Rider: 82kg ,advanced (10+yrs)
Style: Surf or flat water
Weather: 12-25knots
Build Quality: 10/10
Satisfaction: 10/10
Disclosure: webpage www.kitesurfing.com.au -- no financial association with the manufacturer or shops

My Comments:

Finally got a chance to ride the new AXIS TwineWave.

As anyone who knows me is aware, I've had this almost unhealthy attachment to my 2006 Underground Firebird directional/mutant. Got it new at Mambo in 2005 and have ridden it to hell and back and its survived all amount of abuse I could dish out to it.

A few months ago, lost one of the rear 100mm fins and couldn't find a replacement. I fashioned some EVO 1.1 surfboard fins for it, added some cushy Cabrinha footpads and voila! it was better than new. Most awesome strapped board I've ever ridden and thought I'd be riding it for another 8 years.

Well, two weeks ago Adrian and the Axis team riders popped in for a visit here in Geraldton after Kitestock and we were about to head off on a 15k downwinder to Coronation Beach. Adrian asks me if I wanted to try the new TwinWave. I hesitated at first thinking "Hmmm, what if I don't like it? Don't want to ruin the downwinder!" But thought, "Oh, what the hell--let's give it a go".

I have to say I was initially skeptical but within the first 30 seconds, I loved it! It did everything my Firebird did but it also had a lot of improvements I didn't anticipate.

The differences are really quite significant.

The moment you hit the water you immediately notice how smooth this board planes. I suppose it's a combination of things. There's a deep twin concave about twice as deep as the Firebird. Secondly, the new really rad rail shape makes it feel amazingly like a surfboard in the turns. I can't really describe it adequately but imagine if you took a board about 1.25cm thick, all the way to the rail with a completely square rail like you just sawed off the edges. Next, imagine if you partially melted the last cm of the edge and then rolled it upward from the bottom so the edge of the rail is now pointing upward rather than outward, leaving you with a rounded rail that's about 1.25cm from the bottom of the board to the top of the edge that's pointing upward. Does that make sense?

Anyway, it looks really radical, but it really works.

Instead of a twin-fin setup with side fins like the Firebird, there are three fins at the rear in a near-traditional Thruster setup--the fins are quite near the back edge of the board. All three fins are 70mm instead of 100mm like the two Firebird fins. This time, no side fins. The fins are quite thick so no chance of breaking them off. I thought this might adversely affect performance by increasing the drag but it's not noticeable.

The board overall is a bit longer and wider (148 X 43) than the Firebird (141 X 40) so I was concerned that it might be a bit skatey without the side fins but it holds the rail really well on turns -- even when you are really powered up -- and going upwind -- you don't miss those side fins at all.

A major difference is that when you go into a really hard, powered carve, it holds the edge like it's on tracks and doesn't spin out, despite the fins being not only smaller than my surfboard fins, but smaller than the original Firebird 100mm fins. You can lean it over as far as you like and it just hangs on and carves. Because its wider and longer than the Firebird, the turns are wider and more of an arc than a snap like the Firebird but it feels really great. But if you slam the pressure on the back foot and lift your front foot, you can make it almost pivot on the back fins.

One of the things I also like about it is that with the extra volume and softer rails it doesn't bog as much so you can wave ride with it without having to be powered all the time.

It's also a much more forgiving board than the Firebird--there were times when if I'd been on the Firebird, I'd have grabbed some chop and gone over the nose. The TwinWave somehow manages to just pop through and out of the chop and you're off and running again.

The board just feels really good all round. You can easily edge it hard just like the Firebird and it pops just like you'd hope.

The construction is solid with the tried and proven paulownia wood core like the Firebird; the new footpads are soft, comfortable and easy to adjust.

I'd like to try it with some surfboard fins like I'm running on the Firebird to see if it gets better still but I'm really happy with is as is. The fins are a bit chunky and making them thinner and longer might be interesting.

The only thing I'd change would be to make the straps/pads with one more notch of duck and It'd be nearly perfect. Duck to about 10 o'clock would be just about right. Now the max you can get is about 11 o'clock -- but hey, people ride theme with no duck at all.

I've ridden it in 10-12 knots up to nearly 30 and it goes well throughout the range.

Can't say enough good things about the board. Best board I've ever ridden. I'm stoked with it. Highest recommendation.

That board looks a ripper man!!

One more caveat to add -- the footpads are adjustable -- i.e., you can rotate them. Even though they don't go quite as far as I'd like, it's a big improvement. On the Firebird, I had to drill new holes in the deck and epoxy in two new plugs to get the front pad ducked forward.

How's it go upwind?

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Gorgo said..

How's it go upwind?

Like it's on tracks. Better than the Firebird--on par with a surfboard.

Oh, just one more thing to add to the wishlist for the next version -- at least one more set of plugs (or maybe even two) to be able to move the rear footpad closer to the tail...

who sales the board in Melbourne?

Not sure about Melbourne -- KitePower Geelong perhaps?

