Armstrong XPS Wing Foiling Wing

Armstrong XPS Wing - At A Glance

Love at first wing is a thing. The fine team at KPS provided an opportunity to try the XPS 4.6 shortly after it was released in North America. On the beach it looked great. The canopy is especially taught, and the panel layout looks like radial cut sails for boats -which typically outperform and outlast crosscut sails. Radial sails use panels cut to align the weave, seams and stitching parallel to loads and forces experienced by the cloth. It makes sense that the Armstrong designers applied this technique given their history of working with top sailing engineers to design and refine their foil shapes and sections. On the water, it was immediately clear that the attention to detail had produced an amazing wing. The 4.6 has a great low end, provides a smooth and balanced power delivery and still rides well when overpowered. There is almost no flutter. I’m not a fan of windows, but I have to admit that the XPS window is well placed and functional. Maybe I’m a window convert, but it’s probably too soon to tell. The handles are fantastic, stiff and tactile -but still with a little give. I find that some hard handles feel a little harsh in really gusty conditions. They also can hurt in an impact and even damage a board. The XPS handles have a fairly flat carbon core in a woven cover stitched to the strut. I think they provide the perfect balance of stiffness without feeling overly rigid. They are definitely less likely to damage a rider, or a board compared with molded plastic handles. The fabric covering on the handles is also quite tactile and only a light grip is needed to stay connected to the wing. Some riders will no doubt prefer tubular grips, but I’m loving the XPS handles. Ten minutes into my first session and I was convinced that this was the best wing I had ever used. The wing absolutely charges upwind and flags out perfectly when you're riding the swell back downwind. After one session I knew I had to have one and a few weeks later it arrived. In the meantime, I had the fortune to demo some other new wings from other manufacturers and was worried that maybe my memories of the 4.6 were too good to be true. However, I made the first two tacks I attempted on my new wing and rode away foiling with a big smile. I’ve been an inconsistent tacker and the XPS has already upped my game. For those of us who use harnesses, the harness loops are perfectly placed on the center strut. Armstrong also provides a very well-designed bag for their wing and extra battens in case of loss or breakage. I have only a few minor criticisms. First, there should be an option to buy the wing without windows. Second, it comes with an excellent wrist leash, but I don’t like strapping a wing to my wrist. The wrist cuff should be easily removable from the leash, which it doesn’t appear to be. Also, the black and white wing looks fantastic and matches the Armstrong color scheme, but I’m not a fan of white canopies since they discolor easily and don’t contrast with a frothy sea state which could be an issue if a winger is ever in distress. Supposedly the design will keep sharks from biting your wing, but that’s not been a problem I’ve been too concerned about. So, some brighter color options would be ideal. Finally, while it does come with a pretty deluxe repair kit including color matched sail tape, I wish all manufacturers would put in some canopy scraps from the production line. I have a local loft that does great repairs, but finding matching colors and materials is often very difficult. Regardless of my criticisms, I am still convinced that this is the best wing I’ve ever used. I can’t wait for my next session.