Foiling Magazine publishes our test session in Annecy!

The latest issue of Foiling Magazine , the leading foil magazine, is out! And once again, SROKA is featured in Foiling Magazine. In this new edition, Foiling Magazine published our test session of the S-Foil High Aspect and the pocket board in Annecy. This gave us the opportunity to share, in the "Red Day Letter," our wake foil weekend on Lake Annecy with the entire SROKA team.

Foiling Magazine is the leading international foiling magazine. Available in digital and print versions, this magazine covers foiling and all related disciplines ( surf foiling , wake foiling, SUP foiling, etc.). Foiling Magazine shares stories of exclusive sessions and interviews with athletes, all set against a backdrop of stunning photos that transport you to another world. It's a truly comprehensive publication. In fact, it also features product reviews from specialized brands. Foiling Magazine readers can discover innovative products, find inspiration for their next sessions, and get tips to improve their skills.

It was in September 2021 that we went to test new products for wake foiling. We were with our riders, Paul-Conrad Delaere and Gabriel Bachelet, both accompanied by Bruno Sroka. They rode wave after wave under the lens of Jean-Marc Favre. Jean-Marc Favre is the photographer who has followed Bruno for the past 20 years, notably during his adventure project: crossing Cape Horn by kite. It must be said that Lake Annecy offers a unique spectacle. The sun rising behind the mountains creates a vibrant contrast of colors. It was therefore unthinkable for us to be there without capturing our sessions. For these sessions, we boarded the boat of Emmanuelle Dumolard , who offers watersports lessons on Lake Annecy.

Annecy is the ideal autumn or spring destination. It combines two pleasures: skiing in the morning and wake foiling in the afternoon, before ending the day with a delicious mountain meal. We also had the chance to try out the famous Waves Garden in the Swiss Alps, Alaïa Bay. Just 1.5 hours from Annecy, it's the premier surfing destination in continental Europe. A fantastic spot that allows you to surf a maximum number of waves right at the foot of magnificent mountains.

This trip allowed us to evaluate the performance of the new S-Foil High Aspect 1190 Lift in waves and while pumping. It was also an opportunity for us to test our new SROKA Pocket board. These are new development ideas for the 2022 season, always with the goal of combining high performance with accessibility in our products.

Wake foiling is a great way to improve your technique, especially for surf foiling. Pulled by the boat at the start, you'll generate speed very quickly and easily take off. A 20-minute wake foil session is the equivalent of at least two sessions in the waves!
From a product development and testing perspective, it's really interesting. You have the time to observe and understand how your foil behaves under your feet. But also to work on your technique to improve and better feel your foil and its potential. All this without having to worry about wind, swell, or tide conditions…

Riding a seemingly endless wave is so exhilarating. You can vary the sensations, make tight turns, move away from the wake, circle the water, and then return to the wave. You don't have to worry about the waves because behind a good wake foil boat, they're always the same. Depending on their position on the wave, the rider will have different power, and you'll observe different characteristics of glide, maneuverability, and power.

The key difference between a boat's wake and a wave formed by the swell is the boat's ability to create the same wave, again and again. This allowed us to easily test different setup options with minimal external variables, thus validating our foils more quickly. Every second, the wave is identical. This is precisely what we're looking for when testing different profiles, wing options, and so on. It's also an excellent way to improve.

As we mentioned, the advantage of testing products on a wakeboard wave is the wave's consistency. This allows us to test all options under the same conditions, without any external factors interfering with the test.

• Step 1: Initially, the riders need to get used to the wave to master this new way of surfing. Since the wave is shorter, their technique must be adapted. Compared to a natural ocean wave, they need to put slightly more pressure on their back foot. Once this adaptation period is over, they begin to modify one variable at a time. After each modification, the riders share their feedback on the sensations they experienced, and then their opinions are compared to choose the best possible option.
• Step 2: The objective: to test the different possible options. We started by changing the fuselage size, then the mast length, and finally, we tested different stabilizers. Each time we changed a component, we tried to get everyone to agree on how it felt. If we couldn't agree, we went back out on the water to check and compare our impressions again.
  It's a long and meticulous process, but it's the best way to produce a perfectly finished product that meets all the objectives we set for ourselves. That's why it's pointless to release 50 different fins without first doing a lot of work to define a complete set of specifications and precise objectives.
• Step 3: We obviously finish with the validation. This type of test weekend is fundamental to validating the production of a new wing. We were able to perfectly adjust the foil and thus determine which combination was best suited for wake foiling, depending on the different riders.

Over these two days, we tested four different wing sizes, as well as three mast and fuselage sizes and two stabilizers. A productive day that promises new developments to come!