Kitepower Geelong has closed, however there are Axis board dealers in Melbourne, according to their website

The ZU Boardsports
+64 03 95255655
ivan @ thezu.com.au
www.thezu.com.au
330 Beconsfield PDE St, Kilda

And

SHQ BoardSports Team
info @ shq.com.au
www.shq.com.au
81 Beach Rd, Sandringham Vic, 3191

thanks

did you only ride it as a directional?

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ice said..

did you only ride it as a directional?

Yep, can't see the point of riding a mutant/directional "backwards". Heel-side one direction, toe-side the other, always. The front fins just get in the way and catch the chop, so I took them off.

That's a pity. Riding backwards is exactly why I am interested a mutant. I want to zoom along on toeside, switch to riding backwards and boost a big downloop air gybe. If I can't ride it backwards then how is it better than my directional?

yes I am also interested in its 'backwards' performance

does anyone have feedback?

Tried it today, but the wind was dying... one tack out, one back - give up.

Rides backwards very nicely, no problems at all. There's just the 2 fins on the board I have so it felt quite normal.

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ice said..

yes I am also interested in its 'backwards' performance

does anyone have feedback?

My experience with this board is that it can be ridden short distances (100-300M) backwards no problem, but if you are thinking that it can be ridden like a TT, then no this board is not for you and I'd be recommending you stick with a TT. The fins catch, and to ride it well and comfortably with the big fins at the rear the straps need to be set/offset and this is the main reason its not that comfy to ride backwards.

The mako can be ridden backwards

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castill0jf said..

The mako can be ridden backwards

Totally different board castill0jf, the Mako is basically a TT, the Axis Twin Wave is a Mutant. I've ridden a Mako, they are quite easy to ride either way with the same fins on each end, and not that much harder if they have bigger on one end. The Axis has really unique rails with a pronounced spine and twin concaves, it carves extremely hard and fast with tons of bite at the big fin end.

thanks for the explanation about the board Kite power

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Kitepower Australia said..

castill0jf said..

The mako can be ridden backwards

Totally different board castill0jf, the Mako is basically a TT, the Axis Twin Wave is a Mutant. I've ridden a Mako, they are quite easy to ride either way with the same fins on each end, and not that much harder if they have bigger on one end. The Axis has really unique rails with a pronounced spine and twin concaves, it carves extremely hard and fast with tons of bite at the big fin end.

What makes a tt and what constitutes a mutant? there is no definative answer. What really matters is how the board rides.
I'm pretty sure the axis is actually symmetrical from the center to both ends. IMO this makes it a tt, although it does have inserts to off set feet position to a mutant like setup. Also a thruster setup can be acheived at both ends. The mako can be set up the same way, although I think the best balance on the mako is to ride it as a tt with more finnage at your surfing end.
Unless your very light or riding in nuking conditions, offsetting your feet from center on boards as small as the 150 mako or axis twin wave leads to massive inefficiency in board planing which in turn will effect upwind ability. A board needs to be balanced on the water, what happens when you move your feet towards one end of the board? why do you think surfers have such big boards in comparison?
Either way its good to see new boards like this on the market.

A Mutant is definitely not symmetrical end to end, thats what makes it "mutant". All the earliest "mutants" (naish, underground, airush, etc) were all shaped like this too. Straps tend to be more centred over the longitudinal line, and slight biased to the rear or end with the big fins.
Pretty sure you can set up a Mako like that too, but it is symmetrical in shape.

Thats where any similarity between the boards ends though, the Twin Wave has the most uniquely shaped rails of any TT style board that is thin, wood cored and ABS railed. The narrow end of the twin wave only accepts 2 fins, the wider "rear" end accepts 3 much larger surf style fins. One local rider here has ditched the Axis TT style pads and just put thin surfboard pad type padding on the board and is using Dakine Supremo straps, but he never rides it backwards. I don't think I saw Rob ride the board backwards when I did a downwinder with him in WA last month.

The Twin Wave IS symmetrical - even more so than most TTs...

Neither end is wider than the other - it's a TT.
Both ends have 3 sets of fin holes.
The pads n' straps inserts are centered so it can be set up with the fins regular or goofy, just by flipping the pads. (In the pictures, the OP actually has the board setup "backwards" with the recessed Axis logo between his heels... upside down.)
Pads are mounted centrally weighted on the board, with the "front" foot angled by the mount holes on the pads... if you so desire. I guess technically your could offset your weight to one end by an inch...

Mako is also symmetrical like a TT but has inserts for TT setup (symmetrically ducked) or another set of inserts offset to the rear, the back foot straight and the front angled. Any Mako sold as a TT/Mutant - the latest 140s are no longer mutantable...

Regular Mako riding, you tend not to lean on the back leg as much as you would a regular TT - but when you're riding it backwards in Mutant Mode, you need to lean on it more.

What makes a mutant? A TT with more finnage on one end

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Robbo2099 said..

One more caveat to add -- the footpads are adjustable -- i.e., you can rotate them. Even though they don't go quite as far as I'd like, it's a big improvement. On the Firebird, I had to drill new holes in the deck and epoxy in two new plugs to get the front pad ducked forward.

Rotatable straps on mutants/twintips.
kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2363527&start=30