Werner, with the Super Ride and Magic Ride freeriders and the Freestyle Wave model, you actually have a wide range of products. Now a new model called Magic Move is coming onto the market. Is this board intended to replace another model? Or is it a supplement?
We don't want to replace anything with it, the Magic Move is a supplement. It's specifically about the board class between 90 and 110 litres. These are often people who can ride a small fun board, for example at typical spots in Egypt, Greece and so on, but who don't have much to do with waves. Their wish list usually includes early planing, control and finally being able to plane through the jibe. The Magic Move is designed to cater for precisely this segment in this volume class.
With the Magic Move, we want to redefine the freemove category.
Isn't that the traditional territory of the freestyle wave?
The freestyle waveboards are much more orientated towards waves, so you can go into real surf with them. On the other hand, there are the classic freeriders like our Super Ride or the Magic Ride. The Magic Ride is the classic for gliding beginners and neck surfers. The Super Ride, on the other hand, is designed to be a little more sporty, but is also primarily at home in flat water. With the Magic Move, we want to redefine the freemove category. This target group is incredibly large, and we keep getting this feedback from our surf centres. These are people who ride a sail between five and six square metres and then want to heat up and jibe in the chop or in the swell. This is exactly what the Magic Move was made for.
Magic Move, Magic Ride, Super Ride, Freestyle Wave - aren't you worried that end customers will get lost in the multitude of models and end up at a loss?
No, because you always have to bear in mind that not all models are available in the same sizes. The Magic Move is intended to be a sporty freemove board, so it will only be available in three sizes with 90/100 and 110 litres. It would of course make no sense to offer the Magic Ride, Magic Move and Super Ride in sizes from 80 to 160 litres. This would only confuse the end customer and in the end the concept of the board would be completely watered down. Of course, there are certain core sizes, such as the 100 or 110 litre class, where there are overlaps, simply because the market demands it.
How does the shape of the Magic Move differ from the other models in the range?
The Magic Move certainly has the most in common with the Freestyle Wave in terms of target group. Compared to this model, it is slightly longer and has a significantly wider tail. The nose is also slightly wider and the edges run parallel. Very manoeuvrable models such as the Freestyle Wave simply have a rounder outline overall, which supports the manoeuvrability. In contrast, the Magic Move has very parallel edges, which ensures the best carving and good grip in the jibe. There is deliberately a little more volume in the tail, which helps to glide through the jibes better or to stand up in the first place. The edges have a slightly different radius, and the additional volume in the rails also helps to glide through manoeuvres. And last but not least, the deck is flatter than the freestyle waves, making the Magic Move more stable in the water.
There is more volume in the tail to glide through jibes better or to stand still in the first place.
Does the Magic Move come with a single fin?
Exactly, the Magic Move is designed purely for single fin, because the target group wants to have some fin surface area, so you can put more pressure on the fin. With the strap set-up, you have the option of riding a manoeuvre-oriented 3-loop set-up or riding the board with four straps and therefore a little more sporty.
Can you delimit the board to the other side again? Who needs the Magic Move, who should go for Magic Ride or Super Ride?
The Magic Ride is traditionally ideally suited to the needs of intermediates and freeriders and is our easy-going freeride board, which is also available in large sizes. The Super Ride model is much sportier, has a wider tail and is therefore naturally designed for more powerful sails up to 2-cam sails. So if you want to go full throttle and carve jibes with large sails, you will usually end up with the Super Ride. The new Magic Move is the perfect addition for strong winds and small freemoving sails - in other words, the logical extension of the Super Ride towards smaller boards.
Can you explain roughly how you designed the shape of the Magic Move in the underwater hull?
The Magic Move has a lot of V at the front, more than the Freestyle Wave. This implied keel is intended to make it more controlled and softer. There is less V between the straps so that the board still glides freely and doesn't sit too deep in the water. The construction is called Wood Pro, which is a proper sandwich construction, light and stiff, similar to the freestyle wave models. There will also be a cheaper ES version, but the Freestyle Wave model will only be available in the lightweight Wood Pro construction in future.
When will the Magic Move be available?
The board is already available at Online surf shop available costs 2399 euros.
