For whom?
You are looking for a high performance and hassle-free board, the HIPE Pro meets these specifications perfectly.
You must have a sufficient level:
- Either you have a windsurfing background, it helps a lot to handle the wing.
- Either you know how to fly a foil.
- Either you already have a significant number of flight hours on a wing foil.
- Either you are athletic.
In the big sizes, it is easy, but if you take a volume close to your weight, kneeling in the chop with thin tips will not be as easy as on a longer board or on a classic HIPE with its wide and comfortable tail.
So you have to be in good physical condition to be lively and have enough energy. And/or take a generous volume.
What for?
The HIPE Pro is the ultimate board to progress without complicating your life, it covers all programs, light wind, freeride, freestyle and waveriding. Brilliant in freeride, easy in surfing and perfect in tricks, it is limitless.
Its dynamic characteristics allow you to dare everything on the water. On land, it inflates and is stored away within a few minutes and there is no risk of shocks. This is the perfect board for traveling!
In wing, it is great for boosting your level. It’s the top level for performance in transitions, speed, heading, curves, surfing and tricks.
Which size ?
The HIPE Pro is a high performance wing board. But by playing on the volumes, you can adapt it to your needs:
Beginner
You should have enough volume to float, around your weight + 40 = volume.
- Example: I weigh 80kg + 40 = L to float. Which means that with 120L and more I will be good.
Comfort
Have enough volume to float, around your weight + 15 = volume.
- Example: I weigh 80kg + 15 = 95L to float. Which means that with 95L and more I will be easy, provided you have a good level in wing.
Sporty
You can also subliter it because the HIPE Pro is wide enough to be stable. So if you have a great level and want maximum responsiveness, you can switch to negative volumes.
Until your weight = volume you can go on your knees by leaning on the wing on the water.
- Example: I weigh 80kg = 80L to slightly under-liter. Which means that with 80L my board will sink slightly when stopped and I should be precise and sporty at each start.
A small table that sums it all up :
Understanding the GONG range?
The concept of each board of the range can be summed up very simply:
- HIPE First: the perfect inflatable board to learn wing foiling!
- HIPE Free Fly: the best of strapless on an inflatable foil board.
- HIPE Perf: the inflatable foil board with 95% of the performance of a rigid board, in an easy and scalable shape.
- HIPE Cruzader Strapless: the strapless inflatable board with 95% of the performance of a rigid board with an ultra specialized shape, ideal for light wind winging and chilled out SUP foiling.
- HIPE Cruzader strapped : the inflatable board with 95% of the performance of a rigid board with an ultra specialized shape, for the highest performance in light wind winging.
- HIPE Pro: the inflatable board with 95% of the performance of a rigid one with a shape dedicated to advanced foilers who want fluidity and maximum responsiveness!
- Mob 2taste: three sports in one board: SUP, SUP foiling and wing foiling.
- Zuma: the easy rigid board for SUP foiling and wing foiling, and with good performance.
- Lance: the compact Zuma, with great lateral stability, ideal for beginnings in wing foiling.
- Cruzader: fantastic in SUP downwinders, pumping on the flat, but also in light wind conditions in wing foiling.
- Flint: high performance in SUP foiling, great in wing foiling because it is simple and efficient in light wind.
- Kube: pure freestyle board. Minimum length for maximum rotation.
- Mint: compact without being too technical thanks to a perfect length and its round nose. Great performance in strapless too.
- Lemon: maximum reactivity and liveliness, while maintaining stability.
- Lethal: Absolute radicality among volume boards
Some will go for even more extreme with low volume boards like:
Which quiver partner?
The HIPE Pro is truly the performance inflatable foil board. So it will take a very large place in your sessions and a very small one in your quiver.
You can of course complete it with a range of Stand Up Paddleboards without foil. And surfboards for days when the waves are unsuitable for foiling.
Which foil wings in Wing Foiling?
To learn and progress:
In the X-Over range: super easy and efficient foils from low speeds to progress smoothly:
- M for riders under 65kg and all wind speeds.
