Austin Tovey (@austintovey) is a world class waterman excelling in foil, kite, wake and wing.  He threw the first tantrum in the surf and first raley behind the boat on foil. He is consistently landing 360 airs frontside and backside and goes huge on everything!  Austin comes on to talk about the progression in foil airs, his incredible relationship with his dad/tow partner/foiler who is also as frothy as he is, how he sees skill-mapping, and what makes Jax Beach epic for a waterman.  Plus tons more...

Austin Tovey - King of Strapped Surf Airs

101 - Kai Lenny

Laird Hamilton is a world renowned waterman.  He is a pioneer in big wave surfing, sup surfing, and foil surfing.  In this episode he chronicles the early days of foiling, discusses training and flow states, risk assessment, staying true to his North Star and why his goal is to be the Old Wizard.

106 - Laird Hamilton

Oskar Johansson (@oskar_foil) has skyrocketed to the top of the foil world.  He holds the record for time on foil in the surf, is a consistent top finisher in downwind races, and one of the best prone and tow.  Enjoy!

122 - Oskar Johannson

Armie Armstrong is the founder of Armstrong Foils and has been at the forefront of foil design and innovation from the early days.  This is a wide ranging conversation, from the design process changes that lead to the new HA line, to recounting the struggles of getting their first foils to market.  Enjoy

131 - Armie Armstrong

Stacy Peralta (@stacyperalta) is a pioneer in skateboarding but defines himself as a surfer... one who is now foil brained!  Stacy recounts his journey from professional athlete, to team manager, how he spotted and nurtured talent like Tony Hawk, why he moved on from stakeboarding into film making, his anti-mentors, and maybe the best definition of flow states I've yet heard.  This episode is a personal favorite, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

132- Stacy Peralta

Josh Waitzkin embodies this podcast's core themes of living a life guided by passion, deliberate practice and the art of learning, in fact, he actually wrote the book on it.  Josh is an 8x US Chess Champion 2x, Tai Chi Push Hands World Champion, and a Brazilian Jui Jitzu Black Belt under Marcelo Garcia.  He was the first guest on this podcast and is a dear friend and training/thought partner.  He rarely does any media and it's an honor to have him on the show.  Enjoy!

134 - Josh Waitzkin

Charles Dasher, also known as Dasher (@dasherfilms), runs a wing foil camp in Bonaire. With a lifelong passion for chasing wind, he has a background in windsurfing and is an early adopter of wing foiling. He is also a videographer.

135 - Charles Dasher

Steve Tobis returns to discuss the race scene in maui and the upcoming M2M and M20, foil design and testing we've been doing with UniFoil, board design trends and training for downwind.

136 - Steve Tobis

Living legend Dave Kalama returns to discuss his current mindset, how downwind as a sport is progressing, how good ideas can be missed, the evolution of design and his battle to love high aspect foils.

137 - Dave Kalama

Edo Tanas (@whoedo) is the current world champ in downwind foiling winning both the M2O and M2M this year.  This episode is an inside look at what creates a champion, his olympic wind surfing goals, transition to foiling, spending his teen years in Hong Kong, and his move to Hawaii.

140 - Edo Tanas

Zeke Lau (@zekelau) is a professional surfer from Hawaii.  He's a 2x Sunset Pro champ and won the US Open of Surfing and The Ultimate Surfer.  In 2018 Zeke started prone foiling and then this year he's taken on downwind.  This is a wide ranging conversation covering the struggles of the dw journey, differences in flow states between surfing and foiling and competition, his approach to learning and why maybe it's not the best way to learn dw by full sending an 8 mile run before really getting the pop up dialed.  You guys are going to love this one!  Enjoy.

141 - Zeke Lau

Ziggy Alberts is an Australian musician and lifelong waterman with a love foiling and twin-fins.  In this episode we explore the relationship between music and surfing, the feelings foiling and playing huge crowds, tour life, foil board design, foil design evolution and so much more.  For those of you who haven't heard Ziggy's music, I've included a personal favorite song, Runaway, right after the intro.  Enjoy!

