2014 Bic SUPs?

[norcalhiker]

Anyone have details about changes for the 2014 Bic Ace-tec Wing? I heard from a somewhat unreliable source that there was no change beyond graphics. That they're making the board "sexier" but structurally it'll be the same.

Anyone know? Pics?

[Ichabod Spoonbill]

I was just looking at the Bic website. They've announced the new models. The new Wing is blue, white and red. It looks the same besides the graphics.

http://www.bicsup.com/products/ace-tec,3,101/12-6-wing-ltd,1152.html

There's also the Cross model that is a ten-footer with a flat water nose and a planing hull. It looks interesting. Might be a good all-around vacation board.

http://www.bicsup.com/products/ace-tec,3,101/10-0-cross-platinum,1150.html

[Ichabod Spoonbill]

Looks like the limited is $100 more than the standard Wing ($1,299), as per Amazon and a couple of other retailers.

[Fog City Rider]

I am anxious to demo one of these Wings.  Does it perform? 

I think the idea of a price point, highly durable touring board is a winner.  Especially one that is made in-house by Bic, and not at some shadow factory in China with inconsistent results. 

Would love to see a narrower "low volume" version come out, too.  Their race-tec pro shapes are $3K+!

[Ichabod Spoonbill]

Fog City, I'm with you on that! I don't know if you followed my misadventures last summer with Exocet, but man was that a disaster. As far as I'm concerned, the durable touring board is a pretty empty market.

[Fog City Rider]

Ichabod, indeed I did follow those sad misadventures.... what a bummer. 

I agree with you, it is an empty market.  I work at a shop & have searched far and wide for a price-point, durable touring board that performs well.  The Bic Wing seems to be the best bet out there, if it's as durable as it claims to be.
 

[RainWaves]

 I haven't put too much time on the demo Wing that I have up here, but the Ace-Tec construction is an evolution (lighter glassing) of the E-Comp boards with the same 1mm ASA skin. My kids have put a 10'6" version through the ringer over the past few Summers, and it has held up better than anything else I have. Many scratches and dents that would have been a puncture in a Naish (AST or Carbon), and major damage in one of the SIC boards (love them, but "oh so thin" ).
 I was finally able to put a slice in it (not intentionally!) when off-loading the board from my boat at a beach, and it fell on edge from a "standing on tail position" and hit a blade of the big, stainless propeller on my outboard motor. Nice gash that cut through the skin and glass layers, into the foam. Great, durable boards, but not idiot-proof  .

[Ichabod Spoonbill]

RainWaves, that's quite a gash. Nasty. I guess nothing's indestructible.  I've been talking to Corran about a board of this style. He has one, the Lightning, but it's over $2K. A little out of my price range.

I got some additional information on the Wing from Bic. The Wing Ltd. does have all the same tie-holds that the standard Wing has even though that's not apparent in the pictures. It also will qualify for the one-design class.

Fog City, here are a couple of good reviews of the Wing:

http://tezplavenieks.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/bic-review-tez.pdf

http://distressedmullet.com/gear-review-bic-ace-tec-wing

The Mullet actually did race it, so check that out.

[Fog City Rider]

Excellent reviews - thanks Mr. Spoonbill.

[RomaniaSUP]

Just spent the past weekend racing one in the Paddle Royal. I didn't have time to do the Worlds however I have raced in 3 Bic Wing 1 design races here in Florida. Great touring board and a decent race board. Definitely not as fast as my 18 pound carbon starboard but it's not meant to be a fast race board. For 1 design racing it's perfect- plenty of stability and volume for newer riders and you can really stomp on the tail as it has a lot of volume back there for buoy turns. It's shell is very tough, I've seen them beat to death at one of my local shops. The shop uses them for flat water tours. That durability unfortunately also adds a lot of weight. I'm relatively small at 160 LBS and powering this high volume board upwind at over 30 knots in Puerto Rico was a challenge but doable. With their amount of volume they can carry a ton of gear so if your looking for a touring board this may be the ticket. Here's some pics from the distance race on Saturday.
 

[Ichabod Spoonbill]

Romania, thanks for the review. Very informative. How is the board in chop?

[RomaniaSUP]

Very good. It doesn't get tossed around like some of the lighter carbon boards can when your not paying attention. With the volume, weight and width it's very stable. I was one of the very few racers that never fell into the water. When going into the chop I have to walk really far forward, almost up the edge of the deckpad to get the board trim correct. Haven't played with it enough on downwinders to comment on the trim there. I did surf it down the face of 1 wave and it seemed to hold it's line like most of the displacement boards do. If I was going to buy a touring board, this is probably the board I would get just because of it's mixed use in the one design races as well.

[raf]

I don't carry Bic any more, but I'd still recommend this board over almost any other rigid board to a customer looking for a "durable touring SUP" (Ichabod durable at that).  Some of the better, racing style inflatables are competitive with this.

[AirJunky]

As far as I'm concerned, the durable touring board is a pretty empty market.

Wow. I've only been doing SUP for about 4 yrs, but after all the dinged, waterlogged & sun damaged boards I've seen, I thought this was an interesting comment.
I tested a 12' Wing last summer & loved it. I decided I wanted a Wing & an inflatable so sold off both my foam epoxy boards & picked up a LakeShore Isup to start off. I didn't have the cash to buy a Wing too but a neighbor of mine did. I've been on it a number of times since. Both boards are tough enough that you can leave them out, uncovered in the sun, accidentally knock them on the truck rack or the gate going into the beach without any issues or the board taking on any water. At 34 lbs, we found them to be about average weight. The 12'6" length made it seem like a pretty fast board & 30" width was plenty to keep my 230 lb ass afloat. It crashed boat wakes easily & was as stable a ride as the other touring boards I've paddled (LakeShore, Tahoe, & Starboard).
Plus the company is pushing the sport by sponsoring events across the country. I suspect they will find anything but an empty market. Anyone who has kids, doesn't want to hassle with SUP covers, or is tired of repairing their foam epoxy boards will love these things.