Gunnar Biniasch tells us all about the G-Pro, his own Signature Series Boards at Indiana Paddle & Surf Co.

A few days ago, we took a behind-the-scenes look at Indiana Paddle & Surf Co. with Jan Pütz and Andi Widmann, engineer and shaper for the Swiss brand, who told us all about the R&D process and future releases. Today, we continue with Gunnar Biniasch, top-level rider (IWSA Wingfoil Racing Master World Champion 2022) but above all full-time designer at Indiana, who designed all the foils, SUP and surf foil boards and wingfoil boards from 2017-2021. Building on this experience, Gunnar launched his own Signature Series Boards a few months ago: the G-Pro. While he already gave us a glimpse of the prototypes in an interview last year, today the G-Pro is available to all, in 74L and 63L. Gunnar tells us all about the development of these boards, their shape, their program and for whom he recommends them.

Photo : Florian Scharscher

Hello Gunnar, we wanted to talk to you about your own Signature Series Boards: the G-Pro. First of all, what inspired you to start designing your own boards?

I have been designing the Wingfoil Boards for Indiana from the beginning.  The first generation of Boards I designed actually set the standard for boards as we see them today.  The straight tail, progressive rocker, bevels and outlines of the first Indiana Wingboards have all been accepted as the standard by the rest of the industry almost 3 years later.  This was possible as I have been designing Kite and Sup and Surf Foilboards since 2010 and the concepts that work for kitefoiling and surf foiling translate perfectly between all the other disciplines too.   So, I did have a bit of a head start compared to most of the rest of the wingfoil board shapers in this regard.

Photo : Florian Scharscher

However, when you design products that are a few years ahead of what the mainstream brands are pushing, it is very difficult as a smaller brand to have your ideas accepted by the everyday customers that just feel safe riding the gear that they are told to by the market leaders.  So the options were, keep pushing the forward and make industry defining boards a few years too early and try to convince everyone, or be more conservative with the designs.

Photo : Florian Scharscher

The compromise was to create a range of products to let my imagination and forward-thinking run wild without having to worry about if people were ready for it or not, that would run parallel to our range of Foilboards. So the G-Pro (Gunnar Pro) range was born.  This allows me to test my more advanced ideas, which we can then implement in our wider range of products at a later stage.

Photo : Florian Scharscher

What was the R&D and manufacturing process like for these G-Pro boards? 

The R&D process for the G-Pro boards was almost the same as for any product I design for Indiana.  I am on the water every day testing new concepts and refining ideas.  What is different is that I design these boards specifically for my needs, so I do not collaborate with anyone on the G-Pro boards.

Contrary to what people think about me, I am not a naturally talented athlete.  I need to have gear that works better than the rest to compensate for this lack of skill.  All my successes I have had in competitions have been more down to having more advanced gear than the rest.   This results in my designs typically being very easy to use while have excellent performance, which makes them perfect for the average rider who is looking to push their level up.

Photo : Florian Scharscher

The 2 Board have very specific use cases.  The 74L was designed to be my lightwind allround board.  I needed something that I could use with small foils (550cm2) in very light wind for racing, that would still be fun to ride in smaller waves.  After a few generations of prototypes, I actually went back to the concept of a planning board that would build more speed. The first prototypes were more “modern” and were designed for early release when pumping, which resulted in the board releasing from the water before the small race foil had enough speed to engage (fly stable).  So the 74L builds more speed on the water before releasing, allowing for a more stable and efficient takeoff.  This makes it an amazing light wind board also for larger foils.

Photo : Florian Scharscher

The 63L is a totally different concept.  I wanted a high wind board what was the same outline and dimensions as the 40L boards I was usually riding, but with more volume to make the take-off much easier in conditions where the wind might drop, or the current is strong where a 40L board would be a real pain for me with 85kg to get going again after a crash.

Photo : Florian Scharscher

So the 63L G-Pro, I took a very wave oriented outline with only 4’4” length, but put a lot of extra volume under the front foot area.  This allowed me to stand up and wait for the lull to pass and catch the gust. Previously on a 40L board I would be on my knees or the board full submerged and when the gust came I would have to spend a lot of energy and time to get the board to the surface and would miss the gust a lot of the time.  This is no longer a problem with the 64L G-Pro. Basically, I have all the fun and agility of a 40L board and the safety and comfort of a 63L board combined in one.  Thanks to its short size and outline, it is also great for surffoiling, dockstarting and kitefoiling.  If I was travelling with the family, it would be my go-to board as I can do multiple foilsports with it.

Both Boards are constructed in a Carbon/PVC Sandwich Construction like our other Foilboards. This has the best combination of weight and durability.  To keep the weight down, the G-Pros also have smaller and lighter carry handles and do not have the Inserts for the Nose handle.

Photo : Florian Scharscher

Two sizes of G-Pro are currently available, in 63L and 74L. Will others be added to the range?

The G-Pro range are boards that I ride personally, so we will probably not make other sizes.  That said, the concepts that work well do flow down into our other ranges.  For example the new 2024 Wavefoil and Freewave ranges have inherited most of the concepts of the 63L G-Pro.

Photo : Florian Scharscher

For whom would you recommend the G-Pro range? 

I am a 46-year-old, 85kg rider with a slightly above average skill level. So my boards will work for anyone from Intermediate to pro level.    The 74L is the perfect board for all disciplines in light wind or difficult conditions, and the 63L is for strong winds and when the waves are pumping.

Photo : Florian Scharscher

Thank you very much Gunnar for your answers!

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