Show Notes
In this episode of The Foil Pod, Rou Chater sits down with Matt Maxwell, Marketing Manager for Starboard Wing and Starboard Foil. Matt’s journey through the watersports industry is a fascinating one. Growing up in South Africa, he progressed from bodyboarding and SUP into strapless kitesurfing, eventually joining the F-ONE international team. But rather than putting everything into becoming a professional athlete, Matt recognised early on that education could open up a much longer career within the industry. He studied product design before adding marketing to his skillset, eventually working with Under Armour before an opportunity at Starboard brought him back into the watersports world. Rou and Matt chat about the realities of being a young sponsored rider, breaking into an international team, why education matters, what he learned from working for a huge global brand, and how relationships within the industry ultimately helped shape his career. They also dive into the evolution of FreeWing into Starboard Wing, the restructuring of Starboard’s foil business, the thinking behind the UCS foil connection system, product development, testing, and why greater standardisation could be good for the foiling industry. It’s a great conversation about watersports, careers, education, product design, marketing, and finding a way to turn a passion for the sport into something that can last a lifetime. If you enjoy the episode, please follow The Foil Pod, leave us a five-star rating, and share it with someone who might enjoy it. More from Tonic Magazine: tonicmag.com #Foiling #WingFoiling #Starboard #TheFoilPod #Hydrofoil #Wingfoil #StarboardFoils #Watersports #Podcast
More from The Foil Pod
In Episode 17 of The Foil Pod, Rou Chater catches up with Ollie O’Reilly, Brand Manager at Starboard, to explore the evolution of watersports, the latest developments in foiling, and what goes on behind the scenes at one of the industry’s biggest brands.
Guy and Emma Bridge join Rou Chater on The Foil Pod to take us behind the scenes of the latest Home of Armstrong Tour movie and their first trip to New Zealand. They talk about heading deep into the South Island with the Armstrong crew, towing into some seriously chunky waves, exploring remote coastline, dodging the local wildlife and riding alongside some of the best foilers in the world.
In this episode of The Foil Pod, Rou Chater sits down with Thomas Radiguet from Manta Foils to take a deep dive into the rapidly evolving world of e-foils and foil assist.
Cash Berzolla is one of the most exciting riders in foiling right now, but despite growing up surfing on Maui, he wasn’t exactly convinced when he first tried wing foiling. In fact, he actively resisted getting his own setup before eventually becoming completely hooked. In this episode of The Foil Pod, Rou Chater catches up with Cash to talk about growing up on Maui, his journey from surfing into foiling and how the relationship between the two sports is beginning to change. They discuss why more professional surfers are quietly discovering foiling, Cash’s career with Armstrong, the films and trips that have helped his riding reach beyond the foil world, and the equipment he is currently using. They also get into the more serious side of Cash’s riding, from foiling Jaws and tackling big waves to crossing the Hawaiian channels by downwind foil, including one mission that left him alone in the middle of the Kaiwi Channel struggling to get back onto foil. Above all, Cash’s approach is refreshingly simple. Surf, wing, prone, downwind or whatever else gets you into the ocean, the important thing is to have fun. Hit play and enjoy the episode. Watch Cash In Action! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhycxL0H93A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtKs2JM1Mq8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37LDfUO52T4
Cabrinha owner Jon Modica is back on The Foil Pod, joining Rou Chater to talk about what’s next for the brand’s rapidly evolving foil programme.