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The Freedom Wing is Freedom Foil Board’s (FFB) preliminary entrance into the world of wind-powered sports. With a light weight, simple design available in two different sizes, 4.2m and 6m, the Freedom Wing is an all-round wing capable of performing in almost any condition and riding style.
Right out of the box the Freedom Wing is consistent with FFB’s quality production and detail-oriented approach. The Freedom Wing comes in a very high-quality bag with ample storage room – the wing, towel, wetsuit, pump, and spare parts easily fit in one clean, neat package. In addition to the wing, a leash, pump adapter, and small repair kit is included. The wrist leash is a simple, high quality, durable design with a double back cuff and additional reinforcement over key wear points.
The one-pump inflation system makes rigging the Freedom Wing quick and easy. The wide-mouth inflation valve will require a pump adapter which is provided with the wing. Aligned with most one-pump inflation systems, a small tube connects the strut bladder to the leading edge. A strut isolation clip does not come with the Freedom Wing, however this can easily be added if desired. The large diameter inflation point reduces the back pressure on the pump and makes it a bit easier to inflate to higher PSI.
The simple three handle design of the Freedom Wing means the overall weight is very light, and the wing feels quick and nimble. Two large semi-rigid handles on the strut allow for a variety of riding positions to fine-tune power delivery, and the comfortable neoprene covered leading edge handle make flagging and wave riding comfortable on the hands.
This 4m wing was tested using a 4'6 board, 1075 Surf Foil, wind 20-25mph. Rider 6'4, 170lb. Small 2-3’ waves.
Riders will immediately notice the balance and finesse from the lightweight design of the Freedom Wing. The overall stability and predictability will provide a lot of confidence knowing exactly where the wing will be, and what the wing will want to do. The leading edge and strut are relatively thin in diameter which greatly assists with upwind and top end performance but can come at the detriment of overall airframe stiffness. The Freedom Wing comes with a recommended inflation pressure of 7-8 PSI, for the first test run the wing was inflated pursuant to these instructions, and there was a bit of airframe deformation, especially during stronger gusts of wind. After returning to the beach and inflating the wing to 9-10 PSI the Freedom Wing turned into a whole new animal and tapped into another level of speed and performance. It should be noted pump pressure gauges are notoriously inaccurate and inconsistent, however inflating the Freedom Wing on the higher-pressure side dramatically increased performance.
The Freedom Wing felt at home in the waves. When coasting and riding off the leading edge handle, there was practically no rocking or erratic behavior, even letting the wing drift away and hang off the leash was surprisingly stable. Controlling the power through the large semi-rigid strut handle was very quick and easy, shuffling back and forth allows you to easily tweak the amount of power and sheeting range. Riders that have very large hands, or ride with gloves may find some reduced range in the handles due to the smaller hand opening size and taper as the handle connects to the strut. The overall width of the wing was not a factor for rotational tricks, and jumps felt smooth and controlled. When riding powered up, the Freedom Wing points well into the wind with an obvious and apparent backwind point. Overall, the Freedom Wing is an excellent all-round option for riders looking for a versatile and accessible wing whatever their riding style. ST
