Purely designed as a windsurf foil board, the Alien enables all the variables to work in harmony and move beyond simply balancing on a foil to WINDSURFING on a foil. A functional foil board with refined details that makes foiling both accessible AND desirable.
The Alien development program was initiated when the disappointment of bolting a hydrofoil to a normal windsurf board was realized. By analyzing and gaining a deep understanding of the new variables that foiling introduced, we saw that specific foil-oriented equipment was required to elevate the experience to a true windsurfing sensation; blasting in control and carving turns rather than balanced on top, nervously trimming.
The differences between the Alien and a normal freeride are many; shape, length, rocker, stance, pretty much everything. But this new geometry works in conjunction with the foil and rig to deliver balance, and a new windsurfing world to any competent windsurfer. It opens up more locations to windsurf, and can double or triple your days on the water.
Stable enough for your first flights, the Alien has the considered details to deliver performance so as not to be outgrown.
VOLUME
The volume distribution is very important on a foil board as it can be used in much lighter winds than you need to waterstart. So uphauling is an important consideration, and the Alien has enough volume forward to allow traditional uphaul technique with one foot either side of the mast base. A lot of volume in the back half of the board allows you to get into the straps before the board is even moving, and then kick-start up onto the foil.
LENGTH
Shorter length reduces the leverage and lift required by the foil to get the board out of the water and keep it there. So the Alien is much shorter than normal freeride boards, but still has enough length to be able to use the nose area for down-force at high speeds, balancing the lift from the foil. Having some length at the front also softens re-entry, minimizing catastrophic touch-downs.
WIDTH
The width of the board matches the widths of the foils it’s designed for. Too wide and the board has too much leverage over the foil and it’s easy to overpower the foil or not have enough support. Too narrow and the foil can dictate where the board goes. So we balance it up – Alien widths are 65-75cm wide, and designed for similar width foils.
MAST TRACK
To achieve balance, the mast track is positioned further back to keep the rig standing vertical rather than the traditional raked back position. A vertical rig is more stable, and positions the sails’ CoE directly above the lift of the front wing.
FOOTSTRAPS
The rider’s feet are positioned either side of the front wing, and straps are positioned closer together for a more upright stance. This allows smaller movements to maintain foil trim, and keeps the riders weight directly above the foil lift.
The foiling stance is more rotated outwards towards the rail. Less load on the rig means the twist angles necessitate more rig sheeting, and to feel comfortable in this position the back foot is out near the rail and the front strap angle is reduced.
BOTTOM GEOMETRY
The bottom shape on the Alien has 2 parts; forward half to manage touch-downs and the back half to accelerate to take-off velocity.
1. From the mast track forward, everything makes touch-downs as gentle and less violent as possible. Big bevels, tucked rails, lots of nose lift. The wide angles on all the edges make it very forgiving when the nose connects with the water from any direction – this prevents the nose catching and tripping, and often simply redirects the nose back into the air.
2. From the mast track back, it’s all about take-off. Sharp rails, flat rocker, parallel outline. The bottom shape is flat for minimal drag, and features large cutouts to enable the tail to be kicked down to angle the board up for acceleration and take-off.
DECK GEOMETRY
The deck contours have been designed to allow the nose area to be used like a sail to create downforce at higher speeds. This effect can be used to balance the increased lift from the foil. By angling the board to windward and presenting the nose area to the wind, the concave deck shape fills with wind and holds the front down.
