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In a hugely competitive and rapidly advancing foiling market, Unifoil has managed to continually step it up. As we ended 2022, their new Hyper2 range of foils were unveiled, some hailing these as the next best thing in high performance, high aspect foil wing design, taking the best attributes of the original Hyper range but thinning out the profile and wing tips, focusing on more speed, more efficiency and accentuating that surfing feel we’ve always loved about the Uni products.
I can say after a couple of months testing the Hyper2 170 (170in2/1097cm2) and Hyper2 210 (210in2/1355cm2), I honestly did not want to give these wings back. When Paul Barnett, International Brand Manager for Unifoil, handed over this new gear for me to test, I have to say I was initially impressed by the sharp, cool-look of the product and all the packaging, including a really nifty tackle box of Uni-branded titanium hardware and tools to get flying. I also appreciated the provided Unifoil carry bag, which made it so easy to keep everything tidy, protected and removeable from the boot of my car.
In the bag was the new super-stiff (I had the 83cm) Katana mast. This thing is slick, with a nice carbon-black finish. It has slotted countersunk mast holes, into which went Uni’s titanium wing nuts which allow for quick setup, pack-up and adjustments on-the-go… it all goes together and comes apart in just under a minute, easier than most other brands I’ve used. Mast-to-fuse connection is taper-locked, without even the slightest play, providing a really nice direct-feel to the foil while riding. Feeling efficient and streamlined, this mast gave me absolute confidence and did not feel draggy.
I’m an 80kg rider, using an 85L x 21” wide SUP for SUP foil/wingfoil/downwinding. With both wings I used the Uni Shunt 13” tail wing. I’d recommend the Hyper2 210 (span of 985cm; AR of 7.3) for those lighter days. It’s got a really low stall speed, is super easy to get going, and feels like the perfect harmony between a bigger wing with endless glide and a smaller, more rippable wing. And boy do these things rip. Getting the wingtips out of the water was not an issue, and when maxing out on a bomb-set, the foil still behaved predictably and was easy to get back in control for another carving turn. While riding the 210, I did a lot of light DW days and could always rely on it to paddle up and connect bumps. Speed range is a key attribute of this foil, making it very versatile and handy when conditions look marginal.
Moving down to the Hyper2 170 (span of 920cm; AR of 8) for those bigger days or stronger DW days, it quickly became my new favorite. When top-speed is everything in chasing the swells and handling those insane drops, this wing can handle it. With its smaller span and high AR, it is so rippable but still relatively easy to pump and glide once you get it dialed. You can pop this whole foil out of the water and dive back in without an issue, and traverse comfortably through foamy sections and turns.
Overall I would say that these wings are great for most forms of foiling: SUP, prone, winging and DW’ing. There is plenty of top speed to catch the swells but low enough stall-out speed to keep going slow or get going again if you come down. They are fun to turn and rip, and paired with the new Katana mast, the setup and overall feel is slick. JK