ARIA Triple Platinum Certified, independent Australian singer-songwriter, Ziggy Alberts ( @ziggyalberts ) shares his love of nature and the ocean not only through his lyrics but in his pursuit of waves and adventure whenever possible. "Surfing and music are the balance for my life. It keeps me accountable to pursuing my adventures, which keeps me free and it works great because I always end up working on so much music and poetry while on surf trips. Without surfing and without adventure there isn't that raw, rugged nature and physicality which is so part and parcel to my inspiration. WIthout surfing and adventure, it is just empty words because a lot of people identify my music and poetry with a sense of adventure" said Ziggy.

142 - Ziggy Alberts

Cliffy and Erik break down the design and testing process for the Evolution foils that just released.  They discuss how the design game has changed in the last two years, what precision is now needed in the prototype process and how UniFoil changed their process to accurately test more refined foils, and the addition of an F1 areo engineer to the team for CFD analysis.

143 - Clifford Coetzer on the Evolution

Eric Christensen (@ericfoil) is a foil surfer from Texas, maybe the first. Eric loves all aspects of foiling, prone, downwind, wing and towing, and most of the spots and runs he's doing, he pioneered.  This is his 3rd time on the pod and we discuss how the sport is evolving, how surprisingly good Texas can be, how experiencing real fear at 17 while being shot at changed his perspective and more...  enjoy.

144 - Eric Christensen

Balz Muller (@radiculo) might be the most progressive foiler on the planet.  He's also the most stoked and it's infectious.  In this episode Balz talks about his new love of the parawing, the rapid progression in wing foiling, how he sees his role in the foiling world and tons more.  Enjoy!

146 - Balz Muller

Dave Galvin (@daveinflux) is a passionate waterman, foil frother, and competitive downwind foil racer. He began his career as a UCI professional cyclist, racing for BMC Racing Team in the U.S. and Europe, and also worked as a mountain guide. 

Currently, he is a partner at Three Fish Capital, which he co-founded in 2014 to invest in early to growth-stage technology companies. He was previously CEO of UniqueSoft and UncommonX and held multiple roles at IBM focused on M&A, venture investing, and AI strategy. Dave holds an MBA from Kellogg and a dual degrees in Physics and Economics from the University of Virginia.

He lives, landlocked, outside Charlottesville, VA with his wife and three children, and spends most of his time dreaming about downwinding...and some time actually downwinding.

147 - David Galvin

Zane Westwood (@zane_westwood) comes back on the show to recap his last year, the Foil Fest event that he's running, how his downwind boards have evolved, and other foil awesomeness.

148 - Zane Westwood

Simeon and Kahi from the Voyager Foil Camps  (@voyager_foiler) come back on the show after a year of running camps to share what they've learned from coaching downwind.  

149 - Voyagers Sim and Kahi

Josh Ku's back on the show!  Since his last appearance Josh has fully committed to foiling as a profession, taking jobs with both Foil Drive and Code.  With his new position he's been traveling the world and has seen the growth of foiling and all its disciplines.  

150 - Josh Ku

Mike Pedigo is now officially on the UniFoil team and is heading up sales for Uni.  He comes back on the show to discuss what he's learned from talking to all the retailers, what feels he's been chasing, his recent van build and van life, and much more.  Always great to have Mike in the studio.

151 - Mike Pedigo

Christian Park (@c_foils) is a foiler based in Hawaii.  He's had an insane journey in the last 2 years, and foiling might have saved his life in a roundabout way.  This is a crazy story of inspiration and hope.  Make sure you listen to the end to hear his song, Beautiful Human.  It's amazing.

152 - Christian Park

Jack Ho (@jackfromtown) is a professional foil surfer based in Hawaii and one of the first true professional foilers traveling the world and documenting his adventures with F-One. Jack rips on everything—foils, shortboards, longboards, alai’a—if it rides waves, Jack sends it. His YouTube channel is a personal favorite.

In this podcast, Jack shares what it’s really like to be a professional waterman, comparing the day-to-day reality to the dream.

