Downwind boards are probably the biggest and most striking trend this year. New models with long, stretched shapes can be seen at almost every stand at boot 2024. The boundaries between downwind foiling with a paddle and wing foiling are becoming blurred, with almost all new products being suitable for both purposes. Many brands are using new materials for the wings, which should remain very dimensionally stable. We travelled around boot for you and show you the most important innovations in the wingfoiling sector here, the overview for the SUOP sector will follow soon!
AFS
AFS, who once built the first foil in windsurfing, have now focussed on the wingfoil market, as developer Bruno André explains. Many riders at the GWA and a complete range of boards and foils emphasise this. The downwind board called Blackbird, the carbon version of which is built in the company's own factory in Brittany, catches the eye. There is also the Whitebird line of wingboards for the general public, as well as a complete range of wings.
When it comes to the foil components, the wave front wings are particularly striking as they have a wave-shaped leading edge. "This prevents stalling at very slow speeds," explains Bruno and reveals that many wave riders in the team use the wings.
Armstrong Foils
Armstrong has a seemingly endless selection of wings and other foil components on display, "that's what we're famous for," laughs manager Hernan Quevedo. New are performance versions with a thinner profile in the centre section, which are faster but also more demanding to ride. At the other end of the range, there is a completely new range of High Aspect Ratio wings, which should fly more stable and be easier to ride. In addition, the carbon mast is now also available in an even lighter performance version. "Everyone can decide what they like best depending on their budget," says Hernan.
Armstrong is also working on a downwinder for the boards, but it is not yet ready. In addition to a revised range of wing boards, where more volume has been packed into the same outline, the WKT is a new mini board for wake foiling or dock launching with a pump foil - conveniently positioned at the transition to the halls with the larger boats, which provide the necessary power. With the XPS, Armstrong also has a wing in its range whose cloth is made up of many small panels and is said to be low-stretch and easy to repair. removable mini-battens are designed to stabilise the wing in strong winds. "And maybe a new one will come out soon..." Hernan grins meaningfully.
Ensis
With Balz Müller, the Swiss company Ensis has the best ambassador for water sports of all kinds, who seems to be constantly spreading good vibes in the pool and on stage. Balz' Pro Model Rock'n'Roll Pro was already presented by Ensis a few months ago, now the normal Rock'n'Roll boards are also available in a colourful design, the shapes of the ten models have been revised in the underwater hull and the outlines have become a little narrower. There is also a new model, the Downwinder Waltz, which was only presented at boot. In the wing area, the Top Spin has been supplemented by two smaller sizes, and an update has been announced for the Score.
Ensis also has a new wing harness: the simple "Birdie" is very light and comes with a safety catch from paragliding. The harness is completely "made in Switzerland" and is manufactured in a workshop for people with disabilities. It will be available in two colours and two sizes.
GunSails/We One
At the GunSails stand, you can see the familiar hardboards, inflatables, foils and the Hy-Wing, which have been in the programme for some time. However, Managing Director Jörg Müller announced a new wing and revised inflatables for spring. We One's new sales partner has a range of ten wingboards in its programme, and the Austrians are said to be working on a downwinder.
Haiku Sports (PPC, Jimmy Lewis, Cloud IX)
The new PPC-Wing M1 will be on display at the Haiku Sports stand, which is said to be particularly stiff with 12 psi pressure and can be already proved to be very fast and easy to control in our test.. The fabric comes from the Americas Cup and is very low-stretch, making it a perfect match for the rigid frame, reports Haiku Managing Director Jan Muellers.
Shaper Jimmy Lewis has also built a new downwind board alongside his SUPs. The "Twisted V" is based on a board that Lewis once designed for none other than Laird Hamilton. "Thanks to a special V, it comes up very well in the waves, but is less suitable for flat water," says Jan. The Twisted V comes in three sizes, each with two widths.
If you're not yet so good at foiling out of the water, you should take a look at the "Foilboost" from Stokefoil. This e-drive can be clamped to any conventional foil mast and offers 50 boosts on one charge to get you going, or 15 minutes of pure e-foiling. In this case, the module would have to be mounted further down. It is controlled via a small Bluetooth remote control on the handle or paddle, the receiver must be clamped to the board. Otherwise, new foils with a thinner profile for downwinding have been added to the Cloud IX programme, while the new tail called Catalyst is designed to generate more lift and be faster.
Indiana
Shaper Andi Widmann shows us around the Indiana stand, where one board in particular stands out: the Le Doigt Pro model is also one of the trendy downwinders and stands out clearly from the otherwise green Indiana range with its yellow and pink design. At 6'0 and 6'4, the available sizes are relatively short and primarily intended for inland areas with short, steep waves: "This is perfect for getting going early and still catching the odd wave," says Andi. In general, all flat water boards are more "pump & paddle" orientated, but can also be used well for tacking in light winds. The other all-round boards for waving have been relaunched and smaller sizes have been added; a deeper cut-out in the deck means you are closer to the mast - a feature that the small pump foil board also has and is said to have become significantly stiffer thanks to the rails.
Andi shows the new mast on the foils: "It looks like all the others, but high modulus carbon makes it stiffer, the new profile is significantly faster and absolutely ventilation-free." The wingfoil parts of the wings have been given a higher aspect ratio and should fly faster and more freely. New downwind foils are also due to arrive soon.
SAB Foils
SAB Germany importer Frank Rosin shows us "wings for all areas of use" during our tour of the stand. Here, too, a downwind board designed for wingfoiling in light winds. "We see a large market share here," says Frank, explaining that there are many similar boards that are significantly longer, "this one is a downwinder in wing format!" The board is designed to plane quickly, especially in light, gusty winds or in inland areas. "If you have wind holes, this is a great way to get going!"
Another eye-catcher at SAB is the quick release system for foil mounting. The mast is inserted into a suitable plate or tuttle box and tightened with a single conical screw. "The idea comes from racing, where the foil needs to be changed quickly," reports Frank Rosin. But the system is also interesting for all other foilers: the plate can remain on the board, the trim is retained and transport is easier. Or a foil can be quickly screwed onto different boards.
Starboard
The new X-15 race class will be presented at the Starboard stand and also demonstrated on the water basin. Svein Rasmussen told us all the background to this in an interview some time ago. The Go and Air models of the Wings are completely new, while the Air comes in three different construction methods. The centrepiece is the new Ultra X cloth, in which Dyneema threads are laminated on one side to prevent stretch, as Elias Ouahmid from the Starboard team explains. Another new feature is the boom, which is used on all wings except the Air Team and the Go.
The wingboards have been revised by Starboard, in particular the all-rounder called "Wingboard" has been given a deeper cut on the deck so that you stand lower and closer to the mast. "This makes it more responsive and direct," reports Carsten Kurmis. And Starboard also has a new downwind board with the Ace: "It was actually designed as a downwind foiler, but then we quickly realised that it is also a very good light wind wingboard," says Carsten. The shape was copied from the SUP Ace and shrunk, so to speak, and the new board comes in two designs and also as an inflatable. "This is probably the future for popular sports because they are becoming more and more stable, even though they are very narrow," Carsten continues. "The biggest advantage is the ease of take-off and foiling."
Tahe
One of the products on show at the Tahe stand is the Aria wingboard, which we were able to test a few weeks ago. The boards come in two designs, with the PE boards being particularly robust and aimed primarily at hire centres. Right next to it is the SIC Raptor, a significantly lighter but also more expensive model.
