Hey Seabreeze Wingers!

We just launched our brand and figured a Seabreeze account would be a great way to engage with the foil community and answer questions/get feedback on our gear.

Our first product is a line of boards designed to excel at both wing and prone foiling. The larger sizes are somewhat unique for winging in that their longer, narrow shape makes getting up to foiling speed in light wind a "breeze".

Stoked to hear what you guys think of the concept, we'll have demos boards available in Hood River and Vancouver Island all summer. Hope to get a few boards to Aus at some point too!

Greg

Your brand caught my attention the other day as @KDMaui made a statement on his IG feed in pretty blunt terms that he wasn't going to ride Omen products anymore. I was always curious what brand he was on (seeing the bird logo) I guess many folks are now wondering why he said so..

Anyway, as a curious wingfoiler I had a look at your website, and read that Appletree boards produces your boards. Which I think is great. At the same time (and I think many will agree) if to spend on a new board for that price, then why not buy an Appletree board (an actual one)?

So just some thoughts. I think we all appreciate more info.. some history, where it started etc. Why we should buy an Omen board over Appletree. And ( the other elephant in the room...) KD is a pretty big name in this little world. Did you guys have a fallout? Was it about the quality of the product etc.

Entice us!

I don't have the answers, but worth pointing out that its not totally unusual for Appletree to build another designers shape. They build some of the Majek boards for Glenn Pang (very highly regarded shaper) and I think there have been others. I think shapers recognize that Appletree's build quality is some of the best around (which is why a lot of people are so loyal to them) and it's great that Appletree is willing to build for other shapers.

I suggest not everyone thinks Appletree shapes are the best. They march to a different drummer. Having the Omen board shapes made by Appletree, is a breath of fresh air. Options are a good thing.

The Omen shapes are much more appealing than Appletree, but the Appletree construction is awesome.

The Omen shapes look interesting, but the Slice v2 is the best all-around wing board I've ridden. They've got some very nice looking DW boards coming too. More options with great construction is a good thing for everyone.

TBH I thought the opening webpage wasn't very attractive with all black & white then I saw the board & I guessed you're going with a dark Henry Rollins theme

Thanks for all the feedback guys!

To answer your question about the brand, Omen started unofficially over two years ago when I approached Peter of LP foils with a concept to create a brand focused on progressing the forefront of wave foiling performance. Peter's one of the pioneers of kite and windsurf foiling and has been making high performance composite paddles and bike frames for decades. We're both passionate foilers and have been dedicated to see how far we can push design, materials, and construction. I can't speak for Kane's career choices, but Peter and I certainly stand behind the work we've done and Omen won't be releasing any products we wouldn't be excited to ride ourselves.

Peter and I are both builders and feel strongly about our products being made in NA and the EU. Omen is focused creating high performance parts of unmatched quality using US manufacturing, while keeping overhead low to allow us to innovate. Our logo and name represent change and adaptation, and the ultimate goal of engaging with the energy of the ocean in as natural a fashion as the swift flies.

Regarding boards, I've been a fan of Appletree for quite some time and am super confident in the construction methods and quality. Choosing them as a manufacturing partner for Omen's boards was easy, and I'm super proud to have their logo on our boards to represent the awesome work they've done. They have amazing shapes for offer and choosing an Omen board vs. Appletree will come down to personal preference and what you're looking to get out of the board. Omen products are focused on the abilities and sensations of experienced foilers focused on progression.

I'll take the Henry Rollins reference as a compliment, haha!

Greg

Stoked to see this thread. I have known Greg for a few years, kitesurfer, kitefoiler, winger, and the most stoked and focused surf foiler I know. [Fun Fact: Greg is also leader on the team developing the Aluula fabric with Ocean Rodeo and other wing and kite brands]

Reason I am stoked is because Greg's been quietly working away on this stuff for a couple years now, so it's awesome that Omen is finally out in the world! It will be rad to start hearing the feedback once demos get out there ... as I can assure you there's been an obsessive dedication to quality along the way.

