Location: Punta San Carlos
Rider: Billy Ackerman
I wanted to take a minute and fill everyone in on the new 2020 F-One Wing Board series and my experiences so far. Get excited, because this series is going to be a HIT and will be available soon! We are just back from a week in Punta San Carlos for our annual Kitesurfing camp hosted by Solosports, and I had a great time with the Swing, the Gravity foils and the new Rocket Wing we had received a few days prior. So much fun wing surfing the waves of PSC!
I have been using a proto model that will be like the production 5’4 – 70L size board. The shapes work well and make your entire wing experience fun, easier and extremely enjoyable in light wind conditions. You can become very efficient with the proper volume under your feet. Up until now, I have been using my rocket 5’0 – 35.5L prone surf foil board, which works well but takes some practice and is not for everyone deep water starting with a Swing. The sinker boards require a lot of wind to deep water start and now with the Wing Board series we can have the same performance feeling with a proper amount of volume in these compact shapes. I thought being a longer board with more volume, the boards swing weight would be a factor, but that is not the case at all, they are quite balanced and very efficient when taking off from the water and while performing critical turns on a wave. The board feels right at home under your feet and is very enjoyable to ride. I have been getting going in lighter winds than ever before which is the best part!
I am 6’2 and 190 lbs and foil surf regularly on the 5’0 rocket / 35.5L. Now on the 70L Rocket Wing board at just a couple inches longer has been very enjoyable in all conditions from 10kts to 40kts and I have gravitated to using this board all the time! I can get up and riding in almost any wind that someone could typically kite foil in. (10-14kts is no problem on the wing board with a 5m Swing).
The bottom shape of the Rocket Wing series is different than what we have seen on the Rocket Surf and features a nice subtle double concave in the bottom nose with a chinned rail which really do help while pumping up onto foil. I can push against the water while pumping up, and the board is very stable with a good amount of drive as it comes out of the water. It makes a huge difference having 70L under my feet in the lulls and during any touch downs, not to mention you do not have to work as hard and can have more enjoyable sessions.
The Wing Board series also comes with a carrying handle similar to our SUP’s but is located in the bottom of the board so you can carry your Swing Wing in one hand and your foilboard in the other, easy and comfortably through even the toughest rocky water entries. I initially thought the cavity in the bottom would drag a little but that is not the case, the carrying handle cavity does not affect the performance and you do not feel it while pumping up to foil at all. The bottom handle one of my favorite features.
