The XFoils Podcast

Walt and I get Chris Radkowski on the mic, co-founder and designer behind F4 Foils — and this one was a long time coming. We start things off with the Piranha — the foil we've been obsessing over for river shredding and downwind surfing. Compact, quick. We didn't overthink the name. One ride and it was obvious! Then we get into what has us very anxious: the SR mast, the Hammerhead, and the...

The Great Surf Foil Test is done. All of it. Walt and I have been at this for a while now — more sessions than we can count, more swaps than we probably should have made, and enough hours on the water to finally feel confident saying something real about all of these foils. This episode we talk Naish, Axis, F-one, and KT . Rounding out a test that now covers AFS, Cabrinha, Duotone, F4, Code, Flite...

Greg is back. Fourth time on the show, and at this point he might as well have a reserved seat. Like always we keep it casual, Xfoils style. No script, no slides, just three people who love to parawing and talking about what it's like to ride the BRM S3 — the latest generation parawing from BRM, the brand that started the whole category. Talking point this episode: the new D-Grip handle. Shove...

We’re back with Test #2 of the Great Surf Foil, rounding out this first test with a tighter, more pocketed surf foil category. This time we focused on three foils that share a similar DNA—lower aspect, surf-focused, and built to be pushed in the pocket: Flite Lab Flux 707 Cabrinha Whippit 750 Code 740X These foils all wanted to be driven hard in the surf, with reliable pitch through turns and cont...

We’ve been building up to this one… The Great Surf Foil Test is finally here. Walt and I have been putting serious time in, bouncing between foils, swapping setups, and just trying to make sense of all the different feels out there. A lot of riding, some instant clicks, some head-scratchers, and a few that felt just right! So far we’ve got AFS, Duotone, F4, FliteLab, Code, and Cabrinha in the mix....

Paul Cooper is in the house! In Case 65, we catch up with Paul during his trip to Puerto Rico , chatting about our latest foil adventures and what a few days on the island really feels like when the conditions line up. We throw Paul straight into the mix— epic surf sessions , a killer downwind run with the crew , and plenty of time on the water to see if we could break him. The final verdict from...

We’re announcing our unsponsored surf foil test series that we’ll be running over the next couple of months. The goal? To see what the brands are really doing and find the best feels we can across the board. No bias. No contracts. No filtering. Just honest feedback and real sessions. Brands that have already answered the call and are sending their best: Lift, F-One, Slingshot, AFS, Cabrinha, North...

In Case 63, Paul Cooper , a dedicated FoilDrive rider who isn’t tied to any single foil brand. That neutral perspective makes for a great conversation as Paul shares insight on the latest Fusion system , integrated masts, new pods, and how to optimize setups for the best ride possible. This one’s all about those small percentage gains —the little tweaks that add up to smoother, more efficient sess...

So good to be back in the studio with Walt, now officially the co-host. In this episode we catch up on a few things: my South Africa kite-foil trip where I (sadly) did not hit 30m — apparently the right gear really does matter. We’re getting fired up for the upcoming FSRL on March 6th in Cocoa Beach with Billy and the Good Breeze crew. Walt will be joining us for the first time! We will have a sma...

In Case 61, We get to chat with Doc, Charles, and Julien from F-One for a conversation centered around feel, construction, and change. As most of the community already knows, F-One is transitioning from their long-standing Titan 1 connection to a new interface, which has definitely raised eyebrows among their loyal following. Julien sums it up well: “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.”...

Case 60 is just Walt and I , catching up and talking about the feels of the new foils we’ve been testing lately. Not a spec dump—more about how they actually ride, how they translate into progression, and what’s getting us fired up at the moment. On the FoilDrive side , we just do a quick Fusion recap and share how it’s been fitting into sessions lately. Classic X-Foils van chat energy. 🎙️ Sponsor...

In Case 59, Walt and I sit down with Kai Calder . Kai has deep roots in foiling , and honestly, there’s so much we could have covered with him. This episode is more about bringing Kai into the conversation —getting some background, hearing his perspective, and setting the stage for more to come. We touch on parts of his journey, how he found his way into foiling, and what shapes his approach today...

Walt and I , wrapping up the year the only way we know how— talking sh*t about tech , recapping what went down, and dreaming about what we want to see in the future. From gear overload to real progression, we reflect on the year of tech , what actually mattered, or we think matters? what didn’t, and where we hope foiling is headed next. No agenda, no guests—just end-of-year vibes, laughs, and hone...