Henry Rollins theme ... I was more thinking Misfits ... but hey, sub in b&w punk rock logo of choice :-)

Digging the longer boards that are low volume especially that 84L one. How is the track placement with the different brand foils. Do the tracks have enough play to be far enough forward for say Armstrong but can also accommodate some of the brands that need them further back.?

Digging the black and white too. Little hard to see but..... it looks like I see footstrap inserts.. yes/no?

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Omen said..
Thanks for all the feedback guys!

To answer your question about the brand, Omen started unofficially over two years ago when I approached Peter of LP foils with a concept to create a brand focused on progressing the forefront of wave foiling performance. Peter's one of the pioneers of kite and windsurf foiling and has been making high performance composite paddles and bike frames for decades. We're both passionate foilers and have been dedicated to see how far we can push design, materials, and construction. I can't speak for Kane's career choices, but Peter and I certainly stand behind the work we've done and Omen won't be releasing any products we wouldn't be excited to ride ourselves.

Peter and I are both builders and feel strongly about our products being made in NA and the EU. Omen is focused creating high performance parts of unmatched quality using US manufacturing, while keeping overhead low to allow us to innovate. Our logo and name represent change and adaptation, and the ultimate goal of engaging with the energy of the ocean in as natural a fashion as the swift flies.

Regarding boards, I've been a fan of Appletree for quite some time and am super confident in the construction methods and quality. Choosing them as a manufacturing partner for Omen's boards was easy, and I'm super proud to have their logo on our boards to represent the awesome work they've done. They have amazing shapes for offer and choosing an Omen board vs. Appletree will come down to personal preference and what you're looking to get out of the board. Omen products are focused on the abilities and sensations of experienced foilers focused on progression.

I'll take the Henry Rollins reference as a compliment, haha!

Greg

This is great info! It needs to be on the website. The more people can relate the more appealing!

I admit my initial post was a bit 'provocative' but I like the response. The IG page also needs more stoke. Please don't look like an abstract run-fly-be campaign!

Congrats on starting a brand from passion and values! Hope to see and learn more!

Thanks Ninjaturtle! The goal with the track placement was to accommodate everything from Armstrong to Gofoil. Lucky for us Appletree just finished their mold for custom 12" tracks which made it much easier! We erred on the side of having the tracks a bit further forward as some people are really pushing the forward placement. Can't make everyone happy, but I expect 95% of people will find enough space to dial in their feel. You're right on the inserts, they are setup for an offset stance. You can zoom into the pictures on the website to get a better look.

Social media is definitely a weak spot of mine MProject, I'll try to get a few more shots of me flailing about until we have some more product out there and can recruit some younger, handsomer team riders to do the gear justice!

I'm very happy with my Appletree 70 liter but their construction method is a little on the heavy side. Larger boards I'd go with EPS and take my chances, never had an issue so far. The longer narrower shape is clearly a winner though and I'm looking forward to trying the 60L Omen. Let us know who'll be handling the Hood River demos when you get set up please. Kane was making this shape look really good, even doing a sub 30 minute Maliko run on the 84 liter Omen.

Hopefully a full white version would also be available.

The Allula connection is interesting. I have been listening to a few excellent podcasts lately & the one with Richard from Ocean rodeo / Allula was very informative.
One point he & a few other designer/ product developers have been making (I'm badly paraphrasing) is that as products have been developed so quickly to the point where the differences between gen 3 -4 products are getting quite slight, the market will soon be saturated with similar products & it'll turn simply into a branding competition. I find it interesting that there are newer players coming into the market. Will the company with the biggest advertising budget squash newer startups such as Omen?
Greg do you see your brand as a boutique brand & how do you see it playing out with the established players? Aside from having the boards coming out of a pretty respected manufacturer what's your point of difference?

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Omen said..
Lucky for us Appletree just finished their mold for custom 12" tracks which made it much easier!

Are these going into all their production boards going forward? Are they available to purchase as parts?

