AXIS - ART V1 Vs. V2
The AXIS Art wing family was a game changer for the brand, and foiling in general. One of the very first reduced chord, high aspect ratio wings - back when we'd never seen a 10AR wing before. Now we're up to 13+ and 9/10 is more of a norm!
The ART V1
The speed and glide the ART V1 was capable of was fantastic and it really paved the way into the future. It gained huge popularity straight off the back here in the UK as everyone was so excited about the radical shape and concept. Quite quickly the public began to realise this was more technical to ride than they might've been used to before - it was great, but it came with its things to consider. It had a pretty high stall speed, and if you weren't ready for that it would throw you off pretty quickly. Coupled with the fact that it was a handful in turbulent water, a lot of riders began to realise they just weren't up to the challenge of riding the ART's day to day - it was very much a higher intermediate riders wing to use, and the overall level in the UK's wasn't quite there. The HPS maintained its popularity.
The Spitfire was next to be released and again we saw a radical design change towards this straight median line with which makes it look like the world war 2 fighter it takes its name from. This foil family has been super popular with everything from kite foiling and tow foiling on the smaller sizes, to SUP Downwind on the larger sizes. There was a gap in the lineup forming though. The Spitfire lacks the glide of the ART family, but its ease of use and loose turny feel was working for most. The ART Pro family had the glide but didn't have the ease of use or turny feel. For those with weaker waves and flatter water they were left wanting.
The ART V2
Enter the ART V2. We've not spent a huge amount of time on it yet as its so fresh into the UK, but the brief time we've spent Proning and Winging it felt great. As predominantly Spitfire rider's we immediately felt at home.
As soon as we took it out of the bag you can see the Spitfire elements in it, the ART has had a complete overall in shape - call it a Spitfire Pro if you will. The same turny feel, but with far more glide and an increased running speed make this wing feel suited to spending the bulk of its time on lumps and bumps. If you spend most of your time in larger more well formed waves, the Spitfire is probably still the go-to. It operates at a slower speed, allowing you to stay nearer the power point of the wave and not outrun it like the ART's will. But in the UK unless you're at a solid wave spot, you're most likely to come up against the types of bumps where glide prevails. Hop and skip from wave to wave and enjoy a few turns on each - these wings will have you enjoying every moment. We see this as the most all round wing for our UK conditions and the bulk of our riders.
Ultra High Modulus Carbon
The use of Ultra High Modulus carbon in the V2 allows for fans of freestyle to finally feel at home on an ART. The sheer nature of a high span, thin wing made it struggle to hold up against the rigours of jumping and freestyle manoevres - which limits its popularity immediately. By beefing up the centre of the wing with UHM where the forces build up most, the ART V2 becomes capable of withstanding the pressure of jumps.
Sizes
AXIS have a habit of releasing a few sizes at a time to gauge demand - we have 3 to begin with, the 999, 939 and 879. We may eventually see smaller sizes, but below these sizes may mean you're in bigger winds and waves and therefore the newest tiny Spitfire sizes may still be very suitable. Above the 999 we may see something in the near future as the 1099 was a staple for more experienced downwinders and the 1201 and 1401 ART Pro's have been very popular for the lighter conditions too. The ART V2's should be far more user friendly for this than the Pro's.
Conclusion
Kit is evolving at a rate of knots in this foiling game - with new foils you're generally going to get better in many ways, but that doesnt make the older kit any less fun. The ART V1 was an awesome bit of kit and it always will be. For anyone after a performance foil at a cheaper price, this will be awesome. The V2 is better turning, has a much lower and more predictable stall speed and is overall more forgiving - making for an awesome bit of kit that we're very much glad to have in the range.
Check out the review done by the guys at the Foiling Magazine below for more info.