ISWC SPEED WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: PRINCE OF SPEEDISWC SPEED WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: PRINCE OF SPEEDLa Palme in the South of France recently hosted the latest speed sailing world championships, which saw the worlds fastest sailors going head-to-head in the battle for glory, while trying to tame the ferocious Tramontana winds. We hear from event champions, Vincent Valkenaers and Heidi Ulrich, as well as the UKs Scotty Stallman.Words: Peter Davis, Vincent Valkenaers, Heidi Ulrich & Scotty Stallman // Photos: Aurelien ToulanThe International Speed Windsurfing Class (ISWC) World Championships recently finished on the beautiful La Palme beach in Cte du Midi, South of France. The area is renowned for strong winds, known as the Tramontana, and this beach is perfectly set up for this direction with the wind blowing offshore at a long straight sandy beach. Its a speed sailing Nirvana.This famous beach of La Palme is the location of multiple official national and world records for the nautical mile, which it is best known for. It is the best natural high wind straight beach in the world and even rivals Lderitz in Namibia, which has a purpose built canal, for some 500m records. It regularly has winds in excess of 50 knots, so it really is the perfect place to stage the ISWC World Championships for the second consecutive year. And it didnt disappoint it was on fire from day one with speeds of over 45 knots being recorded over the 500m course. The conditions were brutal with a lot of chop on the course and it suited the very experienced racer and current world speed record holder Antoine Albeau who won last years event, so its safe to say he knows the spot well and he was the early leader after posting a 45.47 knot run.Day two still saw strong winds, but with smoother water it favoured the dedicated speed sailors who regularly train here. Vincent Valkenaers, who is a Belgian speed specialist took the overall lead from Albeau with two bullets. Meanwhile, in the womens fleet, Heidi Ulrich was having things all her own way and showed why she is the current womens world record holder as well as being the defending champion with wins on both days, but was there a chink in her armour? Jenna Gibson from the UK was attending her first international speed event and she finished in a close second place in every round. After each round your two fastest runs are averaged and Gibson had the fastest top speed out of all the girls with an impressive 39.59 knots, which it is worth noting that that is the fastest speed ever recorded by a woman during a ISWC World Championship. This was made all the more impressive given the strength in depth of the womens fleet. The final place on the podium was secured by another national record holder Melek Toraman who hails from Germany.Event organiser, Principe Baldini, who also organises all of the other Prince of Speed events, is a hard taskmaster and squeezed in as many rounds as physically possible. The Italian even managed a wind-foil round when the breeze dropped slightly. However, even so, the conditions were on the limit for the foils and it was a treacherous journey with only the brave and the talented managing to navigate their way down the 500m course. In the mens fleet reigning PWA Slalom world champion Matteo Iachino showed off his foil-slalom skills to clinch the victory, while Jenna Gibson was the only female to successfully complete the course to deservedly claim the victory in the womens foil fleet.According to the forecast, day three looked as though it would be the last day of strong Tramontana winds, so everyone was determined to make the most of it. Vincent Valkenaers was flying again, as was his training buddy, Hans Kreisel, as they claimed first and second respectively in both rounds while relegating overnight leader Albeau into third place. Heidi Ulrich was also not having it all her own way on day three with Jenna Gibson firmly getting her speed eye in, which saw the Brit claim two bullets on with some blistering runs to keep her in contention.After the conclusion of day three, the sailors were left praying to the wind gods for different scenarios depending where they sat in the rankings. Current event leaders, Valkenaers and Ulrich, were probably quite happy to sit on the beach to secure their respective victories, while the likes of Albeau and Gibson wouldve chomping at the bit for a late flurry of wind to give them one last shot at snatching the titles. A nervous few days of waiting ensued, but ultimately the winds remained light and onshore, so results remained as they were.VINCENT VALKENAURS MENS CHAMPIONI feel super happy to win the event. I never expected this to happen this year. The first day Antoine [Albeau] was sailing much faster than us, so it was hard to keep belief that anyone could catch him. However, after the second day I started to believe it was possible.CONDITIONS AND EQUIPMENTThe conditions were a bit tricky and it was hard to select the best moments for the runs, so Im happy that Principe Baldini was able to read the conditions so well, which gave us the best chance of laying down our best possible runs. Im 196cm tall and weigh 103kg, but I also used 4kg extra of lead. I was on my JP 45 Speed and my custom speed NeilPryde Evo 15 5.7m most of the time. The sail was working super good for me paired with my new Chopper Fins 21.PUTTING BELGIUM ON THE SPEED SAILING MAPThis is something Im really proud of, we have a few super good freestylers, and for a few years now Ive already made my mark in the world of speed sailing. I came extremely close to setting the world speed record over 500m and achieved the fastest top speed ever at 56 knots, which is amazing. This keeps me motivated to keep going to become the fastest in the world and who knows maybe to be the first person ever to reach 54 knots over 500m.ON THE SPOTLa Palme is a spot that I am familiar with and that I like a lot. I come here to train frequently as you know know when you come here that you are almost guaranteed some good conditions, which makes it ones of the best places in the world to train.FEAR FACTORYou get used to sailing so close to the beach, but when you dont know where the sand banks are its really intimidating. However, when you check the area and find the confidence to go for it, its amazing and you can take a lot of risk to push to even higher speeds.SPEED SAILING ADDICTIONI am addicted to speed sailing because you can constantly compete with yourself to go