Based on the success of COBRA’s Windsurfer LT board, that has reinvigorated the sport of windsurfing, Paul Bunyaratavej, National Head Coach of Thailand’s SUP Team, contacted Bruce Wylie, Watersports CCO, COBRA to develop a one design race board that would provide top class racing with a completely level playing field. By ensuring that every one of the new 12’6” Shadow boards are identical, races will be determined by the fitness and skill of the paddlers and not by any technological equipment advantage.

 

Working alongside Paul and the Thailand Surfing Federation, COBRA presented two initial prototypes derived from existing SUP shapes that combine speed and stability whilst still being relatively easy to ride. On the water testing and customer feedback allowed Bruce and the COBRA design team to finalise the new shape Shadow board and prepare for production. The key drivers for the Shadow project were that the new boards must be identical, cost effective and that boards can be uniquely identified and controlled as one-design race boards.

 

COBRA have optimized the construction of the Shadow boards using their proprietary Thermoformed Technology that uses a durable ABS shell over a foamed epoxy laminated EPS foam core to create a lightweight yet tough and long-lasting SUP board.

 

The One-Design board concept means many years of no design changes for the Shadow class. This feature helps drive down costs as production and manufacturing design can be optimised around high and long-lasting volumes. Together with the durability of the boards means owners do not need to change the board often, the second-hand market will eventually start to flourish, further reducing the cost of entry for new racers.

 

To ensure all the boards are completely traceable, COBRA has incorporated an RFID tag into each board. This tag can be scanned with a mobile device, confirming the authenticity of the one-design board, and storing details such as the boards serial number, production date and original owner.