CORE Roamer 70L

In the kitesurfing world, CORE is generally associated with German precision engineering and their products (such as the Carved carbon kiteboards) are associated with high performance and quality. With the growth of wingfoiling it was more a question of ‘when’ CORE would step into the wing market as opposed to ‘if’ they would and they have done so with a bang, delivering a full package in the form of the XC wing, Spectrum foil and the Roamer board. These have been developed leveraging their R&D expertise in combination with their team of highly skilled watermen (such as the likes of Willow River Tonkin and Steven Akkersdijk) to bring a well-rounded set of products to market to cater for all levels without compromising on performance. We tested the 70L board in combination with the 1250 spectrum foil and the XC wing in a range of conditions.

The Roamer board, in the classic CORE colors, at first glance looks like many other compact shaped wing boards with a squarish compact shape. However, further inspection reveals the level of detail that CORE has given to this board. Incorporating a double concave in the front, the board has been designed to release well in combination with a tail kick and high-volume concave rails that aid the release from the water. An EPS core with carbon sandwich construction results in a stiff and responsive board whilst still keeping the total package at a decent weight. Small touches like the position markings by the foil boxes, double leash pug to cater for goofy and regular stances and a grippy yet comfortable deck pad cross the t’s and dot the i’s on what is a very well thought out board.

The board is easy to carry to the water thanks to its compact size (4’11 x 24”) and a carry handle placed on the underside of the board. Getting started on the board was a breeze with the 70L being equivalent to a nearly neutral buoyancy board (rider weight 78kg). The board was very stable in the water for the compact dimensions and with a bit of pitch control in choppier conditions is easy enough to get going. In lighter conditions the board is easy to pump off the water thanks to the tail kick and the bottom shape not only allows it to release well off the water, but also makes touchdowns a concern of the past. Thanks to the short length, the swing weight of this board is very low making it easy to throw around and pump and the concave rails mean that the board feels even narrower than its 24” width and provides you with added clearance when carving in waves.

The 70L Roamer is a great board for wave riding and freestyle winging thanks to its compact size. In larger sizes it would make a great light wind or beginner board thanks to its design and bottom shape, and really complements CORE’s total freeride package. JM