faster every time you are on the water. The ongoing search for places which offer better wind and then the adrenaline you get when you go that fast is just amazing. You can only focus on the task at hand, and that for me is what makes speed sailing so special as you have to forget about everything else and be completely in the moment.TRAININGI sometimes train with a personal trainer to improve my core stability and muscle power, and in the winter, I also play volleyball, which keeps me fit and busy. I also have a really physical job, which helps to keep me moving .TIPS FOR ASPIRING AMATEURSBuy a GPS and look for some flatwater spots, so that you can push yourself to go faster. Also checking that you have your gear setup correctly with your friends or other sailors as trim can help you a lot. Then sail as much as you possibly can.GOALS FOR THE FUTURE?My biggest goal now is to be the fastest ever and to be the first person to go over 54 knots (100km/h) over 500m and to win more events like this.I would like to thank Baldini for organising an amazing event like this and I hope he can continue doing this and make it even bigger. I would also like to thank my sponsors who make all of this possible JP Australia, NeilPryde, Alera Food, AGRITYRE, Chopper Fins, Valkenaers Interieurbouw.WOMENS CHAMPION HEIDI ULRICHIm very happy to have successfully defended my world championship title, especially as the competition was super hard this year with British racer Jenna Gibson, who has won multiple races on the PWA World Tour, and the German World Cup competitor, Melek Toraman both competing. It was windy on the first three days of the competition and we had three intense days of racing with winds of 35-45 knots and I was able to win the first three heats.RACING CONDITIONSOn the third day, things didnt go quite as planned and I had to settle for two second places as Jenna Gibson set the fastest overall run over 500m at 39.59 knots (73.3km/h), while I only registered 38.69 knots (71.6 km/h). My maximum speed for the competition was 43.40 knots, which equals 80.30kmh.However, these speeds are not decisive for the world championships because only the races that you win are counted.Overall, I am very happy with the five heats and the whole competition. There were super exciting battles, especially between Jenna and I. I loved racing with her! Shes super talented, passionate and really races with heart on her sleeve, which is just lovely!We always started together as a full fleet with all the women together with the 40 men, so you had to be very careful not to get lost among all the men. But that was also great fun.LUCK OF THE DRAW & PROGRESSIONThe wind was extremely gusty and it shifted in all directions, so it was therefore a bit of a lottery to catch the right gust and also to be riding the right equipment. So, Im all the happier that I managed to defend my title. The closeness of the races has now spurred me on to work even harder on my windsurfing technique to get even better.NEXT GENERATIONThe event is also very keen to promote the youth fleet as they are the future of the sport, so we also crowned a youth world champion. It was a very strong fleet from all over Europe and from day one it was dominated by another Belgian, Cyril Everard, who set a fastest run of 43.09 knots rivalling some of the best in the world. He was chased hard by Luca Pierboni from France, who took one round off Everard to deny him a perfect score, while Brendan Lorho, who is also from France, claimed third. The womans youth fleet was won by Luisa Kolmer from Germany with a very respectable 32.3 knots. These guys and girls are going to make a big impact on the main fleet very soon!The Brits were there in force this year and doing very well. Jenna, as we have already mentioned, was having a blinder with a second place in the female fleet and first in the foil, while Scotty Stallman showed why he is the UKs top speed sailor with a fifth place overall setting a fastest run of 43.6 knots and he completed the podium in the wind-foil fleet. Jim Crossley was not far behind in 11th and Simon Pettifer and Michael George finished 16th and 21st overall, respectively.SCOTTY STALLMAN CHANGESI really wanted to improve on my result from last year and I think there were a lot of things I have changed since then from kit to mindset. We developed our sails over the winter to help with top speed and acceleration, but this is nothing in comparison to mindset and knowledge of the spot. La Palme, even on the best of days, isnt easy, and when you add 50 competitors into the mix things definitely dont get any easier. Using my experience from last year and knowing where I went wrong this year, I completely changed the way I sailed and the results were a good showcase of this.WEYMOUTH HERITAGE AND SPEED IN HIS DNAHaha, Weymouth sure has its heritage in speed, and with thanks to local riders such as Pete Young, who introduced me to speed and tied my first GPS to me, there is always a big connection there. There is nothing better than lining up for a speed run fully maxed out on a 5.3m sail and 44cm wide board!I will 100 percent be returning next year! I recommend everyone who is into to speed to come next year too. Principe puts in a lot of effort alongside the local councils for this event to run, so I always think its great to have a big turnout and to help promote speed sailing and the spot. its also a great time to set some new PBs!A special mention must go to Michael George, who was not only competing, but also overseeing the Motion GPS timing system, which was on loan from Weymouth Speed Week, providing super accurate results and rankings, so competitors and the watching public could follow the action day by day. This all added up to a great event, well run and seeing true speed sailors going head-to-head to see who is the best of the best.The post ISWC SPEED WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: PRINCE OF SPEED appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

NAISH: NEXT GEN HAWAIIAN WATERMENNAISH: NEXT GEN HAWAIIAN WATERMENNaish are excited to premiere their latest documentary, Next Gen Hawaiian Watermen.This documentary captures the journeys of three iconic Hawaiian watermen Robby Naish (63), Austin Kalama (26), and Koa Fabbio (12). From the early days of windsurfing to modern-day big-wave surfing, their stories highlight the deep connection between the people of Hawaii and the ocean.Discover how these three generations learn from each other, inspire one another, and push the boundaries of whats possible on the water.The documentary is directed by Edwin Haighton.Click below to watch the full documentary and immerse yourself in the legacy of these athletes.www.naish.comThe post NAISH: NEXT GEN HAWAIIAN WATERMEN appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

