In windsurfing we don’t see a lot of experimental board shapes. Recently though we saw an increase of wave boards with blunted noses. A few days ago Swiss windsurfer Balz Müller posted a new video with a freestyle board, which reminds on a peanut shape in surfing or a skate board or twintip snowboard.
The board seems to work well but which benefits will this blunted shape bring for stomping freestyle moves? We asked the shapers of the board.
And this is what Benoit and Mathias from MB boards answered:
“With this shape, we can have a very compact board with an explosive acceleration. The Freestyle board is 199 cm long. When you ride it, you really have the feeling of a skateboard for tricks, it gives you a lot of control on water and especially in the air. The wide tail gives an incredible pop and good control for the sliding moves. The NDO (Natural Drive Outline) allows to maintain speed for all the modern freestyle moves with a pop during the curve like Kono, Culo, Ponch.”
I think it proves how little difference shape makes. Surely needs to flex a lot for this concept to actually work?
Thank you for your question: it doesn’t flex more or less than a conventional board.
Secretly I almost hope it doesn’t work. I already can’t stand the look of that thing…!!! 😉
It looks unbelievably ugly. But if the theory stands true, it could work in waves and even slalom. Tests please!!!