- L for riders under 75kg and wind under 35 knots.
- XL for riders under 85kg and wind under 25 knots.
- XXL for riders over 85kg and wind under 15 knots.
For more experienced riders:
In the Curve range: wings that love to draw pretty lines, with a smooth and eaaaaasy glide:
- S for those under 75kg or heavier riders in winds above 20 knots.
- M for those under 85kg or heavier riders in winds above 15 knots.
- L for everyone and heavier riders in winds above 12 knots.
- XL for everyone in light conditions and the heavier riders in winds below 20 knots.
- XXL for everyone in very light wind and the heavier riders in winds below 12 knots.
In the Fluid range: wings for a radical drive but easy and relatively fast:
- S for those under 75kg or heavier riders in winds above 20 knots.
- M for those under 85kg or heavier riders in winds above 15 knots.
- L for everyone and heavier riders in winds above 12 knots.
- XL for everyone in light conditions and the heavier riders in winds below 20 knots.
- XXL for everyone in very light wind and the heavier riders in winds below 12 knots.
In the Veloce range: fast wings that love curves, and still are easy at low speed:
- S for those under 75kg or heavier riders in winds above 20 knots.
- M for those under 85kg or heavier riders in winds above 15 knots.
- L for everyone and heavier riders in winds above 12 knots.
- XL for everyone in light conditions and the heavier riders in winds below 20 knots.
- XXL for everyone in very light wind and the heavier riders in winds below 12 knots.
In the Sirus range: wings with the ultimate aspect ratio to fly before everyone else in marginal conditions:
- L for those under 75kg in winds under 12 knots.
- XL for those under 85kg in winds under 8/10 knots or the heavier riders in winds under 15 knots.
- XXL for those under 95kg in winds under 6/8 knots or the bigger riders in winds less than 12 knots.
- 3XL for everyone in the very light wind and the bigger riders in winds under 10 knots.
For the pros:
The Curve H, Fluid H, Veloce H, Ypra or Ypra S ranges are very high performance and fast wings: remember that the H versions offer an insane glide for each of their specific use. The Ypra wings for instance are simply the wings of our pro team on the World Tour.
In the Curve H range: wings with a crazy glide that love to draw pretty lines, with a smooth and eaaaaasy glide:
- S for those under 75kg or heavier riders in winds above 20 knots.
- M for those under 85kg or heavier riders in winds above 15 knots.
- L for everyone and heavier riders in winds above 12 knots.
- XL for everyone in light conditions and the heavier riders in winds below 20 knots.
- XXL for everyone in very light wind and the heavier riders in winds below 12 knots.
In the Fluid H range: wings with a crazy glide for a radical drive but easy and relatively fast:
- S for those under 75kg or heavier riders in winds above 20 knots.
- M for those under 85kg or heavier riders in winds above 15 knots.
- L for everyone and heavier riders in winds above 12 knots.
- XL for everyone in light conditions and the heavier riders in winds below 20 knots.
- XXL for everyone in very light wind and the heavier riders in winds below 12 knots.
In the Veloce H range: fast wings with a crazy glide that love curves, and still are easy at low speed:
- S for those under 75kg or heavier riders in winds above 20 knots.
- M for those under 85kg or heavier riders in winds above 15 knots.
- L for everyone and heavier riders in winds above 12 knots.
- XL for everyone in light conditions and the heavier riders in winds below 20 knots.
- XXL for everyone in very light wind and the heavier riders in winds below 12 knots.
In the Ypra range: the racing wings par excellence intended to sail upwind and downwind, typically on a square or triangle racing course:
- XS for those under 55kg or the heavier riders in winds above 20 knots.
- S for those under 65kg or the heavier riders in winds above 20 knots.
- M for those under 75kg or the heavier riders in winds above 15 knots.
- L for everyone and the heavier riders in winds above 12 knots.
- XL for everyone in the light and the heavier riders in winds below 20 knots.
In the Ypra S range for Slalom : racing wings with maximum curves / jibes, also great for Freestyle:
- XS for those under 55kg or the heavier riders in winds above 20 knots.
