Lift Foils 70 High Aspect

Lift pushed the boundaries of what was possible with high aspect wings with the release of the 120HA over two years ago. After the introduction of the 90HA, one couldn’t help but wonder, would they dare to go smaller? Well they did, and the 70HA is here to continue that legacy.

The littlest brother of the High Aspect series, the 70HA features a completely redesigned raked outline and higher camber profile to offer considerably more lift and low-end speed from a wing that is only 452cm2. With a 75cm (29.5”) wingspan and significantly high aspect ratio of 12:1, this sleek carbon fiber front wing has been specifically designed towards advanced riders looking to maximize speed and agility in more powerful conditions.

As always, Lift delivers this front wing with their signature zippered wing cover and handy M6 screw bag. With full carbon construction, the front wing is molded into the front half of the fuselage, allowing the designers to change where the mast fits into the wing connection to match how the wing likes to ride. The other half of the fuselage is built into the rear stabilizers, so the Carve series tails with shorter fuselages effectively make the foil more reactive and sensitive for tighter turning potential. Along with the standard all-around 32 inch carbon mast, with a high performance wing like the 70HA, Lift recommends using a matching tail. So for testing, we paired it with their new 20 Carve stabilizer, the smallest tail Lift has made to date.

Now let's get to the good part: the actual testing! The first rides on the 70HA were towing at one of our classic A-frame breaks with shoulder to slightly overhead waves. The first thing we noticed was how much lift this foil has for its size. Compared to other Lift wings that generally ride further forward in the boxes or with the mast placement underneath the back foot, the 70HA felt most natural further back in the tracks, with our back foot a few inches in front of where the mast was placed. The main reason behind this is due to the high amount of camber in the foil’s profile cross section. Just like the 90HA, in order to make a wing of such small surface area work in a broader range of conditions, a significant amount of lift is needed to lower the stall speed and add to the wing's low-end.

Once up and going, the 70HA feels ridiculously fast underneath your feet, almost as if there’s no drag and provides a floating sensation like there’s nothing underneath you. Harnessing the speed of even the flattest rolling waves from out the back, this streamlined foil is so quick that it can tap into the energy and speed of any groundswell. Once the waves start to stack up and steepen is when you finally start to feel the foil’s full potential. With an incredibly loose ability to roll, even at high speeds, the 70HA is one of our favorite wings to turn. With the ability to initiate a turn with even the slightest movement at the ankles, transitions into deep carves, snaps, and cutbacks can be done as smoothly or aggressively as the rider choses. Lift has also dialed this foil’s ability to breach wingtips. Especially important for a wing with nearly a 30 inch wingspan, you can hear the tips slice out of the water without the usual loss of lift that’s expected with ventilation.

Now you’re probably wondering: why would you go with such a small HA when you could use something like Lift’s 100 Surf V2 for powered up conditions? Well the answer is quite simple: speed, pump, and efficiency. While pumping this wing needs some finesse and requires that the rider stay as high as possible on the mast to pump out to the next wave, the 70HA is so fast through the water that it covers ground multiple times faster than other performance HA wings.

The Lift 70HA is the perfect foil for those who enjoyed the 90HA but desire a looser and nimble experience in faster and juicier conditions. It's a great choice for experienced wingers who want to achieve higher speeds without feeling overpowered or for effortlessly overtaking swells during wing downwinders. Developed by Nick Leason and the Lift team, this foil brings a shortboard-like feel to prone foiling. Embrace the exceptional and push your foiling skills to a new level with the Lift 70 High Aspect!