2025 STARBOARD CARVE: AS GOOD AS IT GETS2025 STARBOARD CARVE: AS GOOD AS IT GETSCheck out the video from the awesome new 2025 Starboard Carve!Starboard tell us:Easy planing. Confident control. Autopilot jibes. The 2025 Carves deliver big on effortless planing, autopilot jibing and a controlled ride in any conditions. We never felt so accomplished about a board range. Each board individually shaped for the intended conditions and skill level. On the larger sizes, a long flat section makes for extra easy passive planing and a smooth ride to let you find the footstraps effortlessly. Midrange sizes carve like a small board, yet switching your stance and flipping the sail you have the confidence of a bigger board, thanks to a combination of thinned out rails towards the tail and thicker forward rails. The small sizes deliver a true sporty feel with higher top end speed and that extra bit of control youll need for windsurfing confidently in strong wind. Available in: 99 | 109 | 119 | 129 | 139 | 149 | 159 | 169More info: https://windsurf.star-board.com/windsThe post 2025 STARBOARD CARVE: AS GOOD AS IT GETS appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

KT WING AIR DD 4M TEST REVIEW 2024KT WING AIR DD 4M TEST REVIEW 2024The VerdictDelivering plenty of gusto for its size, the KT Wing Air DD holds power well between the hands always giving you something to work and drive with. Remaining balanced the Wing Air DD will keep wingers engaged through a spectrum of conditions.The LowdownWith the option of two colour ways, fluorescent orange or green, the Wing Air DD is inflated through two separate chambers and at rest it looks to be a simple wing. There doesnt seem to be a lot of fuss, however, looking closer you notice where the important bits of attention to detail are; the Direct Drive handles are skinny with Eva Foam grip for ease and comfort of handling. Two-ply Dacron construction around high-stress areas and positive lock seaming make the frame of the Wing Air DD stiffer, ensuring its ready for whatever you choose to throw at it. Not possessing much dihedral shape, the Wing Air DD has a relatively loose canopy throughout, and gazing at the side view of the draft and profile of the Wing Air DD, it spreads evenly from the leading edge to the trailing edge. The Wing Air DD should hold some power given the amount of draft ready to expand; the draft being distributed throughout should also give a nice even feeling in the hand, not favouring one hand over the other. Windows are a thing of the past with the Wing Air DD being the only one in the category with zero windows, which will, as a whole reduce weight and increase ease and speed of deflation and packing. In the areas most likely to come into contact with wear and tear, KT have placed some well-positioned abrasion material to prolong the life of the Wing Air DD for the user. Inflated and upon first glance, the Wing Air DD seems simple, but carries well placed engineering and zero fuss design to get you on the water with ample power which looking at the draft, the Wing Air DD will deliver in abundance.Brand Claim The Wing Air DD (Direct Drive) is the latest creation out of the KT Surfing R&D department. The DD sits alongside the original Wing Air, featuring hard handles and strengthened construction of the Leading Edge (LE) and Strut.PerformancePacking some power, the Wing Air DDs draft and overall deeper profile provides immediate substance in the hands, giving the rider something to work with even when slightly underpowered. Once up and riding on the foil, the power and effort are evenly spread between the hands as you grip the stiff handles that still allow for some forwards and backwards movement. Not requiring more effort from one hand or the other, unless you are really driving for speed and height, it remains stiff with only a minimal amount of flex that takes the sting out of ferocious gusts so you can continue to remain in control and stable. Just remember to pump it up to its max psi to exploit this characteristic. Lulls are dealt with well; keep the backhand sheeted in to keep the draft and depth of the Wing Air DD full. Its depth makes it difficult to stall. In the low end, the Wing Air DD, with its looser canopy tension, suits a lower cadence pump with bigger motion from the rider to get you up and going earlier. Through manoeuvres, the Wing Air DD handles nicely, performing and moving through gybes smoothly. The natural power of the Wing Air DD is welcomed on the exit of both tacks and gybes to slingshot you out, giving you something to immediately work with without having to search or work too hard for it. When flagging the Wing Air DD, it remains light and easy to move between the hands. Its looser canopy tension can drag a little, but is only noticeable when at speed and when over-winged. Its instantaneous power attitude makes it user-friendly for those riders needing guidance in the power department, as well as those looking to always have something to work with to express their riding. Its power-in-the-hands character could make it a little more physical for smaller riders, requiring them to change down earlier depending on your willingness to be well-powered. For what looks like one of the least engineered in the category, the Wing Air DD delivers decent power and all-around winging performance.www.ktsurfing.comKT WING AIR DD 4M TEST REVIEW 2024VITAL STATSPrice: 899Size: 4mWeight: 3.45kgCanopy Style: LooseSpan:Strut:Recommended PSI: 8psiHandles: 2 hard handlesHarness-line Fixings: No, attach to the handlesSupplies With: Bag and leashAvailable Sizes: 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0OTHER WINGS IN THE LINEUPDuotone Slick 5mEnsis Score 5.2mGA Cross 5.2mNaish ADX Nvision 5mNeilPryde Fly II 5mBACK TO TEST OVERVIEWThe post KT WING AIR DD 4M TEST REVIEW 2024 appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