153 - Jack Ho

Andrew Gibbons (@long.armed.ape) is one of the top minds and riders in the downwind foiling scene. We talk about the emotional highs and lows of race season, his recent move to Maui, and his new role as an R&D designer at Naish. Andrew opens up about navigating the transition from full-time athlete to industry insider, the tension between performance and flow, and how foiling continues to evolve as both sport and art form. If you’re into design, racing, or just living an unconventional path, this one’s full of wisdom and inspiration. Let’s get into it.

154 - Andrew Gibbons

Today I’m joined by one of my favorite guests, waterman and innovator Dave Kalama. We dive into the story behind his new foil board, the Gator, and how it’s changing the game for efficiency and feel. Dave shares his experimental design process, from scale models to real-world testing, and we explore the crossover between creativity, discipline, and performance. We talk racing, the mental side of progression, and even how a little caffeine can give you an edge — all with Dave’s signature wisdom and stoke.

155 - Dave Kalama on Creativity and the Gator

In this episode, Erik sits down with Matt (@foil.me.harder)  for a deep dive into the state of foiling—four years since their last conversation. They talk candidly about the real costs of chasing progression, the gear that changed everything, and why some classics still hold up today. Matt breaks down how wind actually becomes the bumps we ride, shares practical forecasting tips, and reflects on how downwind has evolved into a true “infinite game.” They also touch on foil-drive, the shifting sponsorship landscape, and an upcoming SoCal race. It’s equal parts stoke, science, and honest perspective on where the sport is headed.

156 - Foil Me Harder Matt

Australian downwind phenom Kai Thompson joins the Progression Project to unpack his breakout 2025 Hawaiian race season—top-five in every event and podiums in the big ones. We dive into the mindset and monster mileage that powered his leap from mid-pack to elite, including back-to-back Maliko missions, 45 km coast runs, and cross-training that would humble most athletes. Kai breaks down reading bumps vs. fitness vs. gear, shares candid lessons from M2M/M2O, and explains why start strategy and consistency win races. We also talk board/foil choices, how the Gator-style downwind boards changed his game, and why the next gear wave will push average speeds past 20 mph. If you love foiling, endurance, and the craft of getting faster, this episode is pure rocket fuel.

157 - Kai Thompson

Surf legend Gerry Lopez joins the Progression Project to talk foiling, flow, and the lifelong joy of being a beginner again. We dive into Gerry’s evolution from pioneering Pipeline to SUP, snowboarding, and now full-on foiler—unpacking how gear design serves intention, why smaller boards and foil drive setups changed his approach, and how the best surfing is a meditative state he still taps every session. He shares candid stories with Stacy Peralta, lessons from shaping, what today’s crowded Pipe looks like through his eyes, and the stoke of passing wave-riding on to his son, shaper Alex Lopez. It’s a masterclass in style, humility, and discipline—proof that chasing harmony with moving energy never gets old.

158 - Gerry Lopez

Erik sits down with freeride snowboarding legend and Jones Snowboards founder Jeremy Jones (@jeremyjones) to talk about how he’s become fully “foil brained” and why he sees foiling as the ultimate glide. They dive into the humbling beginner phase, flow states, and how foiling delivers big-mountain feelings with far less consequence, from Tahoe lakes to Florida downwinders. Jeremy shares how gear design can teach you, what it’s like watching his kids step into serious backcountry terrain, and how shared board sports deepen family bonds. They also touch on preparing kids for an uncertain, AI-shaped future and why following true passion—whether in the mountains, on foil, or in music—is the best long-term play.

159 - Jeremy Jones

In this episode of the Progression Project Podcast, Erik Antonson sits down with Lucas Schuler (@foilonly) to tell an inspiring, real-life leap-of-faith story rooted in foiling, family, and purpose. Lucas shares how he walked away from a successful social media company in Germany, moved with his wife and two young kids to the Canary Islands without a clear plan, and ultimately built a new life centered around foiling—now working with Foil Drive, coaching, and chasing big downwind adventures. From 50-kilometer crossings and island life to deeper reflections on flow states, risk, skill acquisition, and trusting your intuition, this conversation goes far beyond gear talk. It’s a powerful reminder of what can happen when you fully commit to what you love—and let the process shape who you become.

Hit up Lukas on instagram if you'd like to experience the Canary Islands or are looking for foil drive, wing, parawing or downwind coaching.

The Progression Project

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