The Progression Project
The Progression Project is a podcast hosted by Erik Antonson. It focuses on personal development and growth, exploring topics that help listeners progress in their lives and careers. Each episode offers insights and stories aimed at inspiring positive change. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts.
Episodes
170 - Edo Tanas
Edo Tanas joins the show after an incredible Hawaiian race season capped by his third straight Molokai 2 Oahu victory. We dig into the training, mindset and equipment development behind his season, including his move to Slingshot, how his approach to fitness and recovery has evolved, and the changing technique and gear at the highest level of downwind racing. Edo also tells the wild story of his H
169 - Zeke Lau M2O Post Mortem
Zeke Lau joins the Progression Project fresh off completing Hawaii's full downwind race circuit, recounting the brutal, glassy-conditions M2O where he battled cramps and serious doubt before fighting through to the finish; the conversation ranges from channel-crossing safety and gear choices to how returning to "beginner" status in foiling has reshaped his perspective on ego, fear, and joy in the
168 - Marc Willers
On this episode of the Progression Project, I sit down with Olympic BMX racer and Subi Riders founder Mark Willers (subiriders) Mark's journey took him from representing New Zealand at two Olympic Games to reimagining what foiling could become by combining it with the sport he knows best—BMX. We dive into the highs and lows of chasing an Olympic dream, the mindset required to perform at the highe
167 - Greg Drexler
Greg Drexler from Boardriding Maui joins the show for a deep dive into style, simplicity, and the evolution of wind-powered foiling. We get into Greg’s roots in windsurfing and kiting, the design philosophy behind BRM, the early days of parawings, why the new S3 became the benchmark, and how stripping gear down to its essence can unlock more freedom on the water. This one is a great look inside th
166. - Guillaume Colin
In this episode of the Progression Project, I sit down with Guillaume Collin (@gcolin.impact), an adaptive surfer, wing foiler, and engineer from the south of France. After a glider accident in 2015 left him paraplegic, Guillaume shares his journey of recovery, acceptance, and rebuilding his life around what’s still possible. We talk about how surfing and foiling brought him back to flow, freedom,
165 - Mala'e Mcelheny
This episode is a deep dive into the current progression of foiling with one of the sport’s most exciting young riders, Mala'e Mcelheny @malae_mcelheny). We talk about how riding has evolved toward speed, flow, and strapless carving, and how downwind foiling is reshaping style across every discipline. The conversation covers everything from race strategy for Molokai to Oahu, gear choices and foil
164 - Kyle from Project Cedrus
This episode of the Progression Project Podcast features a conversation between host Erik and Kyle of Project Cedrus, exploring the rapid evolution of foil equipment and the engineering behind mast design. They dive into how stiffness, drag, and materials like carbon vs. forged aluminum affect performance, why mast design has become a major frontier in foiling, and how different disciplines—from
163 - Nic Reeser
On this episode of the Progression Project, I sit down with Nick Reeser — a rising force in the world of foiling whose background blends Olympic-level sailing lineage, elite water knowledge, and a relentless drive to push limits. Growing up in a family of competitive sailors and now serving as a navigator in the United States Coast Guard, Nick brings a unique perspective on ocean conditions, perfo
162 - Alex Aguera
In this episode of the Progression Project, Erik sits down with Alex Aguera, founder of GoFoil and one of the true originators of modern foiling, to put the real beginning of the sport on record. From hand-building the first high-lift foil for Kai Lenny in 2015 to the now-legendary sessions that sparked surf, downwind, and everything that followed, Alex shares the firsthand story behind the viral
161 - Mike Pedigo
In this episode, Erik sits down with returning guest Mike Pedigo for a deep, honest, and often hilarious breakdown of the parawing learning journey. From early failed attempts and full-on frustration to breakthrough moments, gear experimentation, and real-world lessons learned the hard way, this conversation covers what it actually takes to integrate parawinging into a foiling life. They dig into
160 - Lukas Schuler
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 cen
159 - Jeremy Jones
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 d
158 - Gerry Lopez
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
157 - Kai Thompson
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 bum
156 - Foil Me Harder Matt
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 h
155 - Dave Kalama on Creativity and the Gator
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 p
154 - Andrew Gibbons
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 a
153 - Jack Ho
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 waterm
152 - Christian Park
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.
