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In 2018, an extensive collection of kitesurfing surfboards will be launched, where the surfboards are produced in 3 different methods (technology) and in a wide variety of blades, suitable for different weights and for different purposes
The wave surfers for 2018 and explanations about the surfers
The Mito - F-One's flagship surfboard:
There is no need to introduce the surfboard to the world, designed by the super surfer Mito, and named after him.
This is one of the best-selling surfboards in the world, because its shape is suitable for a wide range of wind and wave conditions. This is a popular board also among surfers who want to perform freestyle wave exercises.
The mito continues with us in 2018 in a variety of sizes and production technologies. There are several changes and improvements in 2018: an increase in volume of about 10% from the front leg area (the center of the surfboard, towards the bow, which allows surfing the wave with less kite power (the volume in front maintains the speed in the wave)
In Mito this year there is additional thickness (volume) in the center of the surfboard, which strengthens it against breaking. Two ribs were added inside the surfboard to strengthen it against breaking.
The shape of the Mito is characterized by volume concentration from the center of the surfboard, towards the bow, while leaving a narrow tail.
The great charm of the Mito is that it is an easy surfboard when you shift the weight forward, so the surfboard becomes the friendliest of its kind in the water. By shifting the weight back, the surfboard changes its character and enables sharp and radical turns.
The bottom of the Mito draws inspiration from modern fins, which have been developed in recent years mainly for surfboards: one deep concave extending from the bow to the tail, while at the back the surfboard gets a significant rocker (increase of the stern). This shape allows for good control even in sharp turns, without losing the surfer's grip in the water.
The Mito Convertible - this is a Mito 5.8 wave surfboard with the option of adding a foil.
The slice:
The slice is a new shape released by the F-one company in 2018 (a shape that was not at all in previous years). It is a short and very fast surfboard, with a flattened nose, which is mainly used for surfing waves and freestyle waves in light wind and low waves.
This is a surfboard that is inspired by the Tomo shaper, Kelly Slater's famous shaper.
The slice is designed to allow us, the surfers, high speed and impressive performance in light and moderate wind - very early planing and sharp maneuvering, without effort and with minimal kite power.
It is very easy to connect to Slice, both for surfers who have just switched from a twin tip to a wave surfer and also for professionals who want an excellent solution for light and medium winds and waves up to one and a half meters.
The Slice is a very fun surfboard. The feeling is of control, with increased speed and sharp maneuvering. The surfboard has a deep concave in the stern and a relatively flat rocker line that accelerates the surfboard to planing very early. The rails are thin and thus allow attachment and sharpening, somewhat similar to a twin tip.
Heslice stars today in a wide variety of freestyle films in the waves.
Here you can see how Mito demonstrates a turn against the wind on the slice:
Cami is the slice tester. He mainly specializes in freewave exercises, strapless. Kemi tests the equipment in a variety of lengths and explains, in a face-to-face interview, that the slice enables comfortable landings in the strapless freestyle exercises. The surfboard sticks to the legs easily and allows a fast game in the air.
Kami further explains that in order to achieve maximum sharpening, the edge must be inserted. The rails were designed with a special emphasis on pop and sharpening (rails are relatively sharp for wave surfers, especially in the responsible part of the surfboard).
Slice convertible
In Morocco I was very lucky to receive a prototype of the Slice convertible, which is scheduled to go on the market at the beginning of 2019 with a connection to the foil wing as well.
But, since we were all very enthusiastic about the product, we convinced Rafael to come out with the Slice Convertible back in May 2018.
Raphael and the entire F-one team were especially enthusiastic about the fact that I was surfing within half an hour on the Slice Foil, at Strapless. This is the most comfortable foil available.
Signature:
This is a classic surfboard for surfing waves with a kite. It is designed for medium-high seas.
This year the concave in the tail has changed. Now there is one deep concave. The last twenty centimeters in the tail are flat. This year the surfboard comes with five sword houses, a fact that allows the surfer to choose 3 or 4 swords (thruster or quad).
The signature is produced in two technologies: HD-Foam, carbon. In both technologies you will find inserts for straps and shock absorbers in the heels.
Therefore, the surfboard contains the full package of the company's features, a fact that makes it the most expensive surfboard in the wavesurfer collection (among those that are not adapted to foil).
You will find a full explanation of the technologies later in the article.
Three series and a variety of features:
F-one surfboards for 2018 come in three configurations:
- ESL: Popular technology in recent years - foam core and bamboo shell. New for 2018. The surfboard comes without inserts and with a back astro-deck only. It is suitable for strapless surfers. Excellent flexibility and excellent price.
- HD-Foam – Pro Model: This is F-one's flagship technology – these surfboards are the only ones in the world equipped with shock absorbers under the heel. This technology is the most advanced available today in the world for the production of surfboards. It is a strong, dense and flexible structure. The front heel area is reinforced on both sides of the board with straps. The surfboard is equipped with inserts and an option to add straps.
- Carbon: This structure is designed for very light surfboards, without inserts, for strapless surfing and exercises in the air. The surfboard is stiffer than the Pro-Model surfboards, which contributes to increased pop when going for exercises in the air, but the stiffness is less pleasant in rough and choppy seas.
Raphael Sal and Charles, the company's engineer, demonstrate the flexibility of the Mito surfboard - HD-Foam
(Photo - Yaron Carmi - Dakhla)
The HD-foam structure - strong and flexible
Swords for the surfers
This year, new epoxy swords produced by F-One were released. As with every product that the company releases to the market, research work was done here for a very long time. As part of the research and development, a (very) wide range of sharpeners was tested.
In the end, a very unique line of swords was chosen, which Raphael proudly presents at the conference. The swords are flat inside and convex outside, in order to allow sharpening.
The swords are small but their size is deceiving, because their grip is excellent and thus you can reduce friction and get the required grip.
Raphael Sal in an interview with Lahi Pa: "The backward curve of the sword reduces the rotation speed and increases the stability of the rotation. We focused most of the tests around this shape and slowly changed it, until we reached an exceptional result, which is exceptionally adapted to the F-one kitesurfers.
We paid special attention to the flexibility of the sword, adds Rafael Sall, the flexibility softens the feeling when surfing but at high speed creates instability, therefore a wide range of flexibilities were tested, which will allow stability in the turn but will function well even at high speed. Rafael feels that today, after endless tests and comparisons between models and against swords that exist on the market, F-one has the best sword that can be purchased in the world, for kitesurfing.
Design and coloring
In 2018, the surfboards from the carbon series and the Pro-model are painted with a manual brush, by an artist-expert who paints in the factory, on each surfboard separately. Thus, each board is painted differently and is unique.
After painting, the final coating of the epoxy layer is performed. This year there is an integration between the colors of the pad and the colors of the surfboard.
It is an expensive coloring and adjustment that gives a unique and rare result in the market: for each surfer - his own unique surfboard.
Renew yourself
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