Source: TKB REVIEW: 2020 F-ONE TRAX ESL
F-ONE Trax ESL
Sizes Available: 136cm x 40.5cm, 137cm x 42cm
Sizes Tested: 137cm x 42cm
F-ONE Says:
The overall rocker line is moderate to ensure the board offers early planning and keeps the fantastic glide, which is the true signature of the TRAX. The rocker line is split into three distinct stages with a flatter section in the centre, which is crucial to achieving an excellent upwind angle and great tracking on the water. The transition between the middle section and the tips was inspired by the WTF?! rocker to offer incredible pop. The bottom shape features a deep double concave and some tip channels. Both are quite efficient at providing first-class grip and control to the board, but the double concave is the main driver behind the overall comfort of the board and its stability at all times.
On the water, the board impresses by how smooth it is to ride. Everything feels natural and totally intuitive. A perfect blend of glide, solid pop and smooth landings characterise this well-balanced shape. The TRAX ESL is available in two sizes 136 x 40.5 cm and 137 x 42 cm, which should fit a wide range of users. The proportions of the shape are inspired by the latest freestyle developments while the dimensions are kept more manageable. All versions come equipped with our UNIBox 50m fins, which offer better speed and improved glide thanks to their thinner profile.
Visit for more info: www.f-one.world/product/trax-esl/
Our Testers Say:
“Great board to learn tricks, easy to go upwind; simple and functional board that performs well.” // Roland Erni
“Relaxed, smooth-riding board with medium edge control that is perfect for cruising.” // Matt Kargl
“Smooth ride and very comfortable bindings that can be slippery at first.” // Ray Borg – Meet Our Testers
Tkb Says:
The Trax ESL is back with new sizes 136 and 137cm, with the ESL level of trim that offers a three-stage rocker with a noticeably flat center section and an outline with a subtly rounded mid-section finished with squarish tips. The bottom shape features double concave with a single channel running between the fins and out to the tips. The Trax ESL always scores solid points as a user-friendly freeride board that is really easy to drive upwind and offers a comfortable ride in choppy conditions. The Trax with the ESL bottom shape doesn’t have a particular grippy feel, but the straighter rail outline and flatter rocker does feel particularly efficient and easy to control when you set the board on rail and rocket upwind. The ESL construction offers a denser core and you can feel that it has a little heavier weight to the overall build, but it feels nimble and fast in the water and slides upwind for quick tacks back to the top after some big jumps. In the load and pop department, the Trax ESL has a decent flex pattern that allows for good tension and release that translated to solid liftoffs and felt pretty solid on hard landings. The fins feel a little bit skatey when you carve from rail to rail, so you want to pay a bit more attention to edge control through carves, but this also makes the board very easy to initiate and control transitions. Overall, the Trax ESL scored high points for its easy upwind performance, friendly chop handling and solid load and pop which places this board solidly in the camp of a great first freeride board to help with early progression while offering room for more advanced riding.
The Trax comes with three insert options for adjusting duck stance width that are ducked (not lined up on center) and a plastic handle. We rode the Trax with F-One’s Platinum 3 bindings which offer a number of different options for dialing in duck stance. The Platinum comes in two sizes, S/M and M/L, with the M/L being the best option for our male test crew. The footbeds feature a smooth rubbery footbed that has a fair amount of cupping around the heel and a substantial amount of contour, with a subtle toe bar that keeps your foot engaged in the strap. The footpad feels fairly dense and the grip isn’t as aggressive as some other strap systems. The strap is a single Velcro overlap strap that offers simple adjustment, while the strap mounting point can be moved forward and back over the footbed to get the perfect fit. Testers commented on the Platinum3 binding’s very straightforward and easy adjustments and generally found them to be comfortable and adequate for keeping their feet planted on the board.