From what I remember with my little talk with Wieger (Appletree founder), They've developed rails / tracks themselves and pretty recently entered the stage that they are convinced it's ready to take into production.
The longer length of those tracks is just a additional benefit. The track itself is stronger (the main reason for developing it) and allows them to benefit even more from the construction they already use and becomes part of the design-process (In my words: not a retro-fitted third-party part).

From what I understand these tracks will be in the Apple Skipper range (stock and custom). The prototype of the Skipper Wing that I borrowed also had a (pre-production) version of those tracks.

Imo. Bringing the longer tracks in the existing shapes would mean a bit of R&D (where to put the center to give best benefit of the extra length) and adjustment in the building process. No idea how much work that would be. The existing shapes and construction are already really good (so the gains become less interesting (says the economist inside me)).


Besides the collab with Majek (Appletree sells Majek shapes in Appletree construction), the Appletree factory builds boards for several shapers, who sell the boards through their respective saleschannels. I think this is the case with Omen foils (BTW: I like the slightly longer and narrower shapes for winging), Levitaz, Kold and maybe some other brands.

Thanks. I wonder if they would sell to DIY builders. The 16" are overkill and add additional weight, chinook 10" are too heavy for the size and don't have tabs. Great to have someone building tracks specifically for foil use case.

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FlyingPeew said..
From what I remember with my little talk with Wieger (Appletree founder), They've developed rails / tracks themselves and pretty recently entered the stage that they are convinced it's ready to take into production.
The longer length of those tracks is just a additional benefit. The track itself is stronger (the main reason for developing it) and allows them to benefit even more from the construction they already use and becomes part of the design-process (In my words: not a retro-fitted third-party part).

From what I understand these tracks will be in the Apple Skipper range (stock and custom). The prototype of the Skipper Wing that I borrowed also had a (pre-production) version of those tracks.

Imo. Bringing the longer tracks in the existing shapes would mean a bit of R&D (where to put the center to give best benefit of the extra length) and adjustment in the building process. No idea how much work that would be. The existing shapes and construction are already really good (so the gains become less interesting (says the economist inside me)).


Besides the collab with Majek (Appletree sells Majek shapes in Appletree construction), the Appletree factory builds boards for several shapers, who sell the boards through their respective saleschannels. I think this is the case with Omen foils (BTW: I like the slightly longer and narrower shapes for winging), Levitaz, Kold and maybe some other brands.

you're from the Generic Foiling podcast? I loved that episode.. made my appreciation grow immensely for ATr. Just the whole bit of values behind their production.. not the made in china because of cost etc.. but just jobs, environment, no dependency on containerships passing through suez or not.

Sorry for the off topic.. back to Omen :-)

Looks like it has a fin instead of a carry-handle?? Sounds weird and awkward for storage, sliding into car etc

Looks like it has a fin instead of a carry-handle?? Sounds weird and awkward for storage, sliding into car etc

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MProject04 said..

FlyingPeew said..
From what I remember with my little talk with Wieger (Appletree founder), They've developed rails / tracks themselves and pretty recently entered the stage that they are convinced it's ready to take into production.
The longer length of those tracks is just a additional benefit. The track itself is stronger (the main reason for developing it) and allows them to benefit even more from the construction they already use and becomes part of the design-process (In my words: not a retro-fitted third-party part).

From what I understand these tracks will be in the Apple Skipper range (stock and custom). The prototype of the Skipper Wing that I borrowed also had a (pre-production) version of those tracks.

Imo. Bringing the longer tracks in the existing shapes would mean a bit of R&D (where to put the center to give best benefit of the extra length) and adjustment in the building process. No idea how much work that would be. The existing shapes and construction are already really good (so the gains become less interesting (says the economist inside me)).


