James Casey: From SUP Legend to Foil Innovator – The Champion’s Formula: Foil. Stoke. Repeat.

From making waves in Australia’s SUP racing scene to redefining performance foiling, James Casey has carved out a legacy as one of the most skilled and forward-thinking watermen of his generation. An 8-time national champion, coach, designer, and Guinness World Record holder, Casey blends raw talent with an engineer’s eye for innovation. Whether he’s charging downwind on a foil, surfing overhead bombs on a 10ft SUP, or fine-tuning next-gen board shapes with SUNOVA, he brings a unique passion and precision to every wave. We caught up with James to talk about his roots, his gear, his drive, and what’s coming next in the world of foiling.

Picture: Dylan Clarke

What’s your connection to Sunova? How did your partnership with them begin?

I was introduced to the Sunova team by a good friend of mine from Hawaii, Jacy Shimahara. We chatted for a while about what was possible, and the chance to work on Surf SUP designs with Bert, as well as head up our own SUP race board unit alongside Marcus Tardrew and Kelly Margetts, was an incredible opportunity I couldn’t turn down.

Picture: Sunova

You’re an 8-time Australian champion – in which disciplines exactly did you earn those titles?

A combination of SUP Race and SUP Surf:

• Geraldton Aussie Titles 2016: Distance and Technical
• Gold Coast Aussie Titles 2018: Technical Race
• Phillip Island Aussie Titles 2019: Technical Race and 10ft+ SUP Surf
• Phillip Island Aussie Titles 2022: Technical Race, 10ft+ SUP Surf and SUP Surf

Picture: Ian Bird

You’ve been part of the SUP evolution from the very beginning, and we’ve seen rapid technical development in the boards over the years. Now you’re deeply involved in the development of foil boards, would you say the progression is similar? What other parallels do you see?

The progression is definitely similar, but there have been even greater leaps in foiling. That might be because I got involved in SUP after its initial boom, when it was more in the plateau stage. With foiling, I’ve been there more or less from the beginning. In SUP, I was focused on the development of dugout designs for unlimited boards. In foiling, we’ve seen downwind boards evolve from 6ft to 7ft, and now they seem to have settled around 8-9ft for ease of paddling up, though there’s been a push back towards 7ft again for more elite surf-style riding. What really surprised me was the narrowness. We’re now down to 16 inches wide! The foil adds so much stability, which I never would have believed in the early days.

Picture: Ian Bird

You competed at the Pt Plomer Foil Fest in May, can you tell us what this event is all about and what makes it special?

Foil Fest is a surf foil event that just wrapped up last weekend. It featured foil assist, teams, and individual prone foil divisions. I was stoked with my results: 4th in both the foil assist and prone foil, and 3rd in the team event. It was a seriously competitive field, so I was happy to make the finals in all events. Just a bit of a bummer I couldn’t put it together in the final!

Picture: Sam Brisby

What’s your favorite foil board from Sunova and why does it stand out for you?

I’m loving my 8’0 Downwind Aviator and my 5’1 Pilot Mid. When I travel, those are always the first two boards I pack. They’re just dialed in for performance and reliability.

Picture: Sunova (Downwind Aviator)

You’ve also competed in SUP racing events in the past – are you still racing? Could we even see a comeback?

I still paddle when foiling all the time, and I do get out on the 14ft race board now and then, but I haven’t been active on the SUP racing circuit for a while. I SUP surf occasionally too, but foiling definitely takes up most of my water time at the moment.

Picture: Sunova

What inspired you to go after the Guinness World Record for the longest distance on a hydrofoil paddleboard?

My dad’s battle with brain cancer. Before he passed away, we talked about doing big foil adventures together. That idea stayed with me, and eventually it became the driving force behind the Guinness World Record attempt. I still have a few ideas bubbling away for another record down the line.

Read the full story here: How SUNOVA Rider James Casey set a Guinness World Record in SUP foiling | TotalSUP

For those inspired to give foiling a try, what are your top 5 tips for beginners?

1. Talk to your local shop or foiling friends to understand what discipline of foiling you want to get into, wing foiling, dock starting/pump foiling, surf foiling, downwind foiling, or even the new parawing foiling.
2. Get in-person coaching from local foiling instructors to get a proper feel for the sport. I’ve got Coach Casey Coaches around the world: Jon Mann in the Netherlands, Jonas Hillier in Switzerland, Hugh Mitchell in Western Australia, and Josh Ku and myself in Sydney – with more coaches joining in as we grow.
3. Join the Coach Casey Club for technical advice, online foil courses, weekly coaching calls, and a great community of foilers learning and improving together. Check it out here: https://caseyaus.com/coach-casey-club/
4. Commit to consistency – progress takes time, so don’t get discouraged by slow starts.
5. Film your sessions if possible and review them. It’s one of the fastest ways to spot mistakes and improve technique.

Picture: Larry Foiler

If you want to learn more about foilboards and James Casey, read the full story here: The complete SUNOVA foil boards tour with James Casey – TotalWing

To find out more about SUNOVA, visit their website.

Follow James Casey on Instagram and check out his SUP and foil coaching programmes at caseyaus.com.