GA CROSS 5.2M TEST REVIEW 2024GA CROSS 5.2M TEST REVIEW 2024The Verdict The GA Cross is a wing that will match and please most Wingers. From beginners to intermediates, the Cross remains well balanced, stable and usable in the accessible arenas of winging. Comfortable through transitions and flagging the Cross will compliment riders who exert a relaxed and flowing riding style.The Lowdown Brightly coloured with orange and dark blue, the GA Cross brightens up the beach and water with its striking appearance. The Cross is inflated through two separate valves, one on the leading edge and the other on the strut. The strut on the Cross is ergonomically shaped with two stiff handles wide enough for your hands to slide forwards and backwards as needed. The draft and belly between the canopy and strut is positioned upfront, directly under the front handle, where most of the tension in the canopy is kept, while small windows increase the riders visibility. Moving back to the trailing edge of the canopy, two mini battens sit on either side of the strut to stabilise the slightly looser canopy present at the back end of the wing. The Cross doesnt possess a pronounced dihedral shape; theres some present, but it doesnt jump out at you, suggesting a nice user-friendliness to the Cross. The Cross also has plenty of reinforcement with Kevlar protection along the leading edge on the seams to resist abrasion on surfaces, which helps to prolong the life and durability of the Cross. This is subtle touch for those of us who dont have the luxury of soft rigging areas. The makeup of the Cross uses a vast list of new materials from GA: Forcetec Dacron for stiffness in the leading edge and strut, Voltnova Spinnaker in the front and centre sections, and Voltnova+ in the trailing edge. On initial rigging, the Cross looks user-friendly with a sprinkling of performance in the materials to enhance the riders experience and longevity in winging.Brand Claim Whether youre freeriding, jumping or just starting your wing foiling journey, the Cross is your go-to-choice for all-round performance.Performance The Cross feels like your super stable, dependable mate. In your hands, walking down the beach, flagging, and holding the handle, it flies naturally and neutrally. Pulling in the power, the Cross responds with usable power that wont catch you out. You are very much in control of the power in the Cross. Like an automatic car, the Cross doesnt require massive input from the rider to get you up and foiling especially when adequately powered. It feels like its size in your hands and when up and foiling, the Cross remains balanced and stable. Its automatic feeling continues as it pulls you through lulls wonderfully without you even noticing. Meanwhile, when tacking and gybing, the Cross is light and easy. Its intuitive personality goes neutral when you need it and floats to where you want it. In the gusts, there is some flex to the Cross, which is forgiving for the rider, but it wont transform the extra pwower into masses of additional speed or hard angles upwind. Down in the bottom end, the Cross remains comfortable and holds some oomph in the wing to keep you moving until the next opportune gust. It thrives on a slightly slower cadence of pumping compared to others in the category, which is more user-friendly for the less athletic among the winging world. Everything about the Cross is well balanced, both in the hands and through transitions. It floats around to assist the rider in a nice, fluid, unaggressive riding style. The Cross compliments the more relaxed and rhythmical rider its not going to send you into huge stratospheric aerials or a ridiculous number of rotations, but it will deliver dependable power to crossover in all aspects of winging, from the occasional jump, to waves and swell, where there are minimal consequences, or in the perfect flatwater playground.www.ga-foils.comGA CROSS 5.2M TEST REVIEW 2024VITAL STATSPrice: 989Size: 5.2mWeight: 2.96kgCanopy Style: Tight in the front to loose at trailing edgeSpan: 3.21mStrut: 2.23mRecommended PSI: 9psi (-1 for softness)Handles: 2Harness-line Fixings: No, handlesSupplied With: Leash & bagAvailable Sizes: 2.7, 3.2, 4.2, 4.7, 5.2, 5.7, 6.2OTHER WINGS IN THE LINEUPDuotone Slick 5mEnsis Score 5.2mKT Wing Air DD 4mNaish ADX Nvision 5mNeilPryde Fly II 5mBACK TO TEST OVERVIEWThe post GA CROSS 5.2M TEST REVIEW 2024 appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

ENSIS SCORE 5.2M TEST REVIEW 2024ENSIS SCORE 5.2M TEST REVIEW 2024The VerdictThe third generation of the SCORE is light and well-engineered, with a positive forwards drive upfront as soon as the wind fills the canopy. The SCORE remains light and nimble when powered, floating through manoeuvres promoting a relaxed riding style.The LowdownImmediately when unrolling and pumping up the SCORE, it feels very well-engineered, and remains light. Its stitching and shaping are accurate and substantial, while the strut has two ergonomically oval-shaped handles for comfort and easy handling, along with a dump valve for easy packing away. The SCORE is inflated through one valve on the leading edge with a range of 6-8psi, depending on whether you want a softer or stiffer feel. This variation in inflation will influence aspects of the Scores performance and personality.Along the seams of the leading edge there is some subtly stitched-on abrasion-resistant material to help prolong the life and increase the resilience of the SCORE. Its not as obvious as others in the category, but it subtlety helps reduce the overall weight of the SCORE. Ensis have also reduced weight in the leading edge by 35% with its Hybrid Leading Edge construction, using a new lighter Dacron material in the wingtips to reduce swing weight while riding, whilst still remaining stiff. Claiming to give a more comfortable ride, more control and direct feeling. Its canopy is well-fitted and taut from its front to midsection, transitioning to a looser and more flexible trailing edge. The draft is deepest in the front of the wing and then shallows out towards the trailing edge, suggesting that the power is primarily generated in the front end of the wing. Three small windows on either side of the strut are made from clear, flexible PVC. Four soft stabilising mini battens on the trailing edge increase stability and reduce flutter in the canopy. Topping off the SCORE is a bungee leash which goes around the wrist and can be attached with one hand and then locked off with Ensis leash lock. Again, this is another small, but nice touch to keep the wing within your grasp.Brand ClaimThe ENSIS SCORE III impresses with its easy handling and direct power. The perfect combination of stability, power and forward drive will get you flying before you know it.PerformanceFor its well-built engineering and features, the SCORE has a natural ability to flag out in a well-balanced manner. Its