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Ensis have rapidly established themselves in the wingfoil market, and with excellent recent results on the GWA tour from Balz Müller, it was a natural evolution to extend their product range with a more performance-focused wing to complement their established Score – this is where the Spin fits in.
From a shape perspective we’re looking at a compact span, mid-aspect design with prominent squared wingtips. The leading edge diameter is fairly generous and carries its size all the way into the wingtips, making the airframe extremely stiff for a Dacron wing. Long horizontal windows are present and sensibly placed in close proximity to the strut, to allow decent panoramic angle of vision without having to move the wing around too much. Inflation is handled by the max flow valve and twin pipes connect the strut, making for easy deflation and packing without the need for a separate dump valve. In the hands, the Spin immediately feels extremely direct, and easy to maneuver. Spin by name is definitely spin by nature, the cleverly placed central handle makes the wing super easy to rotate and control with one hand, even with a 5.1m.
Long flat control handles are well placed and allow for micro trimming, striking that balance between being large enough to grab confidently through maneuvers, but stiff enough to make the wing feel direct. The strut has an elegant S-shaped curvature and connects directly to the canopy for approximately half of its length, to help make up a well-controlled profile shape with a relatively short section of ripstop at the strut to leading edge connection.
The shallow profile and fairly flat dihedral exposes a maximum of sail to the wind when engaged; this means you get a pronounced power increase with relatively little sheeting movement, allowing you to turn the power on and off in a short range. This is extremely noticeable when powering the Spin into a jump, where the Spin develops some punchy lift and glide. Combine this with a very rigid airframe and noticeably tight canopy, and you’re going to get far more height than with a more flexible, deeper profiled wing.
It’s a full featured and sturdy build with zero compromises. Scuff guards are sewn over each leading edge segmentation, protecting the stitching. Elegantly placed curved reinforcement is present in the leading edge structure to prevent any bulging between sections when up to the recommended 7PSI. The front nose handle is a comfortable size and had a good level of rigidity making it simple to manage any unwanted movement when flagged out. The wrist leash has a Velcro tab to lock it on to prevent any unwanted releases, which is a clever touch. The canopy panel layout runs extra seams across key areas to distribute load and control the shape accurately. Four battens stiffen up the tension in the trailing edge to help eliminate any flap, which is important for a wing that’s likely to be ridden powered for stunt work.
Markedly different in performance to the Score in power delivery and shape, the Spin defines itself well and does a great job of ticking all the boxes for performance riding, whilst remaining easy enough to handle. Its design focus definitely centers around freestyle, yet performs admirably when flagged in a wave situation. If you simply want a direct and powerful wing, or technical rotations and jumps are your ambitions, the Spin is undoubtedly going to provide an excellent platform to push your riding to the next level. RB
