Windsurf MagazineFANATIC FREEWAVE TE 105 2023 TEST REVIEW

FANATIC FREEWAVE TE 105 2023 TEST REVIEW

Verdict
Light and free, playful and fun, the FreeWave TE is a pleasure to sail, gliding effortlessly over any sea state. With its fast release and buoyant feel, the FreeWave TE accelerates easily, allowing riders to get the most out of light breezes and as the breeze builds, its stubby outline ensures control is maintained.

: FANATIC FREEWAVE TE 105

The Lowdown
Modern in design, the 2023 Fanatic FreeWave TE is certainly eye-catching. Finished in light blue, with yellow and violet flashes, and topped with modern graphics, the design of the FreeWave TE is almost futuristic. But don’t let the design fool you too much. There is clear evidence of features from some of Fanatic’s previous designs, such as the Stubby, which is an evolution many brands adopted in the crossover market. Combined with Fanatic’s FreeWave DNA, this will certainly raise an eyebrow or two among our UK readership. With the UK’s classically inconsistent conditions, the stubby design mixed into a freewave board is sure to increase the board’s range and versatility dramatically. With a fast rocker line, the board’s flat section starts near the mast track and continues all the way through to the tail of the board, giving the rider a large platform to get planing early. The FreeWave TE’s outline is decidedly parallel, especially in the front, and narrows slightly to a fairly wide swallow tail at the rear. The bottom shape possesses a clean double concave throughout, while the rails are full in the front, transitioning to thin and sharp at the tail.

The board’s deck is relatively flat, even under the front footstraps, which is said to assist with classic freestyle moves. The design comes in 3 constructions – FreeWave, which offers full PVC stiffness at a competitive price point, the lighter FreeWave TE (tested here) with BXIC – Biax Innegra Carbon Light Finish and the premium FreeWave TXTR with TeXtreme® which Fanatic say is, “the most exclusive, high-performance construction in windsurfing”. The board comes with the very high standard of fittings that the brand is well known for and comes in six sizes ranging from 75 to 125 litres. On test here, we have the 105, which can be used with sail sizes of up to 6.8m, suggesting you can really get some light wind performance out of the FreeWave TE. Supplied as a thruster, but easily set up as a single-fin, Fanatic have you covered for all wind ranges and conditions.

Brand Claim
An evolution of the Stubby outline blended with our legendary FreeWave DNA, the FreeWave TE is a true chameleon – ready to adapt and excel in all conditions.

Performance
Step onto the FreeWave TE, and you will instantly notice how buoyant it feels underfoot, feeling larger than its quoted volume at rest. This quality is maintained as the board picks up speed, with the nose hunting effortlessly over chop or breaking waves. Feeling extremely light and playful, the board is easy to ride, releasing effortlessly onto the plane and encouraging the rider into an upright stance, poised and ready for manoeuvres or big air. The board is exceptionally easy to jump.

The upright stance and its lofty feel allow the rider to be perfectly positioned to pop the board well before leaning back and letting it fly. The FreeWave TE is fast whilst not asking for much in return, allowing the rider to soften their legs and maintain a consistent stance through changes in pressure. In the manoeuvres, the buoyant feel of the board is a real asset, making it easy to maintain lift on the exit of gybes. If you are looking to lay down some spray on the wave or through a gybe, the FreeWave TE asks for a more back-foot-biased technique to help sharpen the arc of the turn and with plenty of room to move your feet due to its relatively flat deck and wide design, walking forwards on the board on the exit is an easy task helping drive the nose flat.