Starboard VIVA

Choosing a wing is always a balance between durability, purpose, features and cost. With the VIVA, Starboard have aimed to strike the perfect balance as their do-it-all wing which will suit riders of all levels and style.

The VIVA positions itself as a true all-rounder – a lightweight, playful wing designed to cover everything from waves and freeride to freestyle and Big Air. Built around a balanced medium-aspect outline with a straight central leading edge and fuller tips, it promises strong low-end power, smooth glide and a wide wind range.

Straight onto the water, and this wing has a classic and highly durable Dacron leading edge with a particularly rigid pistol grip boom which is available in carbon or aluminum. The frame feels firm to hold and when searching for energy underpowered it is easy to create big surges of power with this wing which then hauls downwind well, really aiding underpowered and beginner to intermediate riding.

When maxed out the VIVA has very limited distortion in the frame shape and the neutral arm pressure makes it easy to spill power from the un-tensioned trailing edge. This looser leech tension is the opposite of the front third of the wing’s canopy, which holds tight from tip to tip. This grading between the front and back and its deep profile offers a constant gentle pull and an easy to find power pocket when needing more grunt. Drifting well downwind the VIVA makes getting going and completing jibes predictable and easy and its predictable sheeting range gives confidence that whatever the conditions or whatever the rider is doing, the VIVA will be capable of creating power or losing it easily. 

Riders might find it falters when driving hard into the wind as those low-end gains work against it and it pushes back, but this is a predictable and progressive change, easy to recover from thanks to it wider chord length and stable feeling.
Flagged out the VIVA quickly loses power and blows with the wind well thanks to its dihedral curve and twisted wing tips, and whilst it’s wide and chunkier X-Ply tip shape can cause it to grab and flip on occasion, the stiff and well thought out flagging handle helps recover early and the tips quickly show their benefit when sheeting back in and instantly finding a firm usable power right across the wing.

The standout feature of this wing is its well thought out construction which feels sturdy and built to last. With a mix of materials offering a lighter leading edge and more durable trailing edge and tips, Starboard have clearly put time into making sure this wing strikes a great balance between performance and durability. The VIVA is a classic design and shape which provides a predictable and performant platform – an ideal choice for someone looking for a do-everything option which is durable, firm and consistent.