B O A T I N S I D E R
WAVE SPORT
PROJECT
NOUN OR VERB, THE PROJECT WILL REDEFINE WAVE PLAY
Bigger wave moves are projected. PHOTO: BEN MARR // PADDLER: DAVID NIEUWENHUIS
THERE WAS A TIME, not so long ago, when every new boat design created a buzz: “It looks so radical! What’s it going to do?” After a dozen or so radical designs, new boats stopped generating the same buzz when they appeared in eddy lines. Wave Sport’s new Project harkens back to the old
days in this respect. Prototypes started showing up on the Ottawa River late last summer. When we got our hands on one of the first production models of the Project 52 last fall, the locals at the Garburator were clambering over each other to give it a ride. At 6’1”, 25” wide and 52 gallons, the Project 52 is a
true spud boat designed to replace the Transformer line. It’s small, fast, hops aggressively on big fea- tures, and can be absolutely pitched around. It jumps off the water thanks to an extremely sharp rocker break that marks a new step forward in bounce hulls. Combine this with a razor-like bow edge under your heels, and the Project drives across a wave with au- thority to set you up to explode into the air. Test pad- dlers blasted their biggest moves ever on a first ride. We had to defuse a few tense moments as hopefuls fought for who got it next. It was clear after only a few rides that a new rung has been added to the top of the aerial ladder. The Project is not for the meek, and performs for
those who know what they are doing. It needs to be driven from the heel edge and the rocker break continuously sends it airborne, with each hop move creating more momentum for the next one.
46
We had to defuse a few tense moments when hopeful test paddlers fought with each other to see who got the next ride
On smaller features the Project is less remarkable.
Its small size makes shredding smaller waves fun, but the boat moves so fast traditional moves like cartwheels become speed wheels and flat spins are now bounce spins. Its smooth lines mean it has a less decisive pop in a hole. One design quirk is a difference in the rocker
breaks of the bow and stern. The stern line is gen- tler, so while the boat launches rambunctiously while frontward, back surfing is tamer. Wave Sport design- er Robert Peerson says the lower rocker in the stern makes the Project faster by maximizing the total surface area of the hull when planning. It’s probably a reasonable concession, since the Project is sur- prisingly fast for its size and, as Peerson says, “Boat design is a play on compromises.” Frills include the much-heralded Wave Sport F.A.T. outfitting, but the defining performance characteris- tic of the Project is it’s big-wave air ability. Speaking of definitions, Oxford lists two for “proj-
ect,” 1. noun, an undertaking, a carefully planned activity. 2. verb: to throw, cast, impel. Whatever part of speech was intended, it’s a well-
chosen handle for this carefully designed launching pad. —Jeff Jackson
Project 45
Volume ................. 45 gal Length ................. 5’11” Width ................... 24.5” Weight Range ...... 80–140 lbs
Project 52
Volume ................. 52 gal Length ................. 6’1” Width ................... 25” Weight Range ...... 130–190 lbs
Project 62
Volume ................. 62 gal Length ................. 6’4” Width ................... 25.75” Weight Range ...... 180–240 lbs
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