Besides the collab with Majek (Appletree sells Majek shapes in Appletree construction), the Appletree factory builds boards for several shapers, who sell the boards through their respective saleschannels. I think this is the case with Omen foils (BTW: I like the slightly longer and narrower shapes for winging), Levitaz, Kold and maybe some other brands.

you're from the Generic Foiling podcast? I loved that episode.. made my appreciation grow immensely for ATr. Just the whole bit of values behind their production.. not the made in china because of cost etc.. but just jobs, environment, no dependency on containerships passing through suez or not.

Sorry for the off topic.. back to Omen :-)

Nope!
Just lucky enough to live close to the Appletree HQ.

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Omen said..
Thanks Ninjaturtle! The goal with the track placement was to accommodate everything from Armstrong to Gofoil. Lucky for us Appletree just finished their mold for custom 12" tracks which made it much easier! We erred on the side of having the tracks a bit further forward as some people are really pushing the forward placement. Can't make everyone happy, but I expect 95% of people will find enough space to dial in their feel. You're right on the inserts, they are setup for an offset stance. You can zoom into the pictures on the website to get a better look.

Social media is definitely a weak spot of mine MProject, I'll try to get a few more shots of me flailing about until we have some more product out there and can recruit some younger, handsomer team riders to do the gear justice!

Like the look of your shapes! ... I'll have to get with Peter & give them a go... as for inserts IMHO if you are going to sell to the Wing crowd outside of Maui, you MUST have a "Y" insert pattern for front & centered rear. Most advanced Wingers here switch tacks & need the symmetry... just finished installing a whole mess of inserts into a 35l board which stupidly only had inserts for offset stance.... as for Kane, I think he just likes to be a free agent & not tied to any brand... actually surprised Reedin is still using him for marketing when he's hardly ever on the gear... some riders are just like that.

I was in Mexico over the winter and was lucky enough to meet Greg of Omen and his lovely young family.
Super knowledgeable and super stoked capable foiler. I was very intrigued myself about the Aluula connection.

I've known Peter of LP Foils/Omen Foils for few years. Very big names were riding his foils early on.
I was lucky enough to have worked with him on few projects. His methodical and precise fabrications are masterpieces!

I'm a fan of F-one and GoFoil gear. I had an order on the new F-one SK8 1050 hoping to upgrade daily
drivers such as the Seven Seas 1200 and RS1150. That said, I was able to score 3 sessions on a pre-production Omen 1050. Seeing the design choices they made both manufacturing and performance was enough for me to halt my F-one order and get in line for the Omen production foil.

They were smart to send Project Cedrus the specs of their fuse connection so early adopters like myself can put their hands one the foils as soon as possible.

Knowing their pedigree being on the cutting edge of our sports I'm really excited to see how they'll push the sport forward and stoked to be riding my Omen foil and board as soon as possible.

As an 88kg middle-age progressing intermediate foiler, I have the 5'7x22/72L board and 1050 foil on order and I suspect that's the setup I'll be riding for some time. I might get their 850 foil at some point even though I already have that range covered.

Lots of luck to you guys!

Hi Microsurfer,

Glad you're interested in the Aluula materials, lots of exciting stuff coming out over the next few months on that front too!
Regarding the foiling market there will always be brands that focus on marketing, others that focus on refining design and manufacturing, and most that fall somewhere in the middle. My vision for Omen is heavy on R&D and the highest possible standards of manufacturing with a goal to at the pinnacle of high performance wave riding. For that reason it will remain a smaller player in the grand scheme of things but less susceptible to trends in the industry and pulled in directions that would deviate from the brand's core values which is to progress the sport.

Aside from Appletree's incredible manufacturing, the differentiator on our boards comes down to the shape. Some people will love it and others will find something else that better fits what they are looking the accomplish with foiling. I've been stoked to see how many people have taken the leap based on the description and what they make of the shape/dimensions but certainly respect that most will need to try to see if the feel is right.

Cornwallis, all the production boards will have the 12" tracks, thanks for asking for the clarification on that.