ability to be flipped over without resistance is impressive, making it easy for the rider to get up and going with minimal fuss. The handles are comfortable with a subtle oval shape to each handle and they are large enough to shift your hands to suit conditions and riding style. Performing and feeling at its best when nicely powered, the noticeable draft upfront at rest in the SCORE fills up and gives a positive pull. Up and foiling, the SCORE holds its shape and profile, showing minimal signs of weakness in the gusts, to provide balanced and stable power you can commit to and work with. If you match the lulls with a slight change in your sailing line to keep the SCORE delivering its grunt upfront, you will be pulled through the lulls having only sacrificed a smidge. With its personality definitely swaying towards light manoeuvrability, the SCORE has the ability to float like a cloud. Its light and natural ability to flag and go neutral when not powered really delivers here, especially when tacking when the grunt upfront helps pull you out of the exit, making it easy and almost effortless to handle. Pushing the SCORE in a lighter breeze, you begin to notice its limits and where some refined technique is needed to extend the light wind capabilities. Not the most natural to pump, the SCORE needs bigger, more exaggerated, and lower cadence pumps with maximum effort to get you up to speed and promote flight. Once up and flying in the lighter end of the wind spectrum, be gentle and more refined with the backhand as due to the grunt and draft being held upfront, its easy to over sheet and stall the SCORE. The SCORE has a nice gentle usability that many riders will enjoy, from balanced handling to a floaty character in manoeuvres when out in powered conditions.https://ensis.surfENSIS SCORE 5.2M TEST REVIEW 2024VITAL STATSPrice: 949Size: 5.2mWeight: 3kgCanopy Style: Tight with some looseness in the trailing edgeSpan: 340cmStrut: 194cmRecommended PSI: 6-8psiHandles: Two handlesHarness-line Fixings: No, attach to handlesSupplied With: Bag, leash and pump adaptorAvailable Sizes: 2.8, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.2, 5.9, 6.6OTHER WINGS IN THE LINEUPDuotone Slick 5mGA Cross 5.2mKT Wing Air DD 4mNaish ADX Nvision 5mNeilPryde Fly II 5mBACK TO TEST OVERVIEWThe post ENSIS SCORE 5.2M TEST REVIEW 2024 appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

DUOTONE SLICK 5M TEST REVIEW 2024DUOTONE SLICK 5M TEST REVIEW 2024The VerdictThe Duotone Slick offers useable power thats easy to find. The Slick is comfortable in the hands and excels in its handling, responding well to rider input to allow the Slick to raise your winging game, whilst keeping you comfortable and settled at all times.The only wing in the category to use a boom, the Slick is easy to inflate and attach the boom. Slot and Velcro the boom in before inflation, and then inflate just like any other wing through its single valve. Duotone has a unique valve system, so the use of the correct Duotone adaptor is crucial if you want to inflate it to the recommended PSI. The mini boom SLS, which is sold separately, is 125cm long with a slim 25mm diameter grip, which fits all Duotone Slicks and Slick SLS from 2.5m-7m, making it perfect for building a quiver of wings without needing to buy an extra boom. Plus there are two other boom options from Duotone that also fit the same spectrum of wings. The Slick has a tight canopy with two mini battens on the trailing edge on either side of the strut to stabilise the power and trailing edge. There is a nice amount of dihedral in the Slick, which is enough to boost its performance without hindering someone who is just starting their wing career. Duotone doesnt provide a leash as standard, allowing the rider to choose a leash that suits them but just be sure to purchase one before your first outing. The Slick is a tidy package that on first appearances looks like a simple wing, however, its adequate dihedral shape, tight canopy, slim-line boom, and bright yellow and grey graphics suggest otherwise likely offering some level of performance mixed with usability.Brand ClaimIntroducing the 2024 slick, the freeride & freestyle wing available in eight sizes ranging from 3.0 to 6.5m. Experience absolute control with the mini boom, offering direct steering and unlimited hand placement options.PerformanceSqueezing on the power on the Slick, you notice the pleasant, direct power you can easily generate and find. The Slick is very easy to place and the boom allows seamless, smooth hand transitions when getting started. Up and foiling, the Slick settles quickly, with its power remaining evenly distributed even through lulls and gusts. In the gusts, the Slicks stiff frame and profile deliver extra speed and stability, while in the lulls, you are pulled through with minimal adjustments. There is a little extra in the backhand if you desire more punch out of the Slick when boosting into the air, or extra performance out of the already adequate angles the Slick naturally delivers. Manoeuvrability is where the Slick really starts to shine, especially when entering with speed. It remains comfortable yet still encourages a plethora of gybe variations as it naturally behaves as expected, while its tighter canopy tension allows you to whip the Slick around in any form or way the rider chooses without the trailing edge catching. Through tacks you experience minimal drag, allowing you to take your time and you dont have to be overly aggressive unless you want to. Working the Slick in the low end, its stiff frame means your effort isnt wasted. Each higher cadence pump, to match its tighter canopy, generates oomph for you to work the board and foil with. Flagging out while stationary on the beach, you notice a slight bit of swing to the slick, but flagged out when on a bump with some speed behind you, the Slick sits nicely and is manageable. Regaining the wing is made easy with the boom, which sits further forwards to the leading edge, which makes the reach very manageable. The Slick offers easy and reachable power that will suit a spectrum of riders from those starting out, to those looking to enhance and develop their manoeuvres, which is where the Slick really shines.www.duotonesports.comDUOTONE SLICK 5M TEST REVIEW 2024VITAL STATSPrice: 939Size: 5mWeight: 2.2kg (Without Boom) 2.53 kg (With Boom)Canopy Style: TightSpan: 331cmStrut:Recommended PSI: 8psiHandles: Boom (Mini Boom)Harness-line Fixings: No, attach to boomSupplies With: BagAvailable Sizes: 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5OTHER WINGS IN THE LINEUPEnsis Score 5.2mGA Cross 5.2mKT Wing Air DD 4mNaish ADX Nvision 5mNeilPryde Fly II 5mBACK TO TEST OVERVIEWThe post DUOTONE SLICK 5M TEST REVIEW 2024 appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

