GONG GALAXY, All about Surf, SUP, Kite, Foil & Wing

The Freak is a perfect board for choppy and soft waves!
Nice video!

I received and tested the Freak SP today in mediocre waves. The finish is good and I like the new colors.
On the scale it is 8,1 kg, without fins.

The Freak SP is a really easy and natural board to surf, from takeoff to turning and nose rides. The volume is a bit much for me, I would rather have 100 liters than 110, because 10 liters makes in unnecessary buoyant and unstable. The rails are much thicker than the NFA slim, especially in the first half. The rails remind me of the first 9'2 x 65cm Freak XTR 120. The rails in the tail are however sharp and thinner than the nose which is nice. I need thin rails to be able to push with my light weight.

Nose rides are really, really easy to manage, even at slow speed. It is a big difference from my NFA9' slim. I like that!

It is quick from rail-to-rail and direction changes instantly and fluent in a good manner. Nice!

I didn't get to try turns really, because the waves were really flat and didn't reform. But the turns I did in slow speed worked fine with good grip.

I would like to try it in steeper waves and higher speeds next time. We will se when this happens because the winter is coming back to Scandinavia again unfortunately.

nice report Mag!
but, why the rails remind you the old Freak 65wide? they didn't were really big compared to the newest???

When you make the boards less wide they get thicker, if you keep the volume constant, simple mathematics. The old Freak had 120 liters but only approx. 25" (64 or 65cm) wide and thus was quite thick. The new is 110 liters and most volume is in the middle-front, where the rails are thicker.

I've asked you cause I-m planning to change my Freak semipro 110 (great great shape but very heavy) with the Freak xtr 120 65 wide....

The first Freak XTR generation was a great surfboard, but I am only 64 kg so it floated very high on the water surface for me. It was amazing on the waves, fluid and radical and a good nose rider . Highly recommended! But for my choppy conditions it was really really hard to stand up before the take off.

I have found 100 liters to be upper limit for me, actually 90 is fine. But since this Freak SP is quite wide, in my opinion, I think it will be fine in small-medium sized waves. But I am also considering the Zero SP.

Beautiful board indeed.... But also for my 70kg should be too much

Inviato dal mio GT-I9301I utilizzando Tapatalk

Second session on the Freak SP.
It is very nice to surf in small waves and it is an excellent nose rider! This is just what I was hoping for, with the wide nose and round rails. It turns really fluid without much power from the legs. Balance is easier than the IT XTR and the speed is a little bit faster. The tail for sure sinks more than the IT in the turn but this is just a matter about using the right technique.

I think it will complement the IT PRO/XTR just perfectly!

Freak SP received!!
unfortunately the weight of the board is 7,9kg instead 7,2kg!! this disappoint me... I just replace my Zero 8'5 xtr with the freak and one of the reasons was the light weight.....

otherwise I immefiately test the board in some little wave, light wind off shore and little bit choppy.
the Freak is quite stable. is not paddling faster as the Zero (this is strange) and I have to get used to the new size in steep wave, but the board is a real longboard and once in the wave is really fluid!

I believe that the weight is specified without the big pad, which ads 0,6-0,9kg to a longboard.
My Freak SP is 8,1kg.

MagW a écrit :I believe that the weight is specified without the big pad, which ads 0,6-0,9kg to a longboard.
My Freak SP is 8,1kg.

Yes, the guys told me that. Weight whitout pad.

Mag how do you feel with the freak so? Some progress? New feeling? Are u using always 2+1 or also thruster?

Inviato dal mio HUAWEI VNS-L31 utilizzando Tapatalk

This board is great!
It is great in small waves, turns really tight and natural and it nose rides so easily. The only thing I have against it is that it has to much volume for my weight and ability. I am 63kg. The rails are thick and are effected by chop and at higher speeds and steeper waves it becomes unstable. With 70+kg I don't think I would have this experience. My friend at 74kg really liked the Freak, the best turning longboard that he ever tried.

I use a 6,5" Greenough 4A and Performer (Gong original) side fins most of the time. I have to try a 4,5" and the Kai Sallas 6,5", maybe tomorrow when we get waves again.

Yep !
Petit retour personnel de mes premières sensations sur ma Freak 9'2 125L PRO :
Déjà, les courbes et le shape de la planche sont terribles et ça fait toujours plaisir.

Sur l'eau :
Comme d'hab', il faut oublier presque tous ses repères après Cloud et Mob et en valider d'autres, mais la prise en pied est relativement rapide. La seule adaptation que j'ai dû "travailler" est celle du placement sur la planche.
Son round tail plus étroit fait que sur quelques phases de take-off et de retour au pic, j'avais un peu de gîte car trop sur l’arrière et le tail. Position corrigée rapidement.

En surf :

Fred m'a conseillé de passer en dérive centrale la FCS II CONNECT PG CLEAR 6" qui "libère" la planche en montage 2+1. Que j'ai couplé à 2 Performers rear small.
Encore une fois, ben... il a vu juste le bougre !

Après des take-off lointains, la planche accélère fort ! Même si c'est pas son truc, elle accepte quand même les "late take-off" dans la limite du raisonnable..
J'ai chopé une bonne vague en série et en partant je me suis posé la question de savoir si ce shape pouvait se rider de façon plus vive genre short... Réponse : Fluidité et vitesse de folie avec un tail hyper réactif et les virages s'enchainent à la moindre impulsion, magique !!!

Sur les vagues plus destinées au programme de la planche, ça swingue d'un rail à l'autre tranquillement, ça zouk-love même, et une fois qu'on a posé l’œil sur le nose...
Ben, on y va faire le hibou, parce qu'il ne demande que ça le gars !!! Les déplacements sont stables et sécurisants avec ce nose large et porteur (même si j'ai pas mal de déchets...)

Bref, une super planche . Je suis love...
Docile et smooth dans son programme et conditions adéquates, mais néanmoins sportive et très vive pour celui qui de temps en temps veut "en mettre" et lâcher les poneys !!!

La prochaine fois et si les conditions le permettent, je la testerai en single et mettrai à jour ce post.

Top merci pour ton retour

Ca y est, je commence à bien bouger sur la board et à taper quelques noses (qui pour moi sont tops mais peut-être à chier vus de l'extérieur ! , m'en fous, je me gave !!!).
Grosse progression en glisse longboard style.

La Freak tourne sec au bottom pour aller se placer rapidement sous la lèvre pour monter au nose. Une fois en place sur la soucoupe volante c'est super stable et le drive est là, top !

Une super planche pour cruiser longboard dans des conditions smooth pas trop creuses !

Dès que possible, je la teste en single.