Outer Banks: BIG TIMES AT BOA VISTA
Wesley Brito is on a mission. One that – given his penchant for solid slabs that break over near dry reefs – could end badly. But this is Wesley’s backyard, and when the swell hits, it’s game on.
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When Harley Clifford first strapped into a foil, he didn’t expect it to completely reshape his riding CV, and he certainly didn’t recognise the Gold Coast as an emerging foil paradise…. Here, he breaks down why this corner of Queensland might just be the ultimate playground for those of a foiling disposition.
Words: Harley Clifford | Photos: Jay Button
These last few years of getting into foiling has really opened my eyes to just how amazing the Gold Coast is. When I was just wakeboarding, the Gold Coast wasn’t my ideal location to ride, featuring mostly just saltwater rivers that are very shallow. Since becoming a foiler however, being home on the Gold Coast has fast become my favorite spot to find myself.
The Gold Coast, in my eyes, has to be the best overall location to foil in the world, with consistently great foil-sized swell, there is a vast variety of places to foil and for all aspects of foiling, with the location hosting some of the best foil point breaks in the world. There’s Snapper Rocks, Kirra, Currumbin, Burleigh Heads, there are amazing rivermouth bowl waves, ‘Dbah mouth, the seaway at the spit, epic downwind runs all over, great spots to wing in flatwater or out in the waves, and three amazing rivers to boat foil on as well. It seems no matter the day, the swell size, or the wind, there is always somewhere you can go to have an epic time on the foil here. It seems that the Gold Coast is also breeding some of the world’s best foilers as well – every time I get out in the water for a prone session, no matter the spot, there are always a few new foilers out there learning to shred and the guys who seem to be out fairly often are just improving at such a fast rate due to the Gold Coast always just being so accessible and perfect for foiling. It’s really cool to see it, and it’s super motivating to get out there and push your foiling amongst all the others.
💎 Premium Content Ahead! 💎 *You will receive our weekly Friday Pump newsletter, plus the latest features, gear tests and giveaway announcements. My first taste of foiling came about seven years ago, way before I had any idea how much it would shape my time back here at home. I was in the US, riding Liquid Force’s Gen 1 wake foil setup on Lake Ackworth in Georgia – basically a wakeboard with a mast bolted underneath. It was rough, experimental, and totally addictive. From there, I mostly foiled behind the boat for a few years, but it wasn’t until I ended up spending a full winter back in Australia during Covid that things really clicked. Not wanting to lose that feeling, I picked up a jet ski and started tow foiling tiny waves around Fingal Head with a mate of mine, Alex Hayes. We were on gear that felt cutting-edge at the time, but looking back it was wild – breaching, crashing, learning the hard way. But we were hooked. It was like discovering a completely new sport, and it made me realise that the Gold Coast had all the ingredients to become a world-class foiling playground. From here foiling just kept evolving. These were the early days, where every time we jumped on a new wing it was exciting and opened up a whole new way to foil. It’s like our ability was there, but at that time the foil technology was not. But it was epic working with Liquid Force through this process on new wings, as we were learning about foiling and the way we wanted to be riding our foils. Pete Mehrhof, LF’s Senior Product Designer, helped us translate these feelings we were chasing into the design of the foils so we could get 100 percent potential out of our foil sessions. As the foils have advanced and there is more education out there on how to learn foiling the community of foilers on the Gold Coast has really started to grow. With a massive surf foiling, downwinding and wingfoiling scene it seems everywhere you go you will bump into a friendly foiler, which I absolutely love, everyone is always so stoked to just stop and have a chat about foiling. The amount of time I waste talking about foiling on the beach rather than out foiling is ridiculous! It’s this camaraderie that seems to be growing throughout foiling worldwide, and I think this is due to being able to share waves with foilers rather than everyone out there competing for the one wave coming your way. We have such a fun crew out here. It’s like snowboard powder days where every foiler in the water is hooting and hollering for one another as we cruise past…
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Wesley Brito is on a mission. One that – given his penchant for solid slabs that break over near dry reefs – could end badly. But this is Wesley’s backyard, and when the swell hits, it’s game on.
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Happily, for all of us, the Armstrong team foil trip in New Zealand – the home of the Armstrong brand – has now become a fixed staple in the calendar, with the resulting film and media anticipated by many, not least ourselves here at the magazine, as it’s high quality stuff. We sought out the essence of the trip from a few of those involved, and the tales behind some of the greatest shots…
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The brand/athlete relationship is often one of mutual benefits. The brand can raise its own profile and image by supporting a pro-active rider, while the athlete gets the support of equipment, mentoring and, occasionally, cold hard cash.
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