FranP forum posts in last 60 days

....whatever
I believe the real challenge of parawing, translated into board shapes, is not stability before getting on foil, but foot pumpability — so anything that improves that will make a real difference.

sunsetsailboards said..
interesting that the ARC is 0.3kg heavier than the Super K v2 in the 88/90 size despite not having a handle and being equivalent volume. Arc 88l is spec'd at 5.0kg, Super K2 90l in Pro Carbon at 4.7kg (although my personal board is 5.0kg).

A sharp bit of positioning from KT.
At a time when moving new boards is tougher than ever, they’re leaning into the parawing momentum and reframing the offer—arguably even nudging toward a new sub-category.
The ARC reads very close to a K2: roughly +1” in width, a touch more banana in the rocker, and about +300 g on the scale. Incremental, not radical. The real question is whether those tweaks translate into a meaningfully different on-water feel—or if this is primarily smart product segmentation (and, likely, healthier margins) dressed as innovation.👍👍👍👍

Just wanted to share a couple of clips from the recent Mondial du Vent (the multi-wind-sport week in France) - definitely worth a look if you haven't seen them yet.

The Parawing level is getting seriously impressive. This first-ever PW competition happening alongside the event could be a real tipping point for the market. We saw an international lineup of riders, challenging and far-from-perfect conditions (not your typical Instagram day), and tons of new prototypes and design approaches on display.

www.instagram.com/reel/DXhXEYsDKYD/

www.surffoilworldtour.com/event/sft-downwind-parawing-world-cup-leucate-2026/

www.instagram.com/surffoilworldtour/reels/

A few things stood out: PW is evolving fast, and it's clearly proving itself as a legit low-wind discipline - not just a "perfect Maui conditions" niche, PW is no longer just experimental or limited to advanced riders, different brands are converging, PW is easier than two years ago and gear is more accessible and specialized at the same time....After events like this, you start to see how a sport begins to scale.

...many of you foil in Australia or the US, and in this new anti-globalization era a competition in the south of France might feel pretty far from your local spot and you might not care.... but honestly, this feels like one of those tipping-point moments in a new sport.

Today it's just racing-focused (upwind, pumping, speed), but wait until we start seeing true wave-oriented PW competitions - that's when things could really explode in terms of appeal and media attention.

Curious to hear your thoughts.

airsail said..

FranP said..
Interesting to see how rocker and width are evolving lately - I think we're starting to see two clear directions:


A. Wing-driven boards
Wingfoiling still favors relatively narrow boards with flatter rockers, since most of the pumping power comes from the wing rather than the board pump-oscillation. That keeps things efficient and fast to release.

Typical "mid-length" shapes still dominate here (roughly 5'8-6'5 length ? 18-21 width), relatively flat bottom, low kick tail.


B. Parawing focused boards.
Lots of discussions about "more volume in the nose", but it looks like there are other relevant trends.With parawing (or more foot-driven pumping), stability becomes more critical - you don't want to be constantly fighting balance. The pumping energy comes more from the rider (foil up/down oscillations), so boards tend to have more rocker in both nose and tail (like a banana).

Dimensions are similar in volume vs wing boards but shift slightly: around 5'6-6'2 length ? 19-22 wide, with a more "banana" rocker - similar to the kind of shapes Ken Adgate has been popularizing, and the new KT Arc.


Curious where this converges. do we end up with two distinct board categories, or a hybrid that does both reasonably well?
What do you guys think ?

After replacing my banana rocker board with a flat rocker board I'd never go back. This allowed me to to go from a same volume as weight board to 14lts under my weight but with earlier takeoff.
As for the idea of more volume in the nose it's just not needed if you add 5-6" of length, I've gone from a 6' to a 6'5 board and get absolutely zero pearling when getting going. Plus the slight extra length really makes getting going easy with no extra swing weight.

I agree with the "more volume in the nose" hype. At the end it's a matter of food placement during the initial pump phase.Do you notice board performance difference when winging VS parawing ?

Here's another "banana style" example: , a DW board range where the smallers are PW-ready

PS: My main board is a 6'4 x19'' custom from HAV foilboards, model Pegaso. A super efficient board.

Interesting to see how rocker and width are evolving lately - I think we're starting to see two clear directions:


A. Wing-driven boards
Wingfoiling still favors relatively narrow boards with flatter rockers, since most of the pumping power comes from the wing rather than the board pump-oscillation. That keeps things efficient and fast to release.

Typical "mid-length" shapes still dominate here (roughly 5'8-6'5 length ? 18-21 width), relatively flat bottom, low kick tail.


B. Parawing focused boards.
Lots of discussions about "more volume in the nose", but it looks like there are other relevant trends.With parawing (or more foot-driven pumping), stability becomes more critical - you don't want to be constantly fighting balance. The pumping energy comes more from the rider (foil up/down oscillations), so boards tend to have more rocker in both nose and tail (like a banana).

Dimensions are similar in volume vs wing boards but shift slightly: around 5'6-6'2 length ? 19-22 wide, with a more "banana" rocker - similar to the kind of shapes Ken Adgate has been popularizing, and the new KT Arc.


Curious where this converges. do we end up with two distinct board categories, or a hybrid that does both reasonably well?
What do you guys think ?

Thanks for sharing ! I've heard there might be a 5.6 m2 size coming for the new PR - is that confirmed ?

Do you have any info on when pre-orders will open and expected delivery timelines?

Will the full size range be available at launch?

thanks !

Anyone tested any prototype or first 2026 production units ?