Wave board design - Ola Helenius Talks us through his Crazy Quiver
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- Опубліковано 17 жов 2024
- Simmer Style Shaper - Ola Helenius shares his insights into his personal boards and fin setups and show some clips from his home spot.
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Simmer Style Shaper - Ola Helenius shares his insights into his personal boards and fin setups and show some clips from his home spot.
Eventhough I don't sail waves, I find it really interesting to hear about the thoughts that go into shaping a board.
So cool to see Ola at work and notice his design process incl the why and roadmap and intresting to see him use fcs fins
I really like his unconventional ideas wrt windsurfing. Some one who thinks out of the box. That is very refreshing.
I like how he gets inspiration from surfboards and knows how to translate it to windsurf
Its really refreshing to hear someone as knowledgeable as Ola talking through the designs and the resulting feeling on the wave. I'm always surprised by good sailors who only have the one type of wave board when most good surfers have longboards, hi performance thrusters, fishes, step-up and multiple types of each...you can go out on the same day and feel the conditions differently depending on the board and set up your riding......it would be great to have a mini series of podcasts where Ola interviews current and previous shapers on their approaches and thoughts
Man, being a graduate myself, I know for a fact what it means to obtain an academic accolade like a Ph.D (in mathematics, right?) he has, and, although he’s very humble about it, it makes me entrusting the shaper he is even more, in reality, at the very core, windsurfing is based on physics and whatnot, moreover my helix 106 goes like hell, with 4 straps and a racing fin, it becomes an almost proper slalom machine, with 3 straps and a more curved fin, it shifts into a turny compact jumper, apart from riding like a “foil” (don’t know how to better express the feeling I get when blasting around…) as, all in all, it’s indeed somehow related to foiling I guess, as in barely scratching water’s surface and/or giving you that sensation really…not to mention construction, quality etc, one of the few brands that gives you as stock a carbon fin, carbon fin box, carbon base-plate box and integrated goretex air vent, among other things …
Don’t wanna sounds like ploughing the brand and all, but, from my experience (and from that of other riders as well) those boards, are even too underrated if anything.
Anyway I went longer than expected with this message….Peace guys, thanks again for all you do for the sport and the stoke, keep up the great job!! Cheerse 🤙🏻💙🤙🏻
Thanks Ola for this interesting information! You are ripping up your local spot. Looks like you have tried many unusual fin configurations. What are some of your stranger setups on the Flywave that you have liked in good head-high waves? I usually sail the suggested quad setup but with one size smaller inner fins on the bigger board sizes such as the 99L. I sail in Sagres with Ben usually pretty windy and steep waves.
On the Fly, I sail fcs fins up front, the smaller ones, set a bit deeper in the box that I discuss in the clip. They are set with about 1.5 degrees extra toe in. The closes commercial fin would be the K4 Ezzy asym 1 degree 10cm. Then I either use a 15cm center blacktip rear fin (ie thruster setup) or two 13cm (or smaller - I have some customs) rear fins in a quad set. In particular if you already sail with smaller rear fins, you should try the asym Ezzy fins in the front boxes
Great video. Super informative. Would love to see more like this.
agreed.......its nice to hear the insight from people who have spent years learning
I love minimal green grafic , simmerstyle board, sails, mast, extension, harness is in my quiver.
Seeing his home spot I can now see how much it has led the design of many of his boards. Quite a unique spot that doesn't correspond with any spots Ive sailed. I can see how boards like the Frugal for example would work there but limited in many other places.
The video is from one of the better days that one can get at that spot, and the waves are more powerful than at the nearby beaches. I have always preferred a smaller board at this spot, compared to more traditional beaches with slower waves.
Great stuff, and those roundhouse cutbacks are a real signum!
I have a Cortex board and I've finally managed to make a few myself now. :)
Would it be correct to say his preferred volume is a lower number than his weight? Super interesting video, would be great to see more like this...
Not lower, usually. Most my boards are between 73 and 79 and I'm 72-73 kg myself. But unless it is super sinky conditions or a very critical big wave spot I don't care so much about volume. I have had periods when I used quite big boards sometimes. It's good for developing some aspects of your technique. But on the types of spots I ride at home (and actually many other places too) the interesting things on the wave happens very quickly. Then I prefer a small but very efficient board. I luxury when designing boards for yourself is that you don't have to care about any compromises.
I find boards without very pointy drawn-in noses really pleasant - it feels like width and where this width is more important than volume?@@olahelenius
Width is important, yes, but most important is the distribution of curvature. Most of my boards have quite "blunt" noses because I like them as compact as possible. But Sometimes I use a bit pointier noses too. @@windsurf888
Interested that shaper of main brands sails with completely different fin set up than anything proposed in production or any pro rider. Really fascinating.
Every non-windsurfing partner needs to watch this. Then they'll nod and say, "Yes, you actually do need all those boards."
Legend!!!
i wonder how his shapes sail and work for the heavier guys under us as himself and the simmer team riders are all way lighter than me.
i am 95 kg i have way different demands on my boards as i need float in a turny fast machine of a board.
i need to try one of his boards...
I make a lot of boards for bigger guys. Much more than for lighter people, in fact. All of my standard wave board designs work really well for bigger guys. We will be introducing a Fly 106 (or thereabouts) next season, and the current 99 is very popular. In general, it is not so hard making a sweet spot board for any sailor weight, including for heavy weight. You should just never confuse that with making big board for a lighter person.
Nice 🤙🤙🤙