The GA Cross Wing on land:
At €779, the GA Cross is one of the cheaper wings on the market. The Wing is available in 2.8/3.5/4.2 and 6.2 square metres in addition to the 5.2 size we tested. It is pleasing to note that the Wing's favourable price is no longer visible. While the first series production models still had minor visual flaws, the Cross now has a flawless appearance. The tread tension has also been adjusted in the current series, according to the manufacturer with the aim of optimising the tyre,"to improve the control of the wing with a tighter profile."
With a wingspan of 332 centimetres, the GA Cross is neither extremely compact nor overly stretched and, at 2.53 kilos, it also sits in the middle of the scale. The wing tips are equipped with extensive abrasion protection, which should also allow it to be used on land, e.g. on a skateboard, without any problems. However, the position of the window is not ideal: it is quite close to the centre strut and, in our opinion, should be moved much further towards the wingtips. The centre duct is connected to the front tube via a thin hose, so you need to allow a little more time for venting. It would have been nice if GA had printed the required inflation pressure on the wing.
As always, we present our test wing in a clip on YouTube. Take a look!
On the water:
The profile tuning is relatively soft compared to other competitor products - a characteristic that most wingsurfers can nevertheless live with. The Cross turns out to be quite elastic when pumped, which means it can be pumped effectively at the lower wind limit. Heavy surfers (>85 kilos) should not go below the recommended inflation pressure of 7 psi, even in light winds. The bottom line is that there are certainly wings that offer even more passive power (e.g. SIC Raptor , Vayu VVing ) and others that appear more compact and lighter ( e.g. Slingshot Slingwing , Naish Wing Surfer ) - nevertheless, the GA Cross does not present itself as "mediocre", but as a good all-rounder. The position of the handles now fits perfectly after the revised profile tuning, you surf with an even pull on both hands. However, the grips themselves are quite soft and are not 100 per cent comfortable during longer sessions due to their noticeable edges.
In gusts, the GA Cross doesn't fidget at all and is always balanced and easy to control in the hands. If you set it to neutral or just let it fly behind you when pumping over the foil, it also handles this task with composure and doesn't show any annoying life of its own. Who needs the second GA model in the group, the Poison? The answer will follow soon...
Conclusion:
The GA Cross impresses in the test as a thoroughly versatile wing with a good mix of performance, control, good manoeuvrability and the neutrality required for the wave. This results in a correspondingly large target group of wing beginners, trickers and wave fans. The small shortcomings in the equipment can be easily overcome in view of the fair price.
All-rounder with good price-performance ratio
Comfort of the handles; venting takes quite a long time
Position of the window
Editor's note: The report was supplemented on 5 April 2022.