- S for those under 65kg or the heavier riders in winds above 20 knots.
- M for those under 75kg or the heavier riders in winds above 15 knots.
- L for everyone and the heavier riders in winds above 12 knots.
- XL for everyone in the light and the heavier riders in winds below 20 knots.
In the Sirus range: wings with the ultimate aspect ratio for marginal conditions:
- L for those under 75kg in winds under 12 knots.
- XL for those under 85kg in winds under 8/10 knots or the heavier riders in winds under 15 knots.
- XXL for those under 95kg in winds under 6/8 knots or the bigger riders in winds less than 12 knots.
- 3XL for everyone in the very light wind and the bigger riders in winds under 10 knots.
At this level, everyone can adapt their equipment to their needs. Just remember that the wingspan is a point to take into consideration when riding high aspect ratios. The glide is fabulous, but be careful not to sacrifice maneuverability and rail-to-rail precision by using large sizes if you are looking for a very reactive drive. This is why even the pros do not necessarily ride in high aspect ratios!
The size of the front wing and in particular its surface and its volume condition the speed/lift ratio. The smaller the wing, the faster you will go but the more uncomfortable you will be at low speeds. The bigger the wing, the earlier you will fly but you’ll be penalized in handling and top speed.
Which Stab?
The stabs have a major role. They determine the stability of the foil and help with its lift, but to the detriment of the maximum speed of the foil and its maneuverability if they are too large. The role of the stabilizer is to stabilize the foil but also to compensate for the natural tendency of the front wing to dive. So you must have a good balance of surfaces between your stab and your front wing. A 38 cm stab with an XXL wing will give a catastrophic result at high speed: the foil will dive at high speed because the stab will no longer be able to lift enough to counteract the nosediving torque of the front wing.
Remember that the stab must be proportional to the front wing. This is why we have named them S M L XL like the front wings so that you can pair them easily. Creating an imbalance brings no benefit except the illusion of better glide.
Thus the X-Over stabs are slower than the Fluid or Veloce stabs, but are much more lifty, and therefore effective at low speed or with a large front wing (for beginners for example). The Curve stab is at the border of these two worlds and the Freestyle stab is 100% dedicated to radical moves.
In the X-Over range: super easy and effective stabs from low speeds to progress smoothly:
- L 44 for those under 75kg and for everyone in winds above 15 knots.
- XL 48 for those over 75kg and for everyone in winds below 20 knots.
In the Curve range: very simple stabs that love beautiful curves, with a stable and smooth glide:
- S 36 for those under 65kg and for everyone in winds over 25 knots.
- M 39 for those under 75kg and for everyone in winds over 20 knots.
- L 43 for those under 85kg and for everyone in winds above 15 knots.
- XL 46 for those over 95kg and for everyone in winds of less than 20 knots.
In the Fluid H range: stabs with a crazy glide for a radical drive but easy and relatively fast:
- S 38 for those under 65kg and for everyone in winds over 25 knots.
- M 42 for those under 75kg and for everyone in winds above 18 knots.
- L 45 for those under 85kg and for everyone in winds above 12 knots.
- XL 47 for those over 95kg and for everyone in winds below 20 knots.
- XXL 49 for everyone in very light winds and bigger people in winds below 12 knots.
In the Veloce H range: the fast stabs dedicated to high speeds which are off your mind when riding:
- S 36 for those under 65kg and for everyone in winds over 25 knots.
- M 40 for those under 75kg and for everyone in winds above 20 knots.
- L 44 for those under 85kg and for everyone in winds above 15 knots.
- XL 47 for those over 95kg and for everyone in winds below 20 knots.
In the Freestyle range: stabs totally dedicated to tricks with a psycho pop and tight curves:
- S 39 for those under 65kg and for everyone in winds over 25 knots.
- M 41 for those under 75kg and for everyone in winds over 20 knots.
- L 44 for those under 85kg and for everyone in winds above 15 knots.
- XL 46 for those over 95kg and for everyone in winds of less than 20 knots.
