Ozone Rise Carbon V1 Foilboard Review
The first wing foil board in the Ozone range - and we've managed to have a cheeky go on the first one in the country while showing it off at a few demo events. Its been a long time coming, but they've nailed it.
Shape
The general design may look familiar to some people, as theres been a fair bit of input from Ozone riders and shapers Ken Adgate and Johnny Heineken into it. A nice wide platform along with a slight recess makes for plenty of stability, while the contoured bottom shape and razor sharp tail cutoff prevents any water sticking on touch downs and aids release. Those of you who have seen how low Ken gets in his tacks will understand why he wants it to shed water well!
Construction
Produced in a well known, not so secret factory deep in the heart of Portugal, construction and finish is exceptional. The first product for a long time that Ozone don't produce themselves in house, but they've left the right company in charge of that. Construction is a very big selling point of this board.
50k closed cell, high density foam for the core means it won't soak up water if you ding it at all - keeping you riding for longer and not stressing about why your board suddenly weighs 2kg more at the end of the session. A complete carbon infusion construction process makes the board extremely stiff and keeps things light - allowing you complete and direct control over the movements in the water below - intermediate/advanced riders should notice this stiffness straight away.
Riding
Ozone say its aimed at the intermediate/advanced market - but its nice wide platform definitely makes it feel comfortable and easy to use. I used the 62L model in both flat water and churned up swell too, in powered winds and it was spot on - quick to get up and going while being stable on your knees before then. The recess in the deck and overall thinner depth than some other boards no doubt help with this stability.
The deck pad feels great, and that feels daft to type, but it was a great little positive of this board. Corduroy EVA padding under your knees while getting going to soften the effect of the pad rubbing against your wetsuit or bare knees, but square cut EVA padding in your riding stance area for tonnes of grip. A central arch for both your front and back foot as well as that change in deck pad material help in knowing where your feet are on the board at all times.
Who's it for?
Currently available in 40l, 50l, 62l, 75l, 90l and only in full carbon, the Rise is going to be mostly suited to those who are after their second or even third board in their wing foil journey.
For those of you blasting around your local lakes or waterways, starting or improving your jumping and getting into waves properly this is going to be a solid option.
The construction is a massive selling point - those of you at higher levels will enjoy the stiffness of it and its responsiveness while riding. Riding the Rise with a High Modulus mast and a newer design wing with a stiffer canopy (Ozone Flux) definitely felt like a massive step up from gear from previous seasons. Theres been a big shift in design towards responsiveness, and we like where its going.
Find more info on the Rise V1 HERE