CRASHES AND BATTLES: PWA SYLT WORLD CUPCRASHES AND BATTLES: PWA SYLT WORLD CUPCheck out the crazy foil action from the first day of racing in Sylt as Nico Prien and his camera man Lars look back on an epic day of high wind foil racing!Edited and filmed Lumix S5II & S1H Insta360, ACE PRO, Go3s by Lars WichmannThe post CRASHES AND BATTLES: PWA SYLT WORLD CUP appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

THE CORNISH CONUNDRUM: GWITHIAN GAMBLETHE CORNISH CONUNDRUMGWITHIAN GAMBLEAfter pitching battle trying to call the shots on the forecast for Cornwall, John Carter and Timo Mullen eventually struck liquid gold at Gwithian with all the elements aligning. However, the trip packed a punch in more ways than oneWords: John Carter.Photos: John Carter.CONUNDRUMSitting outside A&E at Newquay Hospital was not quite how I had planned this last-minute mission down to Cornwall panning out, but that is the way it can roll when you take on big waves and gusty winds at Gwithian.WEIGHING UP THE FORECAST / ON THE FENCERewind about sixteen hours and I am happily sat at home sipping on a mug of tea watching Saturday night TV when the phone pings with a message from Timo Mullen Headed to Cornwall at 5am, should be big!. Now that might seem a normal text to most folk, but this message was coming from Ireland where Timo had just been sailing huge waves for the past few days. He was somewhere between the west coast of Ireland and Dublin Airport and still hungry for more. Surely he must have had his fix by now? But we are talking about Timo Mullen here meaning that even at the slightest sniff of wind and quality wave sailing hes on it. What puzzled me was that the forecast didnt look that special on paper. The swell was 1.9m at 14 seconds, slowly dropping throughout the day, along with gusty southerly winds blowing anywhere between 15-30 knots. Plus the forecast I was looking at was saying it was going to be overcast, while the chap on BBC Weather also mentioned that a cloud of Sahara dust was also bound for the UK due to some unusual circumstances. Hmmm, this was a tough call, and the evidence was looking weak to me that Cornwall was going to be epic. There would be waves for sure, but possibly just head high with cloudy weather, so I wasnt totally convinced, to say the least!LEAP OF FAITHBreaking down the facts maybe Timo was onto something since Surfline was promising a window of sunshine between 9am and 11am, and the long period swell was due to be hitting from the northwest, so that should pump into Gwithian without being blocked. My wife had plans for Sunday, so she encouraged me to do something exciting and take a chance! It is not often I am granted her permission to go on a windsurf trip at such short notice, so something was telling me to take the chance. With this rare green light up for grabs, I decided to pull the trigger and take a chance on this Cornish puzzle and hope that Timo had figured out all the clues correctly come the morning. As the best tides were early doors, we had to commit to leaving for Cornwall at 5am with no prior chance to check the waves etc on the webcams. This was an act of faith, which would hopefully pay off.I made it to Poole on the last train on Saturday night around 11.30pm, which was the exact time that Timo made it back after flying in from Dublin to Bristol and then driving back home. The alarms were set for 5am and then we were in for a bleary-eyed 4-hour drive down to Gwithian. Our commitment here was pretty big compared to the locals who could just rock up check the conditions and if it was not on, just turn around and simply go to bed in the comforts of their own homes. I would be nine hours away from my Sunday roast, which would mean eighteen hours of total travel both ways. Thats almost a whole day on the road! I could probably make it to the Canary Islands, if not the other side of the world, in the same time!MILITARY PRECISIONBy 7.30am we were about an hour away from Gwithian, working our way through diversions as they continue to build the new A30, which will hopefully cut down the travel time to Cornwall once the roadworks are complete. By now we could grab a glimpse of the webcams pre-dawn and I could definitely make out waves in front of the lifeguard hut at Gwithian. An hour later we were finally there for the real live view and thankfully Timos theory of solving this weather puzzle was much more accurate than mine. The waves were pumping and easily mast high in the sets. We were just in time to see Chucky AKA Ian Ross coming off the water. He looked gutted. Is there no wind?, we asked. No, Ive got a bloody family meal today on my day off, the wind is just kicking in and it is going to be epic. He was definitely not a happy man!DANGER ZONETimo reckons the dropping high tide provides the primo conditions at Gwithian and that is why we had left at 5am to be here for the early session. The dilemma now was what equipment to choose. The wind on the inside had some glassy patches, but the gusts on the outside looked much stronger. With the wind being light on the inside, this was exactly where the danger zone was as there were plenty of big sets detonating on the sand bar. If you are underpowered and drifting through here, you are pretty much a sitting duck, and it would be like crossing no mans land with waves firing at you. After toying with the idea of taking his 5.3m and his 107L Grip 4, Timo finally decided to take the same sail, but with the 99L instead. The trade-off would make him more vulnerable when heading out, but offer him greater manoeuvrability when on the wave I left that decision to him!DOWN THE GOAT TRACKTo get down to the beach at Gwithian at high tide, you basically have to gather your equipment and clamber down a tiny goat track, which is made even trickier thanks to it usually being damp and slippery underfoot. There have been plenty of sailors who have come a cropper navigating this trek and a lot of guys prefer to split their gear and do two trips. It is another decision that needs to be made, and of course, there was only one option for Timo down in one! Despite logo to mast high waves and sketchy wind on the inside, there were still four or five sailors, plus a couple of kiters, who were also up for the challenge.A TRICKY