Which foil mast?
During your first sessions, you can reassure yourself with a short mast (65cm). Falls on the first flights will be less impressive. But apart from when launching, you will have everything to gain with a long mast (85cm and more).
More length = more headroom = easier = more efficient.
In choppy water, in transitions, in sluggish waters, a large mast will be ten times more pleasant. It will save you from touchdowns and give you the necessary height margin in all your actions.
Of course the must is the HM mast in 85cm, or in 92cm for a race use. Absolutely magical. However the 85cm or 95cm aluminum masts are great too.
We recommend 85cm in freestyle and wave riding, and a longer mast in freeride and race for comfort.
In summary, for waves and freestyle, but also for beginners and progressing, an 85 mast (V2 or HM depending on your budget) is ideal. Simple to enter the water with, easy to switch from one rail to another, it’s perfect.
A mast of 90 cm or more is rather dedicated to Race because it offers more margin at high speed, namely in choppy conditions. However the maneuverability won’t be as good. Find all our masts : here.
Foil Positioning?
For GONG foils, place the plate in the center of the US rail box. The further you move it forward, the more it raises the board.
The further you move it backwards, the more the nose of the board pearls.
Be careful not to move it too far forward. We often tend not to let the back foot work enough, especially when we come from kite foiling. However, moving the foil back a little, forces more weight on the back foot and gives a more harmonious attitude and reduces efforts.
Which Leash?
Take a 6′ of 7mm minimum diameter.
Check its condition before each session and change it every year. It’s your life jacket.
Strap or Strapless? 2 or 3 straps?
When using the HIPE Pro with a wing
Riding strapless is sexy because it makes you feel free. But quite honestly, it’s not the best for performance…
So, it’s up to you to see if sensation prevails over performance. On a HIPE, we’re clearly going to miss a big part of its potential without straps.
With straps, you’ll have much more control and much less risk of the foil flipping over under your feet. When you are getting into wing foiling, the V front straps are an essential benchmark to position your feet properly. You save a lot of time.
In the waves, it’s obvious, you gain a lot with straps, including the rear strap. You can recover from crazy situations just by pulling up on your feet. And what to say in the tricks: the catalog is multiplied tenfold with the straps. All jumps are possible, and the cushioning of the inflatable is magic for the knees ?
Take your first steps with just the V front straps. You can mount the rear strap because it will make a good mark to wedge your foot just in front, and a good grip. But don’t put it on at first. Once you are comfortable in flight, remember to move the foil back 2cm to get used to the rear strap.
Good to know:
Never leave your board in the sun, even less an inflatable board, and even less a black carbon plate that will heat up very quickly. You might see it peeling off!!!
Don’t screw further than the bottom of the box, otherwise you’ll get into the skin of the inflatable. We deliver US squares with no opening, but be careful.
Never let your foil board get mistreated in the waves, especially close to the shore. You must protect it from major forces. A wave that carries your board away and rolls it away can do a lot of damages.
Matthieu –
I am very happy with the HiPE Pro 5.1 that I won with the golden ticket! Thanks again, team GONG!
My first impressions:
I have always winged the HiPE 5.5 V1 right from its introduction in 2021. I was always happy with the generous volume of 145L. I could have a dance party on it because it was so big and forgiving. Very easy to climb on and to stand in a second and stay standing when the wind was gone.
The 95L Pro has a lot less volume, especially regarding my 90kgs. Climbing on was still easy, I only had to watch not to bury the nose underneath the water surface. Leaning on the wave handle of my wing was a good help.
Then quickly lifting the wing and getting some air into it, I could almost stand right away. So it is a little more difficult but no problem at all.
Taking off is a little easier because the board is smaller and therefore easier to rock during take off pumping. I got the impression that the old board “sucked” more to the water before coming loose, the new board has less waterline surface and a Lethal shaped aft, which sheds water better I guess.
The board is a little lighter, shorter and smaller so the swing weight is less and therefore easier to control! Both in steering as in keeping the right height above the water (roll and pitch). The pumping during flying is also easier. The width is less, the rail did not catch the surface while leaning in, high into the wind.