151 - Mike Pedigo
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.
150 - Josh Ku
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.
149 - Voyagers Sim and Kahi
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.
148 - Zane Westwood
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.
147 - David Galvin
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
146 - Balz Muller
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!
145 - Ed Junquet
Ed Junquet is a foil surfer from New Jersey who has pioneered his coastline. He has competed in downwind races around the world and shares his experiences and knowledge learned along the way. Ed rides for Green Hat surf shop and not a specific brand which allows him to test everything. Even in the heart of winter in NJ they're still sending!
144 - Eric Christensen
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...
143 - Clifford Coetzer on the Evolution
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.
142 - Ziggy Alberts
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
141 - Zeke Lau
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
140 - Edo Tanas
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.
139 - Andrew Sayre
Andrew Sayre is a Hood River based foiler who describes himself as jack of all trades, professional at none. From Rhode Island, a sailor, surfer and backcountry skier who made his way to the Gorge via an extended stint in Jackson Hole, he now calls Hood River home. A KT team rider and SUP foiling addict, he logs 200+ days on the water with the local group of riders all pushing the sport forward. O
138 - Cash Berzolla
Cash Berzolla is an 18-year-old waterman from Maui who is currently leading progression in wing foiling. He's recently released "Cash" a short film showcasing his foiling in South Africa. In this podcast we discuss his early start in surfing, approach to learning and progression, the J-Bay experiment and filming Cash and his new found love of music. Enjoy!
137 - Dave Kalama
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.
136 - Steve Tobis
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.
135 - Charles Dasher
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.
134 - Josh Waitzkin
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
133 - Albert Matheny
Albert Matheny (@promix) is the founder of Promix Nutrition and the Soho Strength Lab. He comes on the show to discuss the specific nutrition and training demands for foiling.
Albert holds a Master of Science degree in Human Performance, Bachelor of Science degrees in Exercise Physiology and Food Science/Human Nutrition, and is licensed as a Registered Dietitian.
Albert was an athlete at the Un
132- Stacy Peralta
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 pe
131 - Armie Armstrong
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
130 - Paul Cooper
130 - Paul Cooper by Erik Antonson
129 - Greg Falck
Greg is a waterman, engineer and co-founder of Omen Foils. He spent 9 years in the Canadian Military including 4 years in the Special Forces, eventually moving to the coast to pursue his dream of advancing kitesurfing through science and engineering. Greg started working with Ocean Rodeo as the lead on the project which has become known as Aluula Composites.
Greg comes on the show to discuss his
128 - Josh Ku
Josh Ku comes on to talk about some big changes in his foiling life and his recent dive into foildrive and hybrid foiling. Josh is legend and I couldn't be more stoked for him! No intro on this podcast, but it was recorded a few weeks ago so I hadn't ridden the drive yet when we recorded.
127 - Mike Pedigo
Pedigo and Erik dive into the last 6 months of foiling... Florida's bad winter, surf pro's entry to the game, the Midlength revolution and scary moments in an airplane.
126 - Dominic Hoskyns on FoilDrive
Dominic Hoskyns (@dominichoskyns) is the head of FoilDrive Europe. He's a full-on foil frother who pioneered the ladder start to pump and wake thieving. He's recently taken the leap from being a high school teacher to join FoilDrive. Enjoy.
125 - Voyagers Simeon and Kahi
Simeon (@simboogy) and Kahi (@instakahi) come on the show to announce the Voyager Downwind Camps happening this summer on Oahu and talk all things foiling.
124 - Jason Breen
Jason Breen (@jasonthejaw) was hit by a humpback whale while wing foiling in Australia. You've seen the clips, but now hear the whole story, the media frenzy, and what it takes to process an encounter of that magnitude.
123 - Matt Davies
Matt Davies (@hazmatt1976) is an Australian waterman laying siege to the world records of big wave and flatwater speed on foil. We discuss what foils do as you get over 35mph, how he tunes his gear, his approach to safety and why he's on this mission.
122 - Oskar Johannson
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!