STARTOn his first run out, Timo launched upwind close to a small outcrop of rocks where there was a rip to help him drift through the impact zone. He got lucky and crawled over a couple of sets and was out the back ready to pick off his first wave. It wasnt long before a big set started looming and Timo lined up on what he thought would be the primo wave of the set. Moments later he was gunning down the line on a mast high bomb looking to launch a monster aerial, but the wave just didnt offer the right section and there was no moment of glory. So now he was back on the inside having to navigate his way back out again. I swear for the next hour he took about ten different poundings dealing with the tricky current and light winds on the inside. The reward once out the back were beautiful clean waves that were offering multiple turns and a massive aerial section if you were bold enough to hit it. The sailing was as tricky as it comes and definitely hard work, not to mention tiring.SLICE AND DICEMidway through the session, Timo came back to the beach and I could see another sailor looking at his head, which didnt look good had he bashed it? However, a few minutes later he was heading back out again on yet another mission to navigate no mans land, so I assumed the knock on the head couldnt have been that bad!As for the weather, there was no sign of the Sahara dust I had seen on the news and once again Timo had called the shots correctly, as at around 11am the sun briefly appeared from behind the clouds. All of a sudden Gwithian lit up in glorious wintery light. I could tell Timo had clocked this and knew that this was his moment to go big or go home. By this time the wind was howling and it must have been 30 knots out the back. I was struggling to hold my camera down from my position perched on the rocks down in front of the car park.ALL OR NOTHINGRight on cue a flawless set presented itself downwind and I could see Timo flying down towards the lighthouse in search of glory. Moments later he was driving up into a huge barrelling lip for a manoeuvre that was either going to go incredibly right or incredibly wrong. It was one of those moments as a photographer that I was praying my camera would not do something silly, lose focus, a battery dies or be on the wrong settings. Fortunately, Timo hit the lip with perfect timing, my camera managed to fire away and capture the moment, and I managed to hold everything down while being hit by a 30-knot gust. That was an exceptional aerial and I was pretty sure we were not going to outdo that anytime soon, especially when a new wave of grey cloud rolled in from the west.NO PAIN, NO GAINTen minutes later I made my way down to the waters edge to catch up with Timo as he was walking his rig back upwind. On closer inspection, I now got to see what had happened to his head. He had a nasty inch long slice from a fin, but at least it wasnt bleeding. We decided that we should head to the nearest hospital just to be safe, but in true Timo fashion, he still wanted to catch a few more waves before packing up. As he turned around, I noticed a huge slice in the back of his wetsuit, and I could make out a huge bruise on his back underneath. There is not a lot that can stop Timo from windsurfing when the conditions are firing. Enough said!An hour later, it was just about time to call it a day. The wind was now nuking and Timo was done and dusted after so many swims and altercations in the waves. Out on the water, the likes of Ian Black, Steve Thorp and a few locals got their just rewards for bracing the conditions as they tucked into some epic rides. However, with the tide now at dead low and the waves becoming increasingly hollow, it was game over. Before leaving, I was desperate to fly my drone, which almost proved to be a costly error, as my case with all my spares was blown over in the sand. Meanwhile, I was trying desperately to get the drone to return home in the nuking winds. Luckily, I managed to get it back otherwise that would have been a sour note to end an otherwise epic day.DOCTOR, DOCTORAround 2pm we arrived at Newquay Hospital to have Timos head checked. Funnily enough, the nurse recognised him from a previous Motley Crew trip where he had sliced open his foot at Mexicos, which required several stitches. This time round, they managed to glue his head wound, which looked worse than it actually was, fortunately.COMMITTED TO THE CAUSESo that was that. It turned out that Timo had managed to solve the riddle of the weather far more successfully than any of my own analyses. Gwithian was firing on all cylinders and there was no sign of the Sahara dust whatsoever. With the early start, that also meant an early finish and even factoring in the hour stop in Newquay I was home by 9pm, which included a four-hour drive, an hour on a train, a thirty-minute boat ride, and finally, a thirty-minute drive home! Not too bad!The post THE CORNISH CONUNDRUM: GWITHIAN GAMBLE appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

DANGER ZONE: TENIA, NEW CALEDONIADANGER ZONE: TENIA, NEW CALEDONIA Antoine Albert tells the tale of an epic outer reef session in New Caledonia with only a few close friends for company.Words: Antoine AlbertPhotos: Gill ChabaudTHE FORECASTThe forecast was pretty epic. When a swell is inbound in the South Pacific, it is coming from a low pressure that is sitting near Tasmania. This pushes the southwesterly swell towards New Caledonia and then on to Fiji. Swell from the south / southwest is the best direction for us in New Caledonia. For this session we had a 3.5 metre swell at 16 seconds forecast from the prime direction, which usually means it can be double that size in the sets! The wind was supposed to be light, but perfectly sailable at around 15-18 knots. It was a little bit cloudy, but hey, you cant have everything. My friend has a little boat, so we organised that to head out to the reef, but as well as transport, we also use the boat for safety if needed as we all know the spot pretty well.LOGISTICS Getting out to the break is not simply just loading a van and going sailing. We have to plan what gear we need, to take as the boat is only a 4.7m Zodiac, so it doesnt have a great deal of space. For this forecast, I took one board, three sails, three masts and two booms. We loaded up at my friends house and then attached his trailer to the car before driving about an hour to reach the launch spot. Once there, its about a 45 minute boat ride to the reef and that is when you really start getting