Podcast Intro

4:30 - Hawaii Race Training and Planning

18:01 - 85km Solo Downwind (How bad can it be?)

28:50 - Pro surfing Background

34:06 - Surfing 2016 Cape Fear Event

42:09 - Working as a Sous Chef for Jackie Chan

50:28 - Sous Chef to Carpenter

54:09 - How Perth Started Foiling