120 LITRE FREERIDE / BLASTING BOARD TEST 2022
THE NEW CROWN OF VERSATILITY
From our June 2022 edition the test team get their blasting boots on and review some on the latest freeride board designs.
EDITOR: TRIS BEST
SECOND TESTERS: ROB YORK, JOE NORTH, SCOTT STALLMAN, JAMES FALEY // TEST LOCATION: PORTLAND HARBOUR // PHOTOS: TRIS BEST
Windsurfing, like any dynamic sport, is constantly evolving and developing, much like a living organism or being. After all, if it didn’t, we’d need to worry, as it would mean that innovation and creative thinking had dried up. Luckily, I don’t think that it will ever be the case in our sport – there are too many passionate people involved; too many enthusiasts that fondly nurture their love for windsurfing day in, day out. And there are new brands appearing still; new romanticists injecting energy and life into the sharp end. We also see the other end of the scale in the centre and school we have here on Portland: new blood joining at grass-roots level, about to discover and fettle a new addiction.
And what has us coming back time and time again? One word: blasting. The freedom and liberation it provides from everything else in our busy lives. There really is nothing quite like it. Despite all the distractions that have occurred in the watersport arena over the years (kitesurfing and winging in recent years to name just two), there is no substitute for locking a sail’s power in place, finding the straps and just hanging on as the board flies on its fin. It really is quite a special sensation, and never gets boring.
FINDINGS
There are quite a few new designs in this class … and a few well-established designs that are nonetheless relevant today as they were in their first season. Across the eight boards on test here, there’s quite a cross section of what’s available and possible in this board size, from the nigh-on slalom board to the freerace and freeride cousins, into freemove and even freewave. All this, and we haven’t even mentioned the possibility of fitting a foil in place for a spot of flying! Six of the eight here are wind foil compatible … a compatibility that was considered during the design process rather than an afterthought, so it is certainly another consideration. There’s a massive amount of versatility in this board group, so it’s worth thinking clearly and scrutinising the wind strengths you need the board for and the role you’d like it to play.
SUMMARY
This test is the first opportunity we’ve had to try an AV Board, and got to say, we’re impressed. The Nuvolari has definite slalom board qualities, yet its riding style and comfort makes it both enjoyable and accessible for the recreational pilot or even the ambitious progressing rider at a push. The Dyno 125 from Severne is at the other end of the scale – a big crossover platform that has its toe in lots of camps. It was the surprise of the test and particularly impressed with its sublime cornering capabilities. The new Super Sport from JP is a light wind master, getting going early and feeling alive and flighty in the most marginal airs. It does display its size if the conditions turn on, its range extended significantly with a change down in fin. The Carrera from Goya is a new board for this season too and focusses on control – a wide stance on a somewhat familiar narrow platform, it encourages a low stance and provides plenty of connection in return. There are two returning designs – the RRD Firestorm and Tabou Rocket Plus. The RRD is a classic freerace contender, direct in nature and likes to be driven, its performance reflecting how much input it receives from the rider. The Rocket Plus is another Tabou classic in its own right – just so adaptable and enjoyable to ride. It is fast on all points of sail and was liked by all that sailed it, from the progressing intermediate to the power-hungry slalom sailor. A real class act! The Futura from Starboard is the shortest yet widest in the group and delivers a unique riding style, capable of performing over a simply massive wind range. It takes a little getting used to, but the rewards are certainly there. Last but not least is Fanatic’s much anticipated new-generation Blast … and by all accounts, it’s been worth the wait. Speed comes easy and gybing even easier – it’s the essence of freeride windsurfing in a can and has to be applauded.
THE LINE UP
STARBOARD FUTURA 77 WOOD SANDWICH