Flysurfer is celebrating 20 years of innovation with this season’s releases. Inspired by their background in paragliding, the founders of Flysurfer were instrumental in the early development of foil kite technology, bringing significant improvements to light wind performance and setting new benchmarks for the kiteboarding market. In its 20th year, Flysurfer is releasing important updates to its iconic Soul and Peak kite models along with a rounded-out range of twintips for every type of riding. Head of Marketing, Chris Hesina, walks us through the latest updates and highlights the newest developments in Flysurfer’s offerings for 2022.
What is new at the organizational level of your company for 2022?
2022 will be about new faces and hopefully rising stars. We have been looking for young guns throughout the past few months and will be happy to announce our additions to the rider lineup. Luke McGillewie joined Flysurfer a year ago and is now a full-time kite designer. He lives in the perfect place to push our products even further: Cape Town. With increasing sales numbers, new challenges arise. We have always been a small team and therefore we have invested in digitalization and production facilities, taking a series of steps towards a smooth-running supply chain and ensuring the quality of our products. Talking about products, we have some brand-new fabrics for our kites, control bars and wings. We are super excited about the upcoming releases. 2022 will be a special year with product releases that emphasize the hard work of our team during the pandemic. These days we are in a very positive mindset and look forward to a bright future.
Click the photo above to watch the official Soul video
The next step in the foil kite lineup is the Sonic. How does the Sonic design differ from the Soul and what additional performance can kiters expect from the Sonic?
The Soul sits deeper in the wind window and is better suited for riders’ first attempts at jumps, unhooked tricks and jibing on the hydrofoil. There is significantly less chance of overflying; the wingtips are more stable and the turning is tighter. The Soul is the better choice in gusty winds and is particularly suitable in strong winds and for land and snowkiting. The Sonic needs a more experienced rider. We recommend the Sonic to riders for whom maximum performance is the top criteria. The Sonic is also the first choice for those who want to go faster on a hydrofoil and those who like to race and send big airs. If you are looking for unlimited hangtime, then the Sonic is the perfect choice for more confident riders.
The Peak is gaining popularity on the water although it was a kite that was specifically designed to conquer backcountry snowkiting and big mountain accents. What are the key features of the Peak and why is it becoming a hit for water kiters?
The fifth edition of the Peak is our latest single-skin foil kite made for touring, progression and freeride. The advantages of the ultra-light single skin concept are still an integral part of the product line, but in its fifth generation, we’ve created a more sophisticated design than before. The Peak is now incredibly reliable with its unparalleled safety system, and offers incredible light wind stability, crash resistance and easy handling as its main strengths. Its agility and the amount of power you can extract from the kite gives riders genuine excitement. Most riders find that you can always use a smaller size of the Peak than the wind range allows, yet it still has the necessary depower to cope with gusty wind conditions. Peak riders from the past will find the latest design offers gains in reactivity and durability. The kite responds to your steering commands much earlier, therefore, you stay in contact with the kite longer. The steering is smoother and effortless whilst depowered, which is one of the reasons why the new Peak is easier to control in the upper wind range. The ratio of power to depower is still terrific. We recommend the Peak to be flown with our new Connect Control Bar for the best experience. The consistent development of the single-skin concept has made some clear improvements and this is why the Peak has been a bestseller over the last few years. With incredible range, an exciting flight feeling and proven safety features, the 5th generation Peak offers a lot of fun at a low price!
The Boost has long been Flysurfer’s progression-freeride kite in the lineup. What changes have been made to the Boost this last year and what are its key strengths?
The Boost is Flysurfer’s progression freeride kite, perfectly balanced for beginners and intermediate riders who want to improve their riding skills. The combination of stability, performance and a very easy relaunch is the ideal recipe for rapid learning success. Riders who like powerful bar feedback, calm flying characteristics and a lot of grunt, immediately feel comfortable with the new Boost. The kite is easy to control and the new bridle line system with pulleys supports re-launch even better than a static bridle line system. Having reduced the Boost’s overall weight, we’ve increased the lightwind ability and the kite parks on the edge of the wind window with ease. The previous version had soft steering and light bar feedback, very progressive power to depower deployment and pivoted with ease. While the new Boost has firmer steering, more direct bar feedback, more grunt and turns more precise than its predecessor, the updated Boost is a detailed overhaul of the Boost lineup that stays true to its predecessor’s character: accessibility.
Click the photo above to watch the Boost in action
The Flysurfer twintip line has some classic longstanding models as well as newer additions. How has the twintip line evolved to cover the various disciplines of kiteboarding?
Click the Flow to watch the official video
Our twintips are all made from a full paulownia wood core, using the highest quality materials and production processes. The Flow is the latest addition to our board line-up with its lightweight build made for twintip riders who want to progress. It comes with a flat rocker curve and flexible wide tips, which supports early planing and helps absorb choppy water. The Flow is available in four sizes (132×40.5, 137×42, 142×43 and 148×44) to meet the needs of progression-oriented riders of all sizes.
Probably the most iconic board in our line is the Radical, with its superior carving ability and explosive pop off the water for more performance-oriented riding. The double concave is more forgiving on fast landings. And while it features a ton of performance, it is still very appealing to beginner to advanced riders and available in four sizes (128×39, 133×40, 138×42.5, 144×46).
The Trip is our new-era PU split-board, which is made for convenient travel and intermediate riders. The Trip has a high rocker curve, stepped channel tips and a hard board center. We’ve designed the trip to turn easily and really has its strengths in the medium wind range or in small waves. It comes in two sizes (137×41.5, 142×43) and features the Fire Fin system which can be easily unmounted without using tools and makes travel worry-free with its plug and play system.
For more information on Flysurfer’s 2022 collection visit: www.flysurfer.com
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