Rou Chater chats with Paul Wakelin about the exciting new Enduro range from AFS Foils. They discuss everything from the design philosophy behind these innovative foils to what sets them apart in the market. If you want to level up your foiling game, you won’t miss this!

Hi Paul, it’s great to chat with you, and we’re looking forward to hearing all about the Enduro range. AFS already has a pretty extensive range of foils, covering many different disciplines. What’s the design remit of the Enduro, and why do you need it in the range?

The design goal of the Enduro is to marry exceptional glide with dynamic turning ability in a modular foil. We’re enjoying pushing the experience and massive efficiencies that HA and advanced foil shapes give us. The Enduro is the foil to complete our Trilogy of Laurent Borgna designed foils: the SILK, ULTRA, and now Enduro. This trio has very distinct purposeful characteristics: the SILK, the ultimate carve foil; the Ultra, with its aspect ratio of 14; the ultimate DW, glide foil. 

Now, the Enduro firmly satisfying a demanding rider’s all-round performance criteria. 

It keeps the ‘tubercles’ of the Silk foils. What are these for, and how do they help your ride?

Tubercles are proven to reduce stall and to help keep flow attached. These benefits give you a tangible feeling of confidence. Tubercles help your dynamic riding and allow you to push hard in all conditions.

Why don’t we see this design on more foils in the market? 

Innovation, understanding, and technical ability. Laurent is the master of the tubercle design for foils. His career expertise and experience are groundbreaking. Coupled with AFS manufacturing capability, we are all now enjoying a perfect performance collaboration.

Nature knows tubercles are no gimmick. They stem from natural hydrodynamic evolution studied in the majestic Humpback whale with their exceptional ability to twist, turn and carve tightly in aerated and turbulent water. The skill and dedication required to take this proven principle to foils is not to be underestimated. We can also see innovative examples across other fields, yacht rudders, turbine blades, and now Para kite wings… AFS has innovation in its DNA, and there needs to be some comfort in leading from the front. A cautious perception could hold some back, however, when it comes to tubercles, if you know, you know! 

The aspect ratio of 11 is present across all the foils in the range. What are the advantages of going so high, and are there any drawbacks?

Efficiency is a key outcome of HA. Retaining the ability to turn with wider-spanned foils is the challenge. It's a tricky combo to get right, which the Enduro does so well. Much time and effort has gone into the detailed design of the foil tips. This allows us to maximise HA efficiencies whilst giving the Enduro beautiful turning, lift, and stall characteristics.

The lineup has four sizes: 1300, 1100, 900, and 700. The larger foil is billed as being good for light wind wing, dock start, and downwind foiling. However, the surface area of 1300cm2 feels quite small still. What’s in the design to help a rider over 85 kilos get going?

Enduro foil shapes give early lift way greater than perceived sizes; they certainly punch above their weight in getting riders of all sizes going… Our highly evolved foil shapes give foils of any given size great early lift and low stall speeds without the drag of comparatively large surface areas. 

The smaller 900 and 700 look like great foils for manoeuvrability in the waves, something the Silk is famous for; why should a rider choose the Enduro over the Silk for winging in the waves?

The SILK remains our cutting-edge carve foil; it was already way ahead of its time when launched. If you’re looking for a modular foil that turns with glide as a key component, then the Enduro may be the one for you. Our foil range has a great scope of use, and there are different models that dial into key foil characteristics, therefore supporting each other rather than replacing them.

You’ve opted to keep this as part of your modular range rather than the monoblock Silk and Pure range. What are the advantages and disadvantages of making it modular?

Travel, storage efficiency and interchangeability are high criteria for many. The Enduro’s Modular construction and price point make it a winner for some. We’ve worked hard on the Foil to Fuselage connection to ensure optimal performance.

It is easy enough to use alternative bags, such as bike bags, for international travel with our monobloc foil construction; however, modular foil is simply cheaper.

The starting price of the Enduro front wings is quite high compared to the Evo, Flyer, and Performer front wings. What is pushing that cost up?

AFS equipment is well known for being competitively priced for superior equipment. The complexity of the internal layup schedule, the finishing of the tubercle surface, and the high investment in R&D make up some of the costs of such progressive foils. The incredibly good value Flyer is also priced rather than cost to help riders get started in the best way possible.

Do you recommend pairing them with the UHM mast in all sizes, or is the standard carbon mast OK for smaller sizes?

The choice of mast is twofold: stiffness and section size. All our masts in any given dimension are arguably market-leading in terms of stiffness and performance for comparative cost. Wider-span foils benefit from the stiffest masts simply due to their leverage. Rider performance is then further enhanced with the thinner chord sections of our UHM Masts, which give increased glide and manoeuvrability. 

All our foils are 100% compatible with all our masts, giving the rider the maximum options to best suit their performance vs. cost considerations.

For someone thinking of changing brands, what does AFS bring to the table to entice them across?

With French manufacturing know-how, coupled with range compatibility, innovation, and supply readiness, AFS offers premium foiling products at a great price.

What sort of rider do you think the Enduro best suits?

The Enduro rider wants a progressive performance foil that glides exceptionally well, has great turning characteristics, and is really easy to use in a modular construction. Could it be the unicorn foil?!

Thanks for taking the time to chat to us!

Thanks team!

Videos

AFS ⏐Enduro range : all terrain performance foil
By Rou Chater
Rou Chater has been kitesurfing for over twenty years, paddleboarding for the last six years, and was there testing the first wingsurfer from Naish in Tarifa when it arrived on the continent. He is passionate about riding waves and exploring new places. As the publishing editor, he oversees everything at Tonic but also our sister magazines IKSURFMAG and IMB. He's been on the water since he was born and has never looked back, in the winter you'll find him chasing swells in the Caribbean and during the summer he can be found all over Europe at various SUP, Kitesurf and Mountain Bike events getting features for the magazines.

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