Rising Up: JACK PATERSON

You live in Australia and I believe you did pretty respectably in the wing nationals there recently?

Yeah I recently competed at the 2025 Australian Wing Foil Nationals at Parkdale Sailing Club, Melbourne, Australia. I competed in the 800 Series. I trained hard for this event – I had about nine weeks of intense, consistent training leading up to the event. With that came a lot of confidence, but also a lot of pressure on myself because I knew I had put myself in the best possible position, and it would have been totally my own fault if I made mistakes. However, I believe my strongest attribute is my composure in stressful moments, not just in foiling but in life. I did come away with the win, securing my first Australian national title, which was a special moment for sure and something I am extremely proud of.

Do you have plans to compete more widely?

The answer is definitely yes. I love testing myself against the best in the world. There’s so much growth that comes from putting yourself in that environment, both as an athlete and as a person. But at the same time, one of the biggest things I enjoy about foiling is the sense of exploring and discovering new locations, riding in different conditions, and connecting with new cultures around the world. Some of my best sessions haven’t been in competitions at all, but out in remote or unexpected places, riding with my dad or a few mates.

Where are your favourite spots and why do you rate them?

I have been lucky enough to experience some of the world’s best locations and waves in the last 12 months. I’ve downwinded the famous Hatchery in Hood River with Foil Drive, scored waves off the cliffs of Uluwatu in Indonesia, and explored Hawaii with fellow Foil Drive team rider Paul Cooper, who showed us around all the amazing foil spots Oahu has to offer.

Back home in Australia, Fremantle in the west has some of the best riding locations in the world for downwind and wingfoil. The beaches are typical of the high Australian standard, with pearly white sand and beautifully coloured water, and the “Fremantle Doctor” typically arrives from the southwest between midday and 3pm, providing relief from the high temperatures experienced during the summer months and producing pumping SW winds. On the East Coast, my favorite foiling spots are on the Queensland Gold Coast area. When the planets align you can link waves from the tip of Snapper Rocks, riding all the way through Greenmount and along to Kirra, out wide away from the surfing lineups, making for one of the best length waves you can get.

We saw your Reel when you found yourself in the Foil Drive ad in our last issue. Do you get some support from those guys?

Yes I do. I first met the Foil Drive crew in 2022, at the Merimbula Classic, and when we met there was an instant click. There was a foil-related interest, but for me there was more than that. I really admire their work and determination to start Foil Drive. Starting in a garage building prototypes with a dream to become what they are today… there is something with successful business and garages, hey! But what I really gravitated to was how grounded they were. They have a business to run and things to do, but for them to stop and listen to what I had to say and watch me at the time get up and fall off on foil meant the absolute world to me. After the event they helped getting me onto the Gen 1. There was no advantage for them to do that. I was getting up and falling off, but what I believed they saw in me was love for the sport.

A year later, we were at the 2023 Merimbula Classic where I got told I was on the team. For me that was a dream come true, and a key point within my journey. Since I have joined the team, I have been given the opportunity to help with feedback of prototypes and fly across the world to the United States of America for AWSI with the team.

So were you able to get early access to Foil Drive’s recent “High Power” upgrades?!

Yeah I was lucky enough to be given a prototype of the High Power upgrades when in it was in the early stages of development, and I was hooked on it. There are two massive positives with the upgrades: longer run time and more power, and my dad and I have been fighting over the upgrades for different reasons. At my body weight of 65kg, it’s nice to have the extra power, but it’s not really required – but the extra run time is something I am really in on!

For my dad on the other hand, the power upgrades give him the chance to run small boards and foils, giving him the chance to push his performance further. It’s been awesome to see how the same upgrade can benefit riders in totally different ways, both in power and run time advantages or both.

Speaking of your dad, we see him feature in a good amount of your social media content. Is he a big inspiration for you?

My dad, Anthony Paterson, is a massive inspiration to me – not just as an incredible offshore sailor, well-known and highly respected in the sailing world, but as a role model in life. He’s competed in 14 Sydney to Hobart yacht races and one Transpac, a 2225-nautical-mile crossing from Point Fermin in San Pedro, Los Angeles, to Diamond Head in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Final one from us… What’s Jack doing in 10 years?

Great question. I’ve got a plan, but I think it’s just as important to stay open-minded. Opportunities can present themselves at any time, and often when you least expect them.

If you’d asked me when I first started foiling whether I’d become a Foil Drive team rider, traveling the world and riding some of the best spots on the planet, I wouldn’t have believed you. That’s why I stay open to whatever opportunity comes and you never know what path might open up – and that’s the exciting part.