The Foil Project

By Hugh Mitchell (Hubert)Sports

The Foil Project episodes

January 04, 2025 The Foil Project 2025: where we came from and where we are going | Ep. 25
This is the start of The Foil Project 2025 big things to come!
If you are interested in downwind foil coaching around Perth please check out our website https://thefoilproject.com/
If you enjoyed this episode please like and subscribe, and share it with all your fellow foil frothers! It will help us a lot.
Until next time, stay pumped!
17 min
December 14, 2024 We Foiled the ENTIRE Ningaloo Reef: A 300km multi-day downwind |Ep. 24
The boys kick back and relax for a laid back conversation discussing the foil adventure that they had just been on. Foilers Hugh, Julian, Doni and Reedie tell us a bit about the experience of exploring and foiling the coast, while James and Jarv chat about the drive and the surf along the way.
Full Video is in the Editing Booth and will be released sometime early next year! If you want to see some more clips, head to The Foil Project instagram!
Contents
00:00 - Intro
04:19 - Day 1 - Red Bluff to Gnaraloo Bay
13:55 - Day 2 - Gnaraloo Bay to Coral Bay
24:28 - Day 3 - Coral Bay to Winderabandi
36:35 - Day 4 - Winderabandi to Osprey Bay
49:32 - Day 5 - Osprey Bay to Mildura Wreck
1:00:10 - Shoutout to the bands that helped us!
1 hr 4 min
December 02, 2024 Andrew Readhead: Solo 200km+ Downwind Foil, a Casual Car Chat | Ep.23
Caught up with Andrew Readhead for a casual car chat as we head up for another downwind adventure. "Reedie" is right into his adventure racing, and this run has definitely pushed the limits of sport. We dive into all that happened in the 12 hour long run, and ask about the mindset that it takes to do these crazy adventures. Just like us, I hope you can sit back, relax and enjoy!
1 hr 8 min
November 30, 2024 Grae Morris: How Downwind Foiling helped Grae Win an Olympic Medal | Ep. 22
Our first Olympic Medalist, Grae Morris, joins us on the podcast! We start by chatting about his Olympic campaign, then launch into all the Crazy Downwind Adventures Grae has had while traveling the world.
Intro
Grae Morris grew up in Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, Australia. His father Brett Morris, was a former national windsurfing champion, now Grae has followed in his footsteps. Grae transitioned to the foiling discipline at age 14 and combined with his power and endurance from both Rugby and Rowing he has become a fierce sailing competitor. This year, Grae crowdfunded $10,000 dollars to attend the Paris Olympics, where he won Australia a silver medal in the IQFoil Event. Congrats Grae!
Last year, I did a SUP downwind foil run Grae off the coast of Perth while he was here training. So, I’ve seen first hand that you’re a super talented downwind foiler. I also heard some of the crazy stories of downwind sends that he has been doing back home in Sydney, and I would love to get into them during this podcast.
Episode Summary
00:00 - Intro
02:04 - Grae’s Olympic Campaign
09:40 - 2028 Olympics Here we come!
11:51 - Training Regime
17:12 - IQ Foiling Gear
26:48 - How Downwind Foiling helps for Wind foiling
31:55 - Downwind Foiling as an Olympic Sport?
36:47 - Crazy Downwind Sends with Perth Stanlick
44:22 - Downwinders in Europe are mental!
50:57 - The IQ foil tack, sailing best kept secret?
Until next time, Stay Pumped!
57 min
November 17, 2024 Perths Frothiest Foiler: Will Phillips | Ep.21
Will, you are an absolute legend! Such a fun episode to film, positive vides all round. From mental prone runs to whacky funny videos, this episode "Will" keep you entertained.

Contents
00:00 - Intro
01:28 - Get to know Will
05:18 - East Coast Trip to see Cold Play
11:06 - Crazy Prone Downwind Sends
19:07 - Prone around Hilarys
21:40 - Dock Thieving
28:23 - Foiling Stories
32:37 - The foiling community

