Inbound: Slingshot Flow Craft V2

A lot of brain energy has gone into the concept and sleek design of the new Flow Craft V2, Slingshot’s latest wing and parawing-focused lightweight board range. We went digging for some of the details from the Hood River-based crew…

What was the core mission behind the new Flow Craft V2, and what are the standout updates from the original?

As wingfoiling matured, and wing-specific requirements became clear, we wanted to parse through which features of past boards were relics of kite, wind, surf, or wakefoiling designs, and really create a board aimed at the pure wing-foiling customer.

The Flow Craft v2 was a clean-slate design, and the design goals were directly influenced by the modern wing rider, from pure swell riding to the bump-and-jump all around riders. These goals were 1) effortless take-off, which means no compromises on the size of foils or wings you want to ride, and 2) lightweight construction, which reduces the effort when riding, and allows for a more manoeuvrable board.

And who do you see as the ideal kind of rider for the Flow Craft V2?

Riders who are in tune with their gear and want to extend the wind and wave range of their favorite foil will immediately feel the early take-off performance benefit of these boards. 

Experienced riders who value the ability to turn tightly on a wave and not worry about catching a rail or think about excessive swing weight are the target group. Athletes living in light-wind spots will also see a benefit in the Flow Craft v2, as it opens up days that would otherwise be spent sitting on the beach.

The Tri‑surface displacement‑planing hull: how does this affect take-off speed and transition to planing?

The hull shape is our interpretation of what a wingfoil board looks like when all extraneous features are removed. When getting up to speed (0-7kts) the whole waterline of the board is submerged; the front third of the board allows for efficient water displacement, and the angled chines provide additional stability for the rider. When planing and taking off, the front of the board is out of the water, and only the flat planing surface is skipping on the water, reducing drag, and allowing for an easier rotation to take-off.

The recessed Shed Deck keeps you closer to the foil – what’s the trade‑off in comfort versus control, and how does that translate into rider feedback?

The constant curvature of the deck has the best of both the flat deck and concave decks – as the curvature is constant, you can put your foot anywhere and get the same immediate response as a flat deck, but the concave deck allows you to put more pressure on your toes/heels to initiate the roll without the need for a wide board/stance. The reduced thickness underfoot is a benefit for the direct response of the board – being stiff underfoot reduces fatigue for long sessions and keeps you on the water longer

Who’s been instrumental in the design and R&D of this board? 

The Flow Craft V2 was brought to life by the visionary minds of Fred Hope, Director of Product Marketing, and Product Designer Gabriel Verrier-Paquette. Fred combined his deep understanding of rider dynamics with cutting-edge design principles, while Gabriel pushed the envelope on material innovation and performance optimization. Their collaborative approach has truly set a new standard in board design for advanced wing and parawing riding.

Finally, you’ve got a few other new headline products that have been dropped recently, can you give us a little overview of those?

Yeah, we’ve been busy! Alongside the Flow Craft V2, we just dropped three headline products: the Glide Craft V1, SlingWing NXT V2, and SlingWing V6. The Glide Craft V1 blends the best of our previous boards into a new, confidence-inspiring shape. It features the same tri-surface progressive displacement-planing hull as the Flow Craft, combining pitch stability from the Flow Craft and roll stability from the Wing Craft. The result is smooth take-offs, effortless transitions to foil, and a ride that supports progression. The SlingWing NXT V2 is our most responsive wing yet, lighter, more efficient in free-fly, and tuned for dynamic handling thanks to a segmented strut, optimized battens, and tweaked wingtip angle. And the SlingWing V6 delivers refined freeride performance with unmatched stability, segmented strut construction, and a lock-and-go feel that makes upwind foiling feel automatic. Each of these products brings something unique to the table, but together, they’re all about helping riders feel the difference.