On Modular Systems, Training and Racing His Own Designs
The race looked hectic... There was no wind! What happened out there?
Basically, the first 12 miles had almost no wind. We woke up expecting a windy, bumpy day, but about 30 minutes before the pre-race meeting, a rain squall came through and completely killed it. The rain cleared before the start, but the wind didn't return for another two hours. There was some leftover swell, but not enough time for proper bumps to develop, which made for a really tough race.
We heard a lot of competitors didn't finish. What happened?
Only around 60 stand-up foilers finished, and a lot of the wingers couldn't even get up. There was probably only one decent puff of wind that got people going. From there, it came down to who could stay on foil. Out of more than 100 SUP foilers, around 60 finished, so there were a lot of DNFs.
What does your training look like leading into race season?
During the off-season, I focus on weightlifting, foiling, and improving my strength-to-weight ratio. Then, as race season approaches, I shift toward endurance, VO₂ max, and longer sessions on the water. I work with Sam at Deep to Peak to build my training plan. She keeps me structured because my tendency is to overtrain. Next year I'd like to work with her through more of the off-season as well.
How much time do you actually spend training in the channel?
As much as I can. This year I managed one full training crossing, but I'd like to do a lot more next year. The guys who did really well spent much more time in the channel beforehand. Some are now foiling both Maui to Molokai and Molokai to Oahu in the same day. It's about learning what your body can handle and getting comfortable being uncomfortable.
During a race like this, what's going through your head?
On a normal day, you're thinking about your start, your position, and reading the water. But on Monday, I realized pretty quickly that it wasn't really a race anymore. It was a battle against the channel. I knew I had to manage my effort carefully. Some people pushed too hard early, expecting the conditions to improve. I paced myself, listened to my body, and when the wind finally picked up, I still had enough left to push through the finish.
Before the race, you mentioned being nervous about riding your own designs. Why?
I'm competitive. I want to go out there and win. But I'm also designing for a much broader group of riders. I wanted to build a foil that's fast, but also fun, stable, and something people can actually buy and enjoy. Meanwhile, a lot of the competitors were riding highly specialized race foils that may never go into production. I still wanted to prove our equipment could be competitive. This year showed me there's still plenty of room for growth in foil design, and that's exciting because it means we can keep pushing things forward.
Let's talk about the new modular foil system. Why was that such an important part of the design process?
One of our biggest goals was modularity. We wanted an aluminum fuselage that's both stiff and affordable, then build a system where riders can upgrade as they progress instead of replacing everything. Whether someone starts on a Siren or Excalibur, every future wing will work on the same fuselage, so they can keep evolving their setup as their riding evolves.
Why was it important to keep that system affordable?
A lot of brands are moving toward more expensive titanium systems to chase performance. There are definitely gains, but I don't think they justify the cost. We wanted to create something that delivers high performance without making people replace their whole setup or spend a fortune.
What do you think this result says about where Naish Foils are today?
Foil performance has progressed massively since COVID. Back then there were only a handful of competitors, whereas now there are more than 100. This top ten result shows we're back competing at the highest level. The other important point is that I was riding pre-production equipment that's going to be available to consumers, not one-off prototypes. I think that says a lot about where Naish Foils are heading. We can build equipment that's genuinely competitive while still being accessible to everyday riders.
