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carrying capacity and it could easily
accommodate a rider’s largest rig.
For those bigger boned individuals, or
riders wanting a super light air planing
vehicle, then this would be the
Quikslide to look at. That said, such are
the board’s good manners, blowier
weather is also applicable.
times (why not?) to see how it faired
with manoeuvre orientated riding in
mind. And the result? No probs!
For those with aspirations of wave
sailing, Mistral’s Quikslide 100L can be
tuned by shifting straps inboard. Even
though its primary focus is freeride
there’s no issue practising those surf
sailing fundamentals – another point
which highlights the 100L’s versatility.
Quikslide 110L
For our money, this was the sweetest
size out of all Mistral’s Quikslide boards.
For sure, there’s nowt wrong with any
but the 110L offered the most balanced,
user-friendliness, performance and all-
round appeal for moderate wind
strengths (based on the size/preferences
of our tester) with 6-7m sails.
Straight out of the starting blocks and
the 110L is quick! With blowy weather
in the mix, it zooms across the
straights with purpose, all the time
keeping composure in the face of
choppy seas.
As with its smaller siblings, speed is
right up there. We actually went head to
head on a few occasions with the local
slalom crew and can happily report the
120L holds its own. Efficiently pinned
down, and riding over chop thereby
ironing out the ride, Mistral’s 120L
Quikslide feels alive and much more
dynamic than its width and plan shape
would suggest. Again, as with the 100L
and 110L we couldn’t resist seeing if it
handled a bit of air time – after all, given
the opportunity, other sailors will no
doubt try the same. The result? It pops
with ease (relative to its dimensions)
and allows low altitude flying that’ll put a
mile-wide smile on all faces.
Conclusion
It’s great to see such an iconic brand
fully back in the windsurfing mix.
Those of us who often nostalgically
look back to windsurfing’s past will
recall Mistral’s pedigree within the
sport. From ever recognisable images
of Robby Naish ripping on early
designs to IMCO Olympic sailing and
right up to more present-day Mistral
boards, slaying some of the world’s
best wave sailing venues, the red dot
brand have been there – something
which as of 2019 continues.
With eyes firmly focused on the
freeride, recreational fun end of the
spectrum (plus light wind cruising,
as can be demonstrated with
Mistral’s Freebird and Albatross
longboard style sleds (stay tuned
for review of those), the big M is
setting out its windsurfing stall for
the future and recognising that
most riders want simple, fun, yet
engaging products to make use of
real-world windsurfing conditions
and get them afloat. Each Quikslide
delivers on this front, offering
performance across a wide range of
spectrums. All you have to do is
pick your applicable size (or go all
three!). Top drawer manufacturing,
fixtures and fittings, round off three
products that are worthy of your
attention if windsurfing fun is what
you're after.
Should a bump materialise then it’s
quite happy to get airborne and if riders
should land a little flat then due to its
top-shelf construction and ability to
‘breathe’ (flex) – a common trait
amongst all Quikslides – hard
touchdowns are absorbed without fuss.
Round corners those thin (for size of
board) rails slice and keep traction
forgiving the clumsiest of footwork – as
a gybe tutor the 110L is a good choice.
Full power back to the beach and riders
can pin the Quikslide down thereby
taking full advantage of additional puffs.
Driving all that oomph into momentum is
what engages and will keep windsurfers
coming back for more.
Quiklside 120L
Even though this is only 120L it appears
much bigger – more like a 150L in fact.
There’s certainly no shortage of sail
uk
WIND
SURFING