The three innovations which I jealously saw coming by in previous years were a big plus: the carrying hole in the carbon plate, the quick mounting of the mast in the board with the pre-mounted bolts and the adding of the aft footstrap. One innovation I did not notice before is the rocker in the bow. I used a mast shim in my old board to keep the bow from the waves but this is not necessary anymore :slightly_smiling_face:
So I am very happy with the upgrade I did not think was so necessary before! I can only repeat the advice: after a beginner-board, go smaller!
I wish you all great sessions at GONG!
Happy Days from Matthieu in the Netherlands
Alessio –
First day out with the Hipe Pro 4.8, 80 liters. 5.0sqm wing, 16-20 knots. FOIL ALLVATOR STAB X-OVER – 42 cm, ALLVATOR FRONT WING X-OVER – XL, carbon mast 70 cm. Stepping down from lance 120 liters.
It’s a hard transition. At the beginning I could barely kneel on the board and it took me a good half hour to get some decent equilibrium. Once I managed to get on the board without falling, it took me a bit to find my stance and fly. But once I started to fly, what a difference! Light, manouverable, fast. Quick to get on the foil once the gust arrived, easy to pump when on the foil and missing some push from the wind.
It’s going to be a steep learning curve: I could only fly 4-5 times in a bit more than 1 hr in the water (usually I would fly non stop), but it’s gonna be fun to learn. Being able to fold the board post use is, for me, fantastic. Now I can think to travel with wife, dog and all my wing gear in the same car!
Edward –
I have a Lethal 5’6 but have recently started using my HiPE 5’3 Pro and I have to say the foil box in it is genius with the double entry holes allowing for a quick fix. It’s dramatically reduced setup time and the board is great too. Cheers Gong team 👍👍
mdu –
Retour sur la Hipe PRO 4’8 (80L) VS Hipe classique 4’11 (70L)
Personnellement j’avais un doute concernant le volume et surtout en voyant le shape de la planche. Toute mini à côté de sa soeur ahah
La PRO est plus compacte mais plus épaisse.
Conditions du weekend :
6-13/14noeuds dans les rafales au plus fort. Le vent se fait très timide en ce moment…
Mer plate voir parfois d’huile …
Gabarit : 1m70 65kg
En terme d’équilibre, l’épaisseur sur les rails et nose en fait une planche hyper stable et facile. Quand il n’y avait pas assez de vent pour faire flotter l’aile en l’air, je pouvais rester debout sans problème. Avec la Hipe classique en 4’11, pas de souci non plus pour l’équilibre, très facilité par le tail plus carré, donc je peux me permettre de baisser en volume, en revanche, quand je suis debout, les pieds sont mouillés alors qu’avec la Hipe Pro, ils sont tout secs.
Le fait d’être plus haut sur l’eau, fait qu’elle glisse un chouille mieux et donc on part au planning plus facilement grâce à un petit gain de glisse.
Attention, le plan d’eau était trèèèès plat. J’attend des conditions avec de la houle pour vous en faire un retour, même si j’en ai ma petite idée.
Straps bien placés. Aussi confort que dans des chaussons !
Aucun bémol pour ma part pour le moment. Compacte, sans en avoir les inconvénients.
Un vrai petit jouet passe partout 😀
FantoSlate ER –
Je suis de retour d’une destination paradisiaque , tant par son peuple que par les paysages , et également pour les sports nautiques qui glissent sur dérives ou foil 😉
Bref, j’ai décidé de partir en Hipe Pro 5’1 95 litres pour ne pas abîmer en vol ma lethal 2023 4’10à laquelle je tiens beaucoup…
Cette hipe pro est topissime pour voyager !
D’une part , elle est vendue avec un gros de sac de qualité à roulettes , dans lequel j’ai mis :
5’5 neutra et son sac
Foil HM 70 cm
Fuselage + stab fluid 42 et mes 2 Ypra S en L et XL
LA planche
2 paires de palmes ,
2 sacs à dos
impact vest, casque
harnais souple, 2 leashs
Lycra
Chaussons de reef
Une pompe
Accessoires , vis et casquettes UV
Bref, truc de fou cette housse !