Patronus, the fin carry handle definitely does not lend itself well to stacking boards! That being said, we felt the compromise was worth it for more efficient touch downs, smoother take offs, and some weight reduction. My arms are long enough I actually don't even use the fin on mine, but happy to only have an FCSII box there instead of a regular handle.

Gorgesailor, the inserts were a tough call - most people so far have been happy with the configuration but I agree a centered rear strap is a must for some styles. Easy to do this on a custom board for no extra charge, only downside is a bit longer lead time.

Thanks for all the kind words Burchas! Hope to see you in Hood River this summer!

Why did you keep the tail profile wide? For hard banking in wave riding (the boards intended purpose) I would think the rail in the tail could be prone to catching. Most boards for this purpose have a more pulled in profile. Maybe the narrower overall width negates this risk? Just curious as to the design theory.

Big agree on needing Y straps. Won't buy a board without them.

Hi Velociraptor, the tail profile is wide and ends in a sharp release edge to keep the flow over the board as clean and efficient as possible. By going longer the tail could be pulled in further and maintain this hydrodynamic effect, but pulling it in too abruptly creates a lot more drag regardless of whether the board is in displacement, semi-displacement, or planing. Agreed going narrower in the tail could improve clearance though, we've mitigated this through the chine shape getting gradually steeper towards the tail and creating a rail shape that deflect off the water really smoothly. Ultimately, any board shape is about balancing compromises and we went with efficiency and touch down control over all out clearance. Appreciate the insightful questions as it gives me a chance to go into the details!

Thank Grantmac, for the intended use of the boards the Y front strap seemed like an obvious choice.

I just happened to listen to this podcast with Greg yesterday. I listened to it because the shape they chose for their boards several months ago is becoming so pervasive and I wanted to learn a bit more about a small company who appeared to be doing their own thing in a prescient way.

Really interesting company. Great backstory. Very modular in their approach making use of smart collaborations. Sustainable approach: not too many products, thinking about a two board quiver and two foil quiver from the outset.

I ride somethign similar to their 85L wing board in shape and would love to try their smaller boards.

winglifepodcast.com/episode/episode-31-greg-falck

Best of luck Greg and Co. We need more companies like this.

I'd never seen a Omen board in my life.... but I'm impressed by checking out in Youtube two independend feedback videos:

1- Tucker of Mackite's breakdown of the 60L Flux in his "Dream Quiver" Video

2- MacKite 2023 Board Awards, as well as the review at the bottom of this page for rider feedback.

They sell tons of boards from large stablished brands (F-one, Duotone, etc..) and he picks the Omen. This was a major surprise for me.

Omen guys should do better marketing to echo those videos. Also their web site does not transmit properly their magic ;)

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FranP said..
I'd never seen a Omen board in my life.... but I'm impressed by checking out in Youtube two independend feedback videos:

1- Tucker of Mackite's breakdown of the 60L Flux in his "Dream Quiver" Video

2- MacKite 2023 Board Awards, as well as the review at the bottom of this page for rider feedback.

They sell tons of boards from large stablished brands (F-one, Duotone, etc..) and he picks the Omen. This was a major surprise for me.

Omen guys should do better marketing to echo those videos. Also their web site does not transmit properly their magic ;)

Neither have I. That's the one I would like to try, the 60 L Flux.

I first read about the company in a Progression Project Forum on mid-length boards.

If you listen to the podcast, you will be even more intrigued. For example, the founder was also heavily involved with the development of the aluula material with Ocean Rodeo.

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Omen said..
Hey Seabreeze Wingers!

We just launched our brand and figured a Seabreeze account would be a great way to engage with the foil community and answer questions/get feedback on our gear.

Our first product is a line of boards designed to excel at both wing and prone foiling. The larger sizes are somewhat unique for winging in that their longer, narrow shape makes getting up to foiling speed in light wind a "breeze".

Stoked to hear what you guys think of the concept, we'll have demos boards available in Hood River and Vancouver Island all summer. Hope to get a few boards to Aus at some point too!

Greg

Greg are your boards available to buy / demo in Oz or only available through mail order?