In this episode of the Foilers Podcast, Pete Walmsley sits down with Western Australian foiler Hugh Mitchell—one of the most inspiring young riders in the sport today.

Hugh’s journey into foiling started in 2019 with his dad’s first foil setup on the Swan River. Just a few years later, he’s chasing adventures across Australia downwind, competing in the legendary Molokai-to-Oahu race in Hawaii, coaching new foilers, running 'The Foil Project' podcast, and producing the adventure film 'Desert Winds'.

In this conversation, Hugh shares the full story behind his rapid rise in foiling—from working at the Foil Shop in Perth to embarking on a 300km remote downwind expedition along Western Australia’s coastline, encountering sharks offshore, and pushing his limits in some of the world’s toughest downwind conditions.

We also dive into:

• How Hugh discovered downwind foiling

• Lessons from working in the foiling industry

• The making of the Desert Winds film

• Touring the film around Australia

• Racing in the Hawaii Downwind Race Series

• Creating and running the 'Project Flow' foiling event

• Coaching foilers in Perth

• Becoming a sponsored rider

It’s a story about passion, pushing boundaries, and building community in one of the fastest-growing watersports in the world.

If you love foiling, adventure, and the people driving the sport forward, this episode is packed with inspiration.

Chris Doerfel — founder of Hydrofoil Academy Australia at the Woollahra Sailing Club in Sydney — joins the FOILERS Podcast to break down what actually helps people learn wing foiling (and prone foiling) faster.

Originally from Austria, Chris has spent 20+ years in ocean sports (windsurfing, kiting, surfing) and explains how COVID kicked off his wing foiling obsession — to the point of doing multiple sessions a day — and how that momentum turned into a coaching program built around making foiling accessible, safe, and fun.

In this episode we get into:

• How the foiling scene in Sydney evolved from a tiny crew to a fast-growing community

• Why beginner gear has changed massively

• The real reason beginners struggle

• Chris’s approach: tow behind a boat vs Foil Drive assist (who should do what, and why)

• The underrated skills

• The most common mistake Chris sees

• Why prone foiling is booming in Australia

• Gear trends

• Big-picture - what foiling can learn from the windsurfing boom

If you’re a beginner, an intermediate chasing cleaner gybes/takeoffs, or you’re just frothing on where foiling is going next — this one’s packed with practical insight and plenty of stoke.

🎧 Subscribe to FOILERS for more interviews with the people shaping foiling — from designers to coaches and riders.

Chris Porter, aerospace engineer and founder of Crisp Foils unpacks the science, experimentation, and rider feedback behind high-performance foil design — with a deep dive into why stabilisers play such a critical role in how a foil feels and performs on the water.

Chris explains how his background in aerospace engineering and CNC machining led him to focus on one of the most overlooked components in foiling setups: the stabiliser. While most riders obsess over front wings, Chris breaks down how changes to stabiliser size, aspect ratio, flex, foil section and trailing-edge finish can dramatically affect pumping efficiency, carving feel, speed range and overall control.

The conversation covers:

• Why stabilisers deliver the biggest performance gains per dollar

• Choosing stabiliser size based on rider height, weight and discipline

• The role of stabilisers in pump foiling, downwind foiling, winging and prone

• How poor trailing-edge finishing causes foil noise — and how to fix it

• Shimming, foot pressure and tuning your setup for different speed ranges

• Designing stabilisers for everyday riders vs elite athletes

Chris also shares his journey from backyard prototyping to working with Armstrong Foils, collaborating with Code Foils, and designing stabilisers ridden by elite foilers — including Oscar Johansson’s world-record pump foiling session.

If you’re an intermediate or advanced foiler looking to tune your setup, or you’ve ever wondered why a simple stabiliser change can completely transform your ride, this episode will change how you think about foil performance. Enjoy