121 - Balz Muller
Balz Müller (@radiculo) is a Swiss waterman who has been at the forefront of wing foiling since its inception. While his impressive riding skills are what initially set him apart, it's his infectious enthusiasm and positive mentality that make him a true standout. In this episode, Balz delves into the creative process behind developing new maneuvers, highlighting the importance of dedication and v
120 - Steve Tobis
Steve Tobis is a Maui-based waterman who's all about downwind racing and pushing the limits of foil surfing. When he's not sending he's building jet skis for heavy water and designing foil-related gear. With a background in mechanical engineering, he brings a precision-focused approach to the world of foiling
119 - Jeremy Wilmotte
Jeremy Wilmotte (@oceanpixels) returns to recount his trips to Hood River and Namotu, where he saved a life, and his recent move to Armstrong Foils. Jeremy sends it as hard as anyone in the sport and is constantly pushing the boundaries of what's possible on foil, especially in heavy surf.
118 - KT's Keith Teboul
Keith Teboul of KT on his creative process, bringing on Kane DeWilde, the Dragonfly, shaping for some of the world's best, his downwind learning journey and so much more.
117 - Mike Pedigo and Erik on Hood River and Lee Swell Recap
Mike Pedigo comes on the show after an insane tow session to recap the last two weeks, Hood River, AWSI, the amazing foil community, foil design, and coming home to the Lee swell. Its been an epic run!
116 - Dr. Rob Novo
Central Florida frother and anesthesiologist Dr. Rob Novo comes on the podcast to discuss training and staying healthy for foiling. He's also tested tons of gear and goes through what he's currently liking, the solid CFL crew, and then we go deep into flow states from the perspective of his work and turning off the conscious mind in general anesthesia. Enjoy!
115 - Dean Morrison
Dean Morrison is a legendary Australian surfer who is now frothing on the foil. In this conversation he explains why foiling is important in his surfing life, his journey and personal growth since leaving the tour and the role of mentors like Tom Carroll and Rabbit.
114 - Zane Schweitzer on Hawaiian Foil Race Season
Zane Schweitzer is a Hawaiian Waterman. He excels at all surf sports and has been foiling longer than anyone but the strapped crew. In this episode Zane comes on to preview the upcoming Hawaiian foil race season. We get into gear, strategy, conditions and predictions....
113 - Ryan Arzy
Ryan Arzy (@lafoiler) is a foil obsessed coach from Los Angeles that works on Namotu Island teaching surf, wing, downwind, and tow foiling during the Summer and works with Foiling Magazine to write the Friday Pump Newsletter and as a gear tester. He comes on the show to share how he approaches sharing/introducing this sport with others and how this community has done so much to help him develop as
112 - Alex Hayes
Alex Hayes (@alexhayes) is an adventure sports athlete. He is going to be leading the charge in foil surfing pushing bigger and heavier surf. When he's not foiling he's jumping out of planes or off clips, sending over the ledge on some of the worlds heaviest waves or traveling the world. He's a breath of positivity on social media where he has over 400K followers on the gram.
111 - Zane Westwood
Zane Westwood makes his 3rd appearance on the show and dives deep on all things foil. His new approach to shimming for downwind and prone, what he thinks Adam and I have wrong about plate shims, massive downwind sends, and the new lift line of foils.
110 - Lewis Samuels
Lewis Samuels, now foilbrained, is a surf journalist known for creating Surfline's Power Rankings and the PostSurf blog. Lewis shares his thoughts on surf culture, social media's influence on the sport, what he loves about foiling, and reflects on his career in surf journalism.
109 - Cliffy Coetzer and Erik Discuss the Process of the Progression Foil
Cliffy comes back on the show to discuss the process of designing and testing the Progression Foils. The foil was a conceived on the podcast last year, so we thought it would be fun to recap the trials and tribulations of what it takes to produce a foil.
108 - Noah Flegel and Austin Tovey
Noah Flegel and Austin Tovey are both multi-sport watermen with extensive accolades in their areas of focus. They are close friends, were college roommates, and are currently leading the charge in progressive foil surfing both in the ocean and on the wake. This show provides a glimpse into their passion and competition that is driving our sport forward.
107 - Daniela Moroz
Daniela Moroz might have more time on foil than any other podcast guest. She is the 6x Formula Kite World Champion, 4x US Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, a member of USA SailGP Team and an avid surf, tow and wing foiler. Daniela comes on the show to discuss her 2024 campaign for the Paris Olympics, her comfort with speed on foil, training regimen and much more...
