INBOUND: AFS Enduro Range

Pitched as their “all-terrain” range of foils, the Enduro line from AFS perfecty blends maneuverability and glide. You can see how they fared on the water in our test section – but here’s the full nitty gritty on the new foils from the AFS crew.

Hi team, so tell us where the Enduro range sits in the AFS range in terms of performance… 

The Enduro comes to expand our bump wing offer and allows any rider to find the wing that suits them. The Enduro sits between the Silk and Ultrarange. It's the perfect blend of the Silk's maneuverability and control and the Ultra's glide and stretch, it's right in the middle.

The aspect ratio is pushed to 11 on the Enduro. What does that mean for the average user?

With this aspect ratio of 11, the Enduro allows for a much more progressive take-off, it's ideal for building up power more smoothly while maintaining good stability. This type of aspect ratio also provides better glide, reducing drag and facilitating long distances with less effort. Finally, it makes maneuvers easier and transitions more precise and responsive, allowing users to progress more easily.

There are four sizes in the range. Can you explain the optimal uses for each?

Each size in the Enduro range has been designed and engineered to offer ultimate performance in each practice. Then the conditions, the weight and the level of the user, remain determining elements in the choice of the wing. But overall this range remains ultra versatile and really all-terrain for the different foil practices.

Enduro 700: Ideal for more experienced riders looking for more speed and responsiveness, particularly suited to small waves and windy conditions in wing foil or surf foil.

Enduro 900: Considered the most versatile in the range. It is suitable for a wide variety of conditions and practices, such as carving in wing foil or even downwind, while offering good maneuverability and easy control.

Enduro 1100: This wing is more focused on stability and control at low speed, suitable for lighter weights or for those looking to maximize their lift in less powerful conditions, perfect for freefly or downwind.

Enduro 1300: Ideal for light winds and marginal conditions. With its larger surface area, it provides excellent lift and extended glide at low speed, ideal for dock starts and pumping. So finally depending on the level or weight of the rider and the conditions, each size can be adapted to various practices such as surf foil, downwind or wingfoil or dockstart.

Tell us about the fuselage combinations with each wing and the applications offered.

All sizes in this Enduro range have been developed on the standard fuselage (the longest one). The short fuselage offers a different experience. It makes pumping less energy-consuming and increases maneuverability.

The Enduro benefits from the use of the now very recognizable “tubercles”. How do these contribute to performance?

The tubercles make the foil's behavior more reliable at low speed, it pushes back and softens the stall. They also give “grip” synonymous with better control in curves

Does this make manufacturing more complex? 

Indeed, the production of bump foils requires adjusting the process to minimize draping and especially sanding time, which is essential on this type of relatively specific product. It makes it a more complex product to produce but it is also this aspect that makes it exceptional.

Your production site is in France, what is the scale of your operations and what facilities do you have?

Today, the organization of the team, the equipment and the tools available allow us to be very reactive. It is one of the keys to being competitive on the market today and having a head start on product development.

Finally, and slightly off-topic, but you recently organized the “AFS Games Online”. Can you tell us more about the concept of these games and how it went?

The AFS Games Online is an event that was designed by the brand to bring together the global community of AFS foilers. The concept is simple: participants must spend as much time on the water as possible, in various disciplines such as wingfoil, windfoil, downwind, dockstart and surf foil. The objective was not the performance of speed or equipment, but rather the time spent on the water, making the challenge accessible to all and thus encouraging sporting practice at all levels. Novice practitioners, of all ages, equipped with any AFS foil were welcome on this challenge. 

The initiative is relatively innovative because, unlike our physical events such as the AFS Days, the “Games” took place exclusively online. The event lasted six weeks, during which time each foiler uploaded their sessions to the dedicated platform. This allowed participants to challenge themselves while creating a dynamic around foil practices. The commitment and participation showed the community's commitment to this type of online challenge and we are proud of it. 

With over 500 GPS tracks uploaded, nearly 150 participants from 10 countries took part in this adventure. Big thanks to our partners for their support throughout the event, and we look forward to repeating the experience next year!