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At the top of the R&D agenda for 2009, Dream Team Taty Frans,
Nicolas Agkaziyan, Kiri Thode and Sara Quita Offringa have set
ambitious goals for the new freestyle range, working with Tiesda You
to produce the World's lightest freestyle boards and the most
advanced shapes possible.
WoodCarbon
Starboard's WoodCarbon technology is the first board construction in
the World to utilize an ultralight, pure unidirectional carbon fibre
that is flat-weaved for total mechanical efficiency. The
unidirectional flat-weave fibre generates equal tensile strength as
biaxial or woven carbon fibre but at half the specific weight. A
layer of 0.6 Australian pine wood runs along the spine of the board
to provide rigidity, additional integrity and increased strength in
the most stressed areas of the board. WoodCarbon - the combination
of a wood spine and ultralight carbon: a new composite material
matrix that sets a new benchmark.
- Slalom rockerline for speed and acceleration in the 88
- New DFC rocker in the 98 and 106 for improved speed, early planing and
acceleration without compromising on manoeuvrability
- Heel gutters exaggerate the deck dome effect for more comfort and grip
- Drake Crossover CNC G10 fins - designed by Curtis Hesselgrave
- Double-screw fittings for the back footstrap for maximum insert shear
resistance
- Thinner shapes for a lower CG: maximum aerial control and increased
responsiveness
Increased tail volume for more float and tolerance in reverse moves
- WoodCarbon: the world's lightest board construction that combines
ultralight UD carbon and a wood spine.
- Wood: a unique freestyle specific construction that combines Carbon/Kevlar
under a full layer of wood: lightweight, high impact resistance and stiff.
New shapes
Building on the success of the 2008 Flares, the 2009 Flare 98 and 106 are
designed to bring even more speed and acceleration to the mix. The core
evolution comes from a new DFC (Dual Flat Concept) rockerline, inspired by the
results from the iSonic R&D program. The DFC rockerline features a short, flat
tail section from 0cm-30cm and a secondary flat that extends from 30cm to 95cm.
This extended flat provides an extremely fast ride with a new level of
acceleration and early planing.
Any other shape changes?
The width of the Flare 98 has dropped by 2.5cm and the length is shorter by 2cm
to regain more top-end speed and manoeuvring accuracy in high to medium winds.
The boards are thinned out to lower the centre of gravity for more control. The
length of the the Flare 106 remains at 239cm for greater tolerance and more
lightwind float. The front footstrap angle has been increased from 45 degrees to
55 degrees.
Other features
Starboard's trademark freestyle feature, the heel gutters, continue on all
models, providing an exaggerated deck dome for more comfort and more grip. The
tail shapes pack some extra volume for more float and tolerance during reverse
and sliding transitions. The back footstraps use four screws instead of the
conventional two screws for extra strength and a mechanically twist-free
function.
The Flare 88
Together with the Flare 60 and 72, the Flare 88 shape continues unchanged for
2009 with its slalom rockerline and slalom vee. It remains the team's weapon of
choice for highwind conditions or lighter riders. Now also available in
WoodCarbon.
Summary:
- New WoodCarbon construction
- Super-fast freestyle boards with more speed and acceleration for 2009
- New DFC (Dual Flat Concept) rockerline on the 98 and 106 models
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