TotalWing Gear Geek: Freewing Pro – dedicated to wingfoil racing

Latest from Freewing, discover the wing PRO, which, as its name suggests, promises performance worthy of a pro! If you may have already seen it in competition or on the spots in the hands of Clément Colmas at the Défi Wing or those of Orane Ceris on the Wingfoil Racing World Cups, the Freewing Pro is now available in all your usual surf shops! Here is quick tour of what awaits you with this wing specifically designed for racing.

Clément Colmas with the Freewing Pro

“Ultimate performance” is how the Freewing Pro is introduced on their official website, and it’s not Orane Ceris, who used this wing during the Wingfoil Racing Championships where she finished Vice-World Champion, who will tell us otherwise! She tells us: “I did the whole stage in Brazil with the 4m PRO. It’s really cool! A little more technical than the others to take off because it’s more “rigid” but in terms of speed it’s the best. For me, it’s the ultimate weapon for upwind! And when it comes to maneuvers, it’s super stable even in strong winds like in Jericoacoara”.

Orane Ceris leading the pack in Jericoacoara – Photo : IWSA Wingfoil Racing

Indeed, the rigidity of the Freewing PRO, which made its reputation, comes from its canopy built in X-Ply, a super tough & low-stretch composite material. The X-Ply indeed allows 20.5x less bias distortion compared to regular canopy materials, meaning it has minimal stretch or warp and therefore significantly reduces wing deformation with use and over time. This high-strength composite also has a 6x higher total failure tolerance under extreme load versus traditional composite materials used in wing canopies. And in addition, the X-Ply is almost transparent, which is a big advantage for safety and strategy in wingfoil racing, as Xavi Corr says: “The canopy is see-through which is super critical to have full visibility on the water and looks cool too.”.

Thanks to the X-Ply the Freewing PRO is a durable, taught and fast wing, that doesn’t stretch over its lifetime and is extra locked in for racing. Freewing also promises that the X-ply material is designed for impact, so it is able to take on a beating from boards and foils which normally would destroy a canopy. But who says canopy in X-Ply, also says a slightly higher weight than on a wing with traditional canopies, example 2kg for the PRO in 4m², against 1.82kg for the N-Team of the same size with window. But this difference is minimal, as Orane Ceris tells us: “It’s a little heavier it’s true but when you’re in the air you don’t feel the difference”.

Yes, the Freewing Pro can fly too ! – Photo : IWSA Wingfoil Racing, Jericoacoara, Orane Ceris

This weight is actually extremely light, even for an X-Ply wing. Indeed, as on the N-Team, the Ho’okipa Ultra PE fabric used on the leading edge is 25% lighter than traditional Dacron leading-edge materials. Developed in conjecture with Challenge Sailcloth, Ho’okipa is a unique composite built with a reliable woven structure, supercharged through Ultra-PE fibres, which are 32x stronger than polyester at the same weight.

X-Ply and Ho’okipa materials

This tensile strength allows a Ho’okipa leading edge & strut to be inflated to significantly higher pressures (airframes can now be pumped up to 11-14 PSI, depending on wing size), making it possible to create a structure with reduced diameters and therefore an overall weight saving of up to 30%. With this reduced weight, the Freewing PRO promises to make you fly even in the lightest conditions and to responds quickly to rider input. In addition, this high-pressure leading edge with reduced diameter helps minimize drag whilst still maintaining amazing stiffness to provide a strong low end.

In terms of shape, compared to its little sister N-TEAM, the PRO has an increased aspect ratio which helps to generate more power in all conditions. It also features new high tension wing tips which offer improved strength and rigidity under extreme loading and so improving upwind performance, as Xavi Corr said: “The design of the swept wing-tip means less chance of catching the tip in the water on those full-speed gybes, this is the ultimate for performance racing.”. To finish about the shape, the Freewing Pro has an extra striff strut which helps to reduce deflection under loading, keeping the canopy tight and stable in any conditions.

Liam Dunkerbeck with the Freewing Pro

Another detail on the Freewing Pro are the wide handles. These longer handles, especially the front one, allow you maximum flexibility to find the optimum handle position for the conditions and are easy to grab when starting. With these handles, you’ll be comfortable for long distance runs, like when Zane Kekoa Schweitzer has beaten is own world record at the Moloka’i Holokai 2022. Finally, the Freewing PRO comes with a new larger bag to fit the pump and also with carrying straps for your convenience.

Zane Kekoa Schweitzer at the Moloka’i Holokai 2022 – Photo : Eric Aeder

The Freewing Pro is available from 3m² to 6m² every 1m², as well as a larger 6.7m². It can be found from 1509€ and can cost more than 2000€ depending on the size and the retailers.

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