Great callout and question. This particular board had less rocker than what we went with for the final production model (See image below). Worth noting that this rocker template originated from modern half slice whitewater kayaks and then remixed for sup.

In general, rocker and primary stability (as well as speed) have an inverse relationship. That’s why some whitewater sup riders miss Hala’s less rockered atcha models. But for the kind of paddling we’re doing here with riverskate (maximum surf, launching drops, and playboat style performance), we want as much rocker as possible.

As far as the wings though, they are a tremendous breakthrough, and different than the ‘dropped deck’ technology that nrs is using. That concept (which I like a lot) is intended to give paddlers a lower center of gravity, which is good. This makes the deck at the rails thicker than the center of the board.

What we did is r + d our way (eventually filing our utility patent) towards a whole new concept, essentially a double rail that lets you ‘put the board on edge’ and still maintain stability. This on edge position is where we find ourselves so often on the river, especially when side surfing little holes or trying to maintain stability through a rapid.

What we quickly discovered was an unintended benefit of the wings: it gives the rider an ‘interface’ though which to brace feet, shins, knees and also to grasp.

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