106 - Laird Hamilton
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.
105 - Sebastian Junger
Sebastian Junger is the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of THE PERFECT STORM, FIRE, A DEATH IN BELMONT, WAR, TRIBE and FREEDOM. As an award-winning journalist, a contributing editor to Vanity Fair and a special correspondent at ABC News. His documentary Restrepo was nominated for an Academy Award and won the Grand Prize at Sundance.
104 - Dave Kalama
The Legend Dave Kalama returns to discuss innovation and creativity through the lens of designing the Barracuda. His work on the Cuda has changed our perception of what's possible in downwind and nonbreaking wave foiling.
103 - Joel Pilgrim
Joel Pilgrim (@joelpilgrim) comes on the show to tell the story of how his foil saved a life. Joel is the founder of Waves of Wellness. WOW is a health charity pioneering surf therapy intervention for mental health, and breaking down the stigma and barriers to accessing traditional therapeutic support. This conversation gets a bit deeper than a normal foiling podcast with themes of mental heath
102 - Gabriella Bella
Gabriella Bella is a foiler based in maui who has a kiting and competitive swimming background. She currently rides for GoFoil and placed second at the last Foil Competition on maui. Gabby is top-tier in prone, wing and downwind. Follow her @gabriella_da_bella on instagram
101 - Kai Lenny
101 - Kai Lenny by Erik Antonson
100th Episode! With Mike Pedigo
Mike joins Erik to celebrate foiling on the 100th episode of the podcast.
Josh Ku
Josh Ku is an Australian waterman best known in the surf world for charging some of the heaviest slabs in Oz. He's taken on foiling and is quickly becoming one of the best prone and downwind foilers. In the podcast Josh talks about going from foil-curious, to closet-foiler, to full blown Foilbrained. Why it's best to dive in head first in downwind. The risk and fear of riding massive surf. Wh
Mike Raper of North Foils
Mike Raper is the head of North Foils and Kites and has an extensive, 30-year history in board sports. On the show he gives insights into the evolutionary parallels in kite surfing and foiling, and shares his passion for water sports and design.
Nathan van Vuuren 2
Nate comes back on the show to froth on the foil scene on Maui, his full-time role at Signature, designing and testing foils, his favorite foil spots, and tons more all the foil-brained folks out there will love.
Tom Carroll on Flow and Mediation and Foil Froth
Tom Carroll is a2x World Surf Champion and lifelong waterman. He is currently frothing on the foil. He comes back on the show for a soulful conversation about his journey, his draw to flow and mediation, how foiling fits into his watertime and tons more... Enjoy a conversation with one of the legends in our sport.
Eric Christensen on Downwind Learning Curve, Epic Trips and the Foiling Community
Erik Christensen (@EricFoil) comes on to discuss his journey into downwind, the struggles and successes, the differences in learning DW compared to winging, the epic trips and amazing friends he's gained through foiling and what makes the foiling community so incredible.
Mike Pedigo and Erik Discuss Tuning
Mike Pedigo (@flyline_productions) joins Erik for a deep dive into tuning your foil and how their tunings have changed over the last few years and to announce Portal Flight Designs! Enjoy
Jeremy Wilmotte on Heavy Waves, Foil Bans and the 1 Hour Surf Run
Jeremy Wilmotte (@oceanpixels) was born in Belgium and now calls Sydney, Australia home for himself and family. He began foiling roughly 4 years ago and has never looked back. He states "every single foiling division is so much fun no matter how many obstacles get thrown at me to return to the normal path of the standard citizen. Recently I have started to venture into bigger hollower waves simil
Annie Reickert 2
Annie Reickert (@Annie__starr) is a world class waterwoman from Maui. She surfs on the Big Wave World Tour and won the Red Bull Magnitude Tow Event. Annie is sponsored by Lift foils and dominates in all aspects of foiling.
Zane Westwood 2
Zane Westwood is one of the best surf foilers on the planet. In this episode we discuss his move to Lift, the tuning differences between Lift and GoFoil, his downwind froth, surf lines he's working on, James Casey's world record and tons more...
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