The Foil Project

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

Watch Desert Winds Here: https://thefoilproject.vhx.tv/Hugh journeys to the Sunshine Coast and scores two epic 45km downwind training runs with Trent Gordon and Andrew Tibby. We dive into Trent's story of foiling and his preparation for the M2O this year, with his sights set on winning the over-40s category. Both of these guys are laser fast. Best of luck in the Hawaiian races lads!

Adrien and Luke are two of the leading foil chargers in the Byron Bay Area. Adrein is an all time frother and foil ripper, a super contagious person to hang around. After this interview, Luke went on to win the Surf Foil division, putting down some crazy snaps similar to the one in this intro video. It was great to get some sessions in with these guys and find the time to sit down for a chat.

Rent Desert Winds Here: https://thefoilproject.vhx.tv/

Watch Desert Winds Here: https://thefoilproject.vhx.tv/The Australian Tour of Desert Winds has just wrapped up, and the film is now available online (link above). Hugh travelled around Australia, recording podcasts along the way. This is episode 1 of the series, back in Perth after the trip of a lifetime. Each week on Wednesday, the next episode will come out, so keep an eye out for it!In this episode, Hugh catches up with Max and Steve, two co-founders of The Foil Project. They chat through all that has happened from the start of the project, and catch up on all things Aus Tour. We also call Noah (couldn't make it due to Covid) and hear another foiling story (please keep sending these in to [email protected] if you have them).Sit back and enjoy the episode!

Desert Winds Premiere Tickets: https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/thefoilproject/desert-winds-premiere-perth

Guy and Emma a two absolute rippers from UK and two of the most bubbly and lively people to be around. Scoring insane downwinders and giant wing foil waves in over 2000km of the West Aus Coast, I am pretty sure they have travelled more here than most locals. I first got in contact with Guy in early November through the Generic Foiling Pod guys after we were both CC'd in the same spam email (weird). Guy hit me up about doing some downwinders and getting his hands on a board (epic). Fair to say Guy and Emma both scored, and were luck to finally manage to line up the podcast just the day before they left.Sit back and enjoy this episode! It is certainly one to remember.Until next time, stay pumped.Contents:00:00 - Intro + Desert Winds Announcement03:34 - Start of the trip06:13 - Emma Learning to Downwind in Perth8:38 - Guy gets into foiling in 2013!116:29 - Emma Learns to Foil19:34 - What sparked this trip24:23 - Guys Olympic Campaign 31:11 - And the Travels Begin!48:04 - Travelling Dreams and Shark Stories54:50 - Crazy Northern Adventures\1:02:30 - 20 hour drive back down to Esperance1:07:10 - All the Gear! (and plenty of idea)1:09:20 - Downwind Racing1:12:25 - The Downwind Community1:15:00 - Going Back Home1:21:00 - Hugh’s Goal for the year - M2O1:23:00 - Full Foil Froth

Link to Gameface film: https://youtu.be/jUlWq3WxUK8

Josh and James don't need much introduction. As the two biggest "dick swingers" of Code Foils as the Generic Foiling Podcast would call it, this podcast was hardly an interview but a chat on all our favourite topics of foilers. This was recorded before the start of WA race week, so as a bit of an update, the weed turned out to be not nearly as bad as we had expected, and made for some great racing. James was consistent as always, coming 1st or 2nd for each race only behind Kai Thompson. Josh and I managed to sneak in for a 3rd place each in the last two races of the week. Sit back, relax and enjoy this episode of The Foil Project.

Contents:

00:00 - Intro

01:29 - Racing with Weed

12:45 - Game Face film

19:50 - James quitting his job to become full time foiler

24:38 - Steering the ship of foiling

33:36 - Downwind Surf Foil Competitions

40:08 - Surf Foil Style

48:02 - Food and drink while racing

58:40 - A good old stitch up and foiling etiquette

1:11:10 - Foiling Stories (foiling in the dark)

Let's set the scene. It is Sunday 19th of Jan, and the Northern Beaches Downwind Foil Race has just finished. Foilers are running up the beach, panting and bending over to get their breath back, and then they straighten up, and start to chat. And oh boy do foilers chat after a downwind race. Hugh quickly races to the car and grabs out his 360 cameras and two "pussycat microphones", and dives into the pack of these chatterboxes with full force. This isn't your ordinary podcast, no, this is a live action interview with 18, yes 18!, of the best downwind foilers in the world. Sit back, relax, and hear what they have to say. There are plenty of stories from the weekend, and well as race strategies, that are sure to get your foil brain ticking. Until next time,Stay Pumped!Contents:00:00 - Hugh’s Foiling Story02:18 - Luke Atkinson06:11 - Adrien Dustang09:35 - Jamie Wise12:22 - Oscar Johannson and Jake Dailey18:24 - Hobey Moss24:24 - James Casey31:43 - Jeremy Wilmotte and Luc Lohier41:58 - Ben and Mat from FoilDrive49:23 - Trent Gordan55:09 - Andrew Gibbons59:21 - Trevor King1:04:16 - Dave West and Jeremy Wilmotte1:14:09 - Josh Ku

Kai and Alex are two madmen from the Sunshine Coast Bump Hunters crew. At the time of this interview they were both competing in race week here in WA, where Kai was having a crazy battle with James Casey and Alex was consistently placing top 3. In the final race (the one happening the afternoon of this podcast) Hugh just managed to snag Alex, claiming the bronze instead of the choccy medal for the first time. Kai came second to James by just 0.9 of a second, meaning he claimed the overall championship for the weekend. Two absolute legends, cannot wait to come over and visit the Sunshine coast.Cheers Boys!Contents:00:00 - Intro01:45 - Perth Race Week7:49 - How did you get into foiling?10:44 - Doing the M2O with only 2 months prep15:37 - Alex Tibby and the M2O19:30 - Howling Winds in Perth21:50 - Downwind training Programs24:47 - Kai’s Secret Foil28:00 - Polishing Foils29:20 - Alex Tibby and Armstrong31:23 - Crazy Foiling Stories44:00 - What the boys do for work46:11 - Sunshine Coast Bump Hunters53:12 - Crozon Foil Fest