Review Details

Shinn Resurector V2 Wingfoil

Product Review (submitted on 26 November 2020):

This weekend just gone (Nov 20) Marc was kind enough to let me have a good demo session on the brand new Shinn Resurector.

As a keen kite foiler for several years I’ve been watching the development of wing foiling with great interest. This year I’ve had a little extra time to research winging in depth on the internet and eventually took the plunge and splashed out on some kit in August. I was lucky enough to get on a BKSA course shortly after where I got to look at and try a few different brands and models.
Most of my winging has been on Naish S25 gear, which is their second gen kit. Development is happening really quickly at the moment with most of the big kite manufacturers bringing out wings this year or planing to next season.

Shinn held back and obviously did some serious RnD before releasing their wing, and claim it is a ‘2nd gen’ wing and from what I saw, I agree. There are many features that are improvements over many earlier wings from many other manufacturers.

Handles. Many wingfoilers ofter complain a wing has too few or too many handles. I can see benefits of both styles. As a newbie the lighter, minimalist style with 3-4 handles definitely makes hand position an easy choice. As a rider progresses I can see the desire to have more options for hand positions for varied wind strengths and during gybes and tacks. However, too many handles can confuse when you first start out, you can be constantly questioning if you have your hands in the ‘best’ position or not. The Shinn has less than my Naish, but more than some of the other leading brands offerings, and I felt they had hit the nail on the head with a nice compromise. Also the inclusion of Y handles help during getting up and also they naturally fell to hand during transitions. Good work Mr Shinn! One slight negative was the first handle on the central strut felt quite tight, making getting my hand in a little difficult sometimes, a problem which may get worse when I need to start wearing gloves as winter gets upon us. Not a biggie though.

Windows. A lot of ‘first gen’ wings were windowless, much easier to manufacture, lighter and fold down small to pack away. But some wingers wanted to see what was around them as they sailed. The first gen Naish had no windows, my 2nd gen does have large windows and because of that, comes in a large tube bag rather than small rucksack style bag. This is due to the need not to fold or crush the window, which could be a slight problem or minor inconvenience whichever way you look at it. I still can’t decide if I could sail without windows or if I need a big window, but Shinn has hit middle ground again with small rectangular windows, which will give some visibility but are positioned and sized in a way that allows the wing to be folded down to fit in a small rucksack without creasing the window, another win for Shinn! Also worth considering is that the window material is softer than the main wing material, which may lead to stretch and bagging so a smaller area is preferable.

Wing size and shape. Catching a wing tip in the water is a problem, especially when learning, and the greater the wingspan the greater the problem. Shinn has reduced the risk of this by using a longer central strut, allowing for a narrower wingspan for each size wing. The large leading edge and strut give a really solid feel to the wing, keeping the canopy fairly taught compared to some other brands. I’m still not sure which design performs best in which conditions, a rigid non-flappy wing giving stable power or a softer flappy wing which will allow gusts to be spilt, giving a softer ride. The behaviour of the wing when flying in the neutral position, when surfing or during transitions will also be effected, but I’m still not sure. However, the Shinn did not disappoint with it’s handling characteristics during my session. I really enjoyed its solid powerful feel. The 5m Shinn felt easily as powerful as my larger 5.3 Naish and coped well with the gust conditions.

Other bits. Shinn have included a separate dump valve on the central strut which make packing away much easier than some brands. They also include a coiled wrist leash. I must admit I wasn’t a fan of the coil leash, I found it got in the way more than a standard straight leash. I do find that both the coil and the straight leash slide through your hands which can make retrieving the wing from the water can be a little tricky, but I’ve ordered a stretchy webbing wrist leash (more like a kite handle pass leash) which should make life easier when pulling the wing towards you. I think leash style will be a personal choice, and thankfully they are not overly expensive, if you do fancy a change.

Overall, I was really impressed with the Shinn wing. It felt powerful but easy going and I’m sure it would make a great first wing for anyone looking to get into the sport, but also not a wing that you would quickly out grow. The 5m is sort of equivalent to a 12m kite, i.e., ideal for your first season. Wings have a great wind range, easily de-powering if required, but as with kiting, as your skill levels increase then your ability to get out in more extreme (lower and higher) wind speeds will increase. Things are rapidly developing but I’m sure one or two wings will be enough for most wingfoilers, where some kiters have many kites in their quivers. Things may well change with different wings for different disciplines in the future, but for the next couple of seasons I’m sure one or two Shinns would be great for most wingers!

Thanks again to Marc for the demo.