Sur le spot, la planche se gonfle très rapidement, et le système SCS est topissime également pour y glisser rapidement le foil dans le boitier .
Sur l’eau, ça a été le gavage , tellement à 20 psi c’est rigide et performant. Les tacks , les sauts , les phases de surf sont identiques à une rigide, le ressenti est très bon.
En toute honnêteté, j’aurais pû la vendre 3 ou 4 fois pendant mon séjour cette Hype pro, les gars l’ont trouvé très sexy et elle donne envie d’être sous ses pieds .
Le pumping est efficace avec l’effet de rebond maitrisé et la phase de vol est très proche d’une rigide , même dans les vagues, que du bon donc ….
Voilà, d’autres report au mien sont similaires je pense , et cette planche est une réussite , voyage ou pas voyage .. d’ailleurs 🙂
Frédéric –
La Hipe Pro 2023 est top pour voyager évidemment (gain de place – pas de risque de l’abîmer – pas de supplément bagage) Elle est super belle, se gonfle en 2s et hyper solide. Elle fait 95% du taf d’une rigide. Nb je l’ai trouvé beaucoup plus facile que ma Lethal habituelle 10L de moins 5cm de largeur en moins et moins longue aussi… bref ça le fait grave même en planche unique (hors voyage) c’est du plug and play les straps et le pad sont les mêmes sur la gamme rigide. La plaque carbone en dessous transmet parfaitement les informations des pieds au foil et pour un prix dingue vs une rigide. Si vous hésitez, foncez y’a pas de loup elle marche+++
Gwen –
Toujours content de lire vos retours sur le matériel, je vous livre à mon tour mes impressions suite aux premières navigations sur la Hipe Pro 4.8.
J’ai démarré la wing sur une hipe V2 5.3. 65 kg, niveau très modeste, 80 % des jibes passent, les tacks je ne sais pas, pas encore trop essayé !?
Première impression : la board paraît minuscule ! D’où une première session réalisée tres vite, sans attendre de vent, pour valider que je tiens debout : alors oui, c’est plus dur de monter sur la planche puis de se mettre debout, mais ça le fait très très vite: ce n’est en rien un point bloquant. Les sessions suivantes, avec du vent: le clapot perturbe plus que sur la 5.3, changement assez net mais pas du tout insurmontable.
En vol, c’est genial! la plus grosse différence : l’absence d’inertie Avant/Arrière grâce à son format court. On rattrape finalement plus facilement ses erreurs puisqu’il y a moins de poids à recadrer. L’impression également d’avoir une plume sous les pieds. Ça facilite grandement les transitions, alors que l’on aurait pu penser qu’une planche moins volumineuse soit plus difficile. Le décollage est plus rapide qu’avec ma 5.3 : c’est étonnant, peut être le poids moins lourd ou le tail plus rond? En tout cas, décollage très facile.
Attention! Gros point de vigilance lors de la mise à l’eau : le tail étant justement plus rond, la planche est beaucoup moins stable quand elle est sur le dos, le temps de marcher pour trouver assez de profondeur. C’est une différence énorme, il faut faire attention à la stabiliser pour éviter de crever sa wing!
En résumé : toujours fan du concept gonflable, la hipe 4.8 pro est très agréable, réactive, hyper compacte. Très satisfait de cette évolution ! Merci l’équipe Gong !
Lilian –
Cette année je me suis équipé avec la hipe pro 4.6, (belle évolution du design par rapport à ce que j’avais pu essayer)
Surpris par la rigidité, c’est assez semblable au rigide.
J’ai découvert le système SCS, un vrai gros plus.
Après les réceptions de saut on ressent un très bon pop, très utile pour le redécollage par rapport à une planche rigide.
Le sac de transport pour ranger son foil avec les emplacements dédiés sont tops, très pratique.
Les straps dédiés sont très agréables et dédiés.