excited. Everything has to be carried out as efficiently as possible, but we are now well versed with the process, so everything went to plan.FEAR FACTOR THE WAVE At this size, Tenia can be dangerous. It is a South Pacific swell, which I think are the most powerful in the world. Tenia is a reef break with live coral, so if you touch the bottom you can get seriously injured. At this size it is a technical wave, but I think Cloudbreak is a bit faster. Tenia can be a bit choppy, which makes it suer tricky to ride it properly. The channel is about sixty metres deep, so it never closes out. In this sense its a bit like Jaws. However, riding the wave and performing on it can be difficult. It can be so fast, and with even the slightest bit of chop, you bounce quite quickly on the wave, which makes it super hard to set the rail and perform a proper turn. My goal is to always try and perform as well as I possibly can on those massive waves. To be perfectly honest, it is scary out there. When you have up to double mast high waves behind you, essentially chasing you with speed and serious power, you dont want to crash. My friend Ivan got caught by a monster set and was held down for a long time. When he popped up, he still had to take the rest of the set on this head, which was tough for him, but thankfully, everyone survived.THE CREW & SAFETYWe had a pretty solid crew this day; Titouan Galea, Clement Colmas and Arthur Guillebert, who are all experienced sailing this reef break. We also had a jet ski which we had access to in the scenario that a rescue was needed, which helped to make things a bit safer. On camera was Gill Chabaud, who managed to score some amazing images, so that we can look back on this day with fond memories. This session was pretty serious and safety is always paramount with waves of consequence such as Tenia.THE SESSION When we first arrived the wind hadnt kicked in yet. It was only about 10-12 knots, but as there wasnt too much wind the waves were looking super enticing because there was hardly any chop. It was not looking huge to begin with dont get me wrong, it was big, but nothing out of the extraordinary. Despite the borderline winds, I decided to give it a try anyway. When you are there watching those kind of waves you just have to go in. If you dont go in then you just wait on the boat the entire day. Fortunately, I managed to catch a few waves despite the light wind. I had a bit of fear as it was so light, but I know the spot and my own limits well, but even so, I took it carefully by deliberately not taking any unnecessary risks. I did not attack the first waves and just made my mark at the spot. After the first wave was in the bag, my nerves disappeared, before quickly being replaced by a massive surge of adrenaline. It was on!The session turned out to be incredible, there was a lot of big sets and everybody scored at least one bomb. The beginning was light and beautifully clean, but as the wind picked up there were also some steps in the wave, which made things tricky to say the least. The bombs in particular were super hard to ride because they start breaking further out in the pass. It is super hard to set your rail and draw proper lines when it is like that. I had a couple of aerials which felt amazing. It is always my goal to land at least one air during a session, but when it is huge like this, that is pretty scary to do. You never know what can happen as your timing needs to be impeccable. If you hit the lip even just a fraction of a second too late, or without perfect timing, you can catapult and go straight over the falls or you do an air and get stuck in the whitewater, which can be extremely scary as you can get really hammered. The best option is to hit the lip a bit earlier than normal and go for a lofty air and land mid face, which is what I did. I had one big wave with an air and a couple of solid turns. I caught one huge wave, but I had to go straight the wave was so big and almost slabbing on the reef. It was also extremely choppy, so I set a high line and just gunned it down-the-line. It was still a great ride and I felt a lot of adrenaline. When you are on a wave of that size, it is still a challenge. I crashed a couple of times and luckily escaped unscathed, which certainly isnt a given at Tenia.I caught a couple of bombs with the winger, Titouan Guala, but it was so scary to do this. It was gnarly because Titouan is very good with the foil and he was really deep on the wave with me. We were riding very close together, almost too close, and I was just thinking about what happens if we crashed? What would happen with that foil? Etc: Dont try this at home!.WEAPONS OF CHOICE I rode a 70L quad made by Keith Teboul specifically for me to ride special reef breaks. This board works really well until its mast high, but when it gets over mast high it is actually a bit short. When it is big and choppy like this, I personally feel like I want more nose and a longer rail to be able to manage the chop and set the rail without nose diving. When its big you perform longer rail turns whereas when it is smaller and hollower you are more dancing in the pocket. I was using MFC fins, 13cm in the back and 9cm in the front. I was riding with my 4.5m Goya Banzai, which is the biggest wave sail I use. When the wind picked up I could have been on a 4.2m, but I stayed on my 4.5m all day long. When the wind picked up it was a little bit big especially as you only need enough sail to catch the wave as once you are on then you have more than enough power.APRS SESSION When the session was over, we still had a few hours travel in the boat and the car to get back home. We had to clean the boat when we made it back and pack all of our gear. In the car we were talking about our highlights and how the session was for us. Thankfully, it all ended well with nobody getting injured or being in danger. There was no broken gear either, so that was all good. We were so tired after the mission, so there was no special celebration, I just ate dinner and crashed out totally exhausted. I saw the photos and videos the day after which was cool to relive some of those moments. I was pretty stoked about how everything went down. The reef works pretty frequently but its not so often that it is this big. It is quite a mission, so its not always accessible. That day might have been the biggest day I have ridden out there. it was definitely in the top two it was solid!The post DANGER ZONE: TENIA, NEW CALEDONIA appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.