Student waves ahead as new surfboard design is mastered

An international student at the University of Wolverhampton has been recognised for designing a bespoke surfboard to enhance surfing performance.

In partnership with ESTIA (Ecole Superieure Des Technologies Industrielles Avancees), Adrien Fat Cheung, who studies MSc Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wolverhampton has designed a unique surfboard for a sport manufacturing company in France.

During a six-month internship with Lilas, as part of his studies at the University, Adrien designed the ‘Kiwi Wing Foil’ surfboard to enable surfers to be ahead of the game and float above the water and not on the water.

Lilas’ main product is a foil fin for surfboard called ‘Allure’ made of carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP). Lilas welcomed Adrien’s expertise and allowed him to work on their new innovative product.

The ‘Kiwi Wing Foil’ surfboard is a novel design, a combination of a wing surfer, which is similar to a small kite, and a short surfboard that is bolted to a wing foil.

The wing foils are made up of four parts, the mast, fuselage, front wing, and rear stabilizer. The fuselage is generally between 60 cm and 90 cm long—the shorter the fuselage, the better the handle manoeuvring during surfing.

Bending in a surfboard plays a vital role in surfing performance; the principal comes from the board bending, or flexing, into the shape of the wave with the force put down on it, and how it bends back into original shape. It stores up all that energy and releases it, projecting the surfer forward. This causes build-up energy in the board as it is bending out of its natural shape.

Adrien’s research paper has been published in the Journal of Composite Science, marking a key milestone early in his career.