What we talk about
- How Frank ended up on the Axis stand at AWSI
- Building race boards for the Axis team in three weeks before the Maui races
- Two or three years of trial and error, from a long skinny prone board to his current downwind shape
- Rocker, tails and bottom shapes, and why there is no flat section on his boards
- Production boards coming in 2025, shorter than his customs at around 8 foot 2 to 8 foot 6, and why Europe needs different sizes
- Board stiffness and glass versus carbon, and why FoilDrive makes stiffness matter even more
- Frank's plans for prone, mid length and parawing boards this winter
- Room 101 and the argument over adjustable foil mounts
About this episode
Frank’s boards have had people murmuring and whatsapping naughty photos back and forth for a while now. We were lucky enough to see them in the flesh in Hood River…our man Luke wouldn't shut up about getting hold of one. Liam managed to have a good chat with him in the states on the AXIS stand at AWSI.
Surprisingly, stood in front of a couple of Frank made boards with full red Axis livery and logos, when asked what the deal is between Frank and Adrian (Axis), they both laughed and replied with “we don’t know yet, that’s what we are here to find out”. So, we were very happy to sit down and learn more now that we’re a few weeks on and an agreement seems to have come to fruition .
Italian born, Maui based. Working for Quattro and his neighbour Mark Raphorst has given this ex kitesurfer a massive amount of experience to begin experimenting with his downwind board designs.
His downwind shape design is the main point of conversation, but we do delve into his parawinging thoughts, midlength and his prone shapes too.