It’s just Walt and I — a long-overdue catch-up and a high-demand review on the new F4 foils. We dive into first impressions, and how these foils fit into the evolving landscape. We also chat about Foildrive, and what ever else pops into our head! Nothing fancy, just classic energy and some gear talk everyone’s been asking for. Always a good time catching up with Walt. 🎙️ Sponsored by Kite Puerto R...

In Case 56, Walt and I sit down with Mike Raper, North’s Brand Director — and yes, I give him a hard time for being too good at promoting the North lineup. The man is proudly dialed into every product, every update, and every detail… and honestly, rightfully so. We run through a quick overview of what North has been up to, some of the standouts in the current range, and how the brand continues to...

In Case 55, Walt and I sit down with Keith Teboul for a super insightful chat about the current KT lineup and what’s on the horizon. Keith needs no intro, but this time we skip the history lesson and get right into what’s relevant now —from refinements across the range to the new shapes and design philosophies driving KT forward. We talk about how performance goals, materials, and feel all come to...

In Case 54, Walt and I were lucky enough to steal a bit of time from Nicolas Caillou , the designer of the F-One Frigate Parawing . Nicolas has a seriously deep background — he’s the founder of ZEEKO , a PhD in mathematical modeling , and a rider who actually pushes the limits of the products he designs. Where most brands need both a test pilot and an engineer, Nicolas is both. We focus this chat...

In Case 53, Walt and I sit down with Magnito from the Gorge to talk about a major change in the Downwind foiling scene — the shutdown of Tunnel 4 parking, the iconic access point for one of the most beloved shuttle runs in the area. For years, Tunnel 4 has been a gateway for countless downwinders visiting the Gorge, but with this closure, we ask the big questions: 💭 Will this change how visitors...

Walt catches up with Frank Foilboards right in the shaping bay for a chat about his latest creations — the Mini Dart and the Dart. These new designs are the result of a collaboration with Axis, aimed at building a Parawing-friendly mid-length that also crosses over beautifully into wing and prone foiling. Walt was one of the main testers on this project, helping refine the board before it went str...

Set up in the van at AWSI , Walt and I sit down with Josh Ku to talk about his upcoming film documenting his Uluwatu-to-G-Land crossing in Bali—a bold mission that turns pretty dicey at one point , and trust us, you’ll want to hear the story. The project, filmed by Dane Wilson (not Dan!) , aims to show where surfing has come from and how many new forms of surfing have emerged through today’s dynam...

For our Half Hundredth episode, Walt and I sit down with Matt Elsasser , co-founder of Hydrocraft Systems , a new foil company stepping into the space. Matt needs no introduction to the foil world—his riding and design chops are well-known—but launching a brand in 2025? That’s a whole different challenge. Matt jokes, “I don’t think people are waking up in the morning saying, ‘aww man, I need a new...

In Case 49, Walt and I sit down with Adam Bennetts from FliteLab to dive into the highly anticipated Flux foil range . Bennetts’ unique and powerful surf style really shines through in this lineup—and you can feel it the moment you step on the foil. We chat about his design input, the development journey, and what makes Flux foils stand out in terms of pitch stability, performance, and feel in the...

In Case 48, Walt and I catch up with Chris Radkowski , the designer behind F4 Foils . While Walt was in Maui, he picked up a setup from Guido and could not stop raving about the new Orca line for downwind—so of course, I had to try it too. Spoiler: they did not disappoint. What makes F4 stand out is that they’re not afraid to throw carbon at an idea . Constantly reviewing designs, experimenting wi...

The X-Foils Podcast: Case #47 – Codependency Issues: Falling for Code Foils with Ben Tardrew Walt (the unofficial cohost) and I sit down with Ben Tardrew —one of the brains behind Code Foils and a serious ripper on the water. Fresh off testing some of the new Code range, we kick back for a relaxed chat about how these designs have evolved and where they’re headed. We reminisce about how Code has s...

In Case 46, Liam and Freddy finally tricked us into joining them for a collab. Why? Because sometimes two podcasts are better than one… or at least twice as confusing . We sit down after AWSI to unpack the event, talk gear we drooled over, rides we may or may not have sent, and sprinkle in some top-tier foil nerding. Both of us have been talking to guests and putting out some (very little) content...