Until next time. Stay pumped!
41 min
October 18, 2024 WA's Foiling Twins: Mon and Sil's Story + interview with Hammertime! | Ep. 20
This episode we are joined by Mon and Sil, twins and full frothers of all things foiling here in WA. We listen to some more foiling stories, and Hugh chat's to Mitch Hammond, winner of the Vaikobi giveaway. Enjoy the episode!Mon and Sil were born and raised in Brazil, where they were taught how to windsurf by their mother on the island Ilha Bela. This is where they got their love for water sports. After moving to Australia, both the twins started picking up SUP surfing, both over the age of 30. Mon now has been crowned State Champion for Open SUP surfing 5 times and the Australian Champ for 40s. Sil followed suite becoming state champion for over 40’s twice.Now both twins are right into Wing Foiling, SUP surf foiling, and have started dipping their toes into downwind foiling.Episode Content:00:00 - Intro03:33 - Learning to Windsurf in Brazil05:53 - Moving to Australia and learning to SUP09:04 - Snapping SUP and starting foiling17:24 - Evolution of the Shop22:31 - Girls in Perth foiling 25:33 - The Twins #1 Tip27:24 - Twins Foiling Stories33:33 - FOILING STORY GIVEAWAY44:14 - Catching up with HAMMERTIMEAs always, stay pumped!
59 min
October 15, 2024 WA Race Week in Perth | Race information and what to expect as a Downwind SUP Foil Competitor
Perth Race Week - Thursday 21st to Thursday 28th of November
Races
SSS Sunset Series 1 -Thursday 21st
SSS Sunset Series 2 - Tuesday 26th
SSS Sunset Series 3 - Thursday 28th
FENN WEST COAST DOWNWINDER - Saturday 23rd of November
FUN RUN - Sunday 24th of November (more information of course to be released)
More Race Info and Tickets here: https://raceroster.com/events/2024/91052/shaw-and-partners-wa-race-week-2024
Can’t wait to see everyone here! If you have any questions feel free to drop them in the comments or message @danj_foils or @mitchell_foils on instagram.
14 min
September 30, 2024 Zane Westwood: VAIKOBI FOILING STORY GIVEAWAY + Unbounded conversations (Part 2)
Thanks everyone for the foiling stories! Entries are now closed, your winner: HAMMERTIME!
This episode follows on from the previous episode chatting to Zane Westwood. If you want to hear the full conversation start there!
Check out TFP coaching here: thefoilproject.com
#foiliing #hydrofoiling #downwind
Timeline:
00:00 -Foiling Stories!! - vote now!
16:00 - Start of the episode with Zane
00:00 - Riding shorter fuses, and longer fuses?
20:01 - Gear to learn Downwind
23:30 - First time seeing a foil
25:36 - Foil Fest
29:28 - How to judge a foil contest
32:29 - Tow Boogie!
35:31 - Partnership with Amos
45:30 - Surfing vs. racing downwind
47:59 - Getting speed downwind
52:58 - Reading waves surfing vs. downwind
54:03 - Bottom Turns Surf foiling
59 min
September 20, 2024 ZANE WESTWOOD: An Unbounded Conversation (Part 1) | Ep. 19
🚨🚨🚨 VAIKOBI LIFE V3 VEST GIVEAWAY 🚨🚨🚨
🚀🚀 Send in your best foiling stories to the The Foil Project instagram or send us an email! Links below ⬇️
https://www.instagram.com/thefoilproject/
Email: [email protected]
Description
Zane is someone in the foiling community who probably doesn’t need any introduction. He has been pushing the limits of the sport over the last couple years, culminating in his new foiling film Unbounded, which compares the similarities foiling to different crafts in Chile. He has been pushing the art of surf foiling towards surfing and rips some insane lines with probably the best style out there.
Zane has also got into downwind foiling helping to shape the Bullet for Amos shapes. Zane completed a 75km foil on the !st of October last year and the video he posted caused none other than the GOAT kelly slater to re-post it on his own story…
Join in the conversation... it's a good one. And let us know what you think in the comments!
Episode Progression
00:00 - Intro
02:33 - Kelly Slater Post
08:11 - Foil Shimming: Downwind vs. Surf foiling
15:15 - UNBOUNDED: A short Foil Film
22:55 - Digging out the Van
24:06 - How was UNBOUNDED filmed?
25:40 - Eating healthy and performing your best
29:15 - The Flow State
34:54 - GIVEAWAY! Send in your foiling stories
37:40 - Interview with Pat Langley from VAIKOBI
42:17 - Hawaii Downwind Season
52:27 - Outro
54 min
September 13, 2024 Footstraps for Downwind, 100km Cape to Cape Foil and tiny proto wings: Doni + Julian | Ep. 18
Doni and Julian are two of the most talented downwind foilers here in Perth. Julian was one of the first people in WA to start downwind foiling, and has tried his way through a wide range of equipment. Since then, he has helped pull Doni into this crazy adventure of foiling with him.

They are both pushing the limits whether it be trying out crazy small foils, using footstraps, planning and completing some epic foil missions or just seeing how much time they can wrangle out of their busy schedules to go foiling as much as possible. (Julian is an engineer and Doni a landscape architect.)

I want to finish this description with a quote that Doni said at the end of the podcast. (Maybe one of my favourite quotes because it resonated with me)

“I often thought of [downwinding] as something that I would never do, and now I can’t see myself living without it” - Doni

Downwind foiling has such a hard barrier for entry, but the battle to get there is definitely worth the reward.

Until next time... Stay Pumped!

Timeline:
00:00 - Intro
01:01 - Doni’s First Downwind Foiling memories
04:53 - Learning to Foil
13:07 - Width of board, is thinner better?
14:30 - 100km+ Foil in Margaret River - The Cape to Cape trail
29:15 - Rottnest Run Nightmare
31:53 - Footstraps on a Downwind Board!!???
36:54 - Small boards the laughing stock of Hawaii
44:05 - Paddling Tiny Surf Prototypes
51:24 - How to read the bumps in Hawaii
54:57 - Hawaiian Race Experience
1:05:03 - Sailing around the world: Part 2
1 hr 15 min

About The Foil Project

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Foiling has a story, and we are here to help write it. Join in on conversations with some of the worlds best foilers and local heroes to learn what makes them tick and what makes this sport so…