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Fanatic Freewave 105 2012 action

Fanatic FreeWave 105 Team Edition

Stats Volume (L) 105 Weight (Kg) 7.9 Length (cm) 242 Width (cm) 63.5 Construction Team Edition Fin Fanatic Freewave 29cm Price £1529

 

The low down
The Fanatic Freewave designs are versatile all-round boards, available in five different sizes; the smallest are aimed at waves and high winds, whereas the larger models are a little more freestyle and freeride orientated. They also come in three different constructions, Wood Sandwich, Team Edition or, at the most technical and pricey end of the range, the Textreme. We tested the Team Edition, which is a lightweight Carbon Kevlar construction. The range has not been changed for 2012 but it has had a subtle graphical freshen up.

At a glance
The 105 sits in the upper middle of the range, so is the all-rounder of the line-up. It has a very classic shape with a pintail and rounded nose. On the deck it has top quality pads and comes with superbly comfortable Fanatic straps. It has a moderate rocker line and the fin is a Powerbox 29cm G10 Fanatic Freewave. The graphics and finish are top quality, with exposed carbon on the deck and a metallic airbrush effect on the base.

Performance
The Fanatic is very stable under foot, it is the largest board in the test, in terms of volume but once you get it going it doesn’t feel that big. The deck has a nice amount of dome and the ride from the straps is very comfortable and controlled. It feels extremely light and lively, with a very crisp and controllable ride. In a straight line it is a quick board and very comfortable when blasting in rough conditions. Round the corners, it is a super versatile board, which can be cranked hard and fast through turns with total confidence, it always cuts a smooth arc in any conditions, which also means it is applicable for waves. As for freestyle, this is a highly capable board and unless you are performing the super radical cutting edge moves then you won’t be able to tell much difference once you’ve fitted a smaller fin.

The verdict
The Fanatic Freewave is a classic, the shape has been unchanged for a couple of seasons now but it doesn’t need to change. It offers the perfect 50/50 balance between flat-water freestyle and small wave performance; you can take this board anywhere.

www.fanatic.com

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