Hi
I was going to do a piece on the recent racing but that
will have to wait. Instead, here is
commentary on some new equipment which has caught my eye. Manufacturers have started posting their new
ranges and I will keep watch for interesting developments.
Starboard
Starboard have done something I have been waiting for, for a
long, long time. They have taken a
freestyle board, added outboard strap plugs (in addition to the normal inboard
ones) and are supplying it with two fins – a trick fin and a freeride blasting
fin.
This gives us a normal trick board with instant pop,
instant acceleration and crazy speed but which allows us to deploy these
attributes for high wind blasting. Well
done Starboard - a master stroke from you.
The board is called the Ignite and is something all of us
need to have on our wish lists.
Here it is:
The board
The fins - look at the fat tail. No sinking in gybes. Awesome!
The boards (three sizes) are short and wide and just look
right to me. If you sail in high winds
but are tired of your small slalom/freeride board sinking in the lulls, this
may be the answer for you. The Ignite will
shine with small wave sails like Severne’s Blade Pro, but also something light
and really fast (Severne Gator/Hot Sails Maui GPX for example).
The Power fin box means that you can experiment with your
existing fast b&j fins . The short fin
is easy to dismiss for those of us not interested in tricks but don’t write it
off. If you sail in shallow water (a
tidal bay for example) you sometimes need a short fin. Trick fins can be a whole lot of fun and
allow for really sick gybes. You may
even be tempted to try a trick or two.
If you have a small kid who is keen on the sport, this has to
be the best board – no question.
Something both of you can share in different applications.
Naish
Naish has posted its new equipment range. Of
interest to me are the new Starships and the Galaxy. My only concern is the weight of these
boards. They furnish no weight specs and
as most of us know, Naish is capable of building really heavy stuff.
If the weights are not too horrible, these boards have to be
worth a look.
This is the Galaxy - a versatile slalom board with many
footstrap options and a foil-ready fin box.
Watch Robbie’s video which is interesting and quite compelling. I like the informal shape and vintage paint
colours.
A nice thing (if it is not too
heavy of course).
Good winds
A couple of weeks ago, I met a veteran windsurfer in Alacati, who sporting a freestyle quiver, quite counter culture to the norm in Turkey which has adopted slalom as a religion of sorts.
ReplyDeleteHe testified that a freestyle board provided him the best of both worlds: popping a trick now and then, when the riding the board with its default fin, and blasting a warp speed when fitted with a larger fsw fin, by virtue of the flat rocker line (which I understand is the currency of a slalom board).
So I suppose it was only a matter of time until a manufacturer proceeded to capitalize on this concept. And I suppose I am smitten by Starboard's new offering because a) I like quivers that offer a bit of flexibility, b) because my encounter with said fellow virtually coincided with the Ignite's unveiling.
What I don't understand however, is how this board compares to a regular freestyle wave board which is by nature meant to be a jack of all trades (some wave, some flat water blasting and even some freestyle maneuvering).
Maybe the only person who can truly answer that is me: meaning I have to go out testing one (hopefully soon), and I know just the place to do so (Brouwersdam)....But I would look forward to any comments in the meantime.
All set aside however, love that the board is almost as compact as a foil board! :)
Sincerely,
Mert
PS: Yeaaah, I am have always been a bit twitchy on Naish's boards, and the fact that they never disclose weight. I mean their equipment is never particular cheap (when viewing the spectrum of products out there) so I think that the least they could do is provide a bit more in the way of specifications.
Absolutely Mert. Naish seems to disrespect its customers at times. Please let us know your impressions of the Ignite if you are able to get a test.
DeleteI will do the same from this side. We get many tourists here from November to February and some of them have really nice stuff (hopefully one or two Ignites this year)
All the best
Phil
Question: What would be the best wetsuit (short arm or long, short leg or full) for Langebaan? (For the summer season?)
ReplyDeleteHi Mert
DeleteLong wetsuit 3/4 thickness. Our water is cold and if you are injured and need to spend some time waiting to be rescued you can freeze. Not good
Thanks Phil! Looking forward to Langebaan :)
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