The Road to TOPSPIN

Today we’re talking about the TOPSPIN. The people’s favourite boom wing. Fun fact: the TOPSPIN is likely the ENSIS product with the most development hours and iterations under its belt (we’ll get to why in a moment). It’s also one of our favourite projects. The new TOPSPIN V2 is almost a complete remodel compared to its first edition.

The first TOPSPIN

The original TOPSPIN started with a simple brief: Balz wanted a boom wing. I like to imagine him storming into the office, holding up a Venn diagram of a windsurfing sail colliding with an inflatable wing.

Back then, soft handles were the standard, the backflip was blowing minds, and wing design was in a rapid-growth phase. A couple of boom-wing attempts had already hit the market, but they didn’t stick, performance just wasn’t there. Still, the requests for an ENSIS boom wing kept coming. (Honestly, half of them were probably from Balz and Michi.)

Fun side note: you could attach a windsurf boom to our first wings. Yes, really. That was… an idea. You can see that piece of history here if you want a laugh.

Two big challenges stood in the way. First, making sure a boom wing could still have the same lively, loved feel as our other wings. Second, the attachment system. Riders were also asking for rigid handles, which helped guide our direction. That led to the Click Fix system, a connection that is extremely reliable, responsive, and direct.

Then came the question of the boom itself, its shape, and its feel. We tested everything: strutless, with strut, different boom distances from the strut, and various grip widths. Prototype after prototype, we watched how each tweak affected handling and performance. Some booms felt like holding a broomstick, others like steering a garden hose, and neither was quite right. Some worked, some did not, and some now live in the “museum of amusing prototypes” complete with duct tape and questionable colour choices.

Once we locked in the boom, we moved on to the wing’s personality. The first TOPSPIN was built for freestyle; powerful, direct, and responsive, with colours to match the creativity of the riding style. Pink was back in fashion. The V2 would have a lot to live up to.

The TOPSPIN V2

Wing development never really stops. The TOPSPIN V2 actually started life as an idea for a TOPSPIN Pro Model. We tested prototypes in HOOKIPA and ALUULA, but they didn’t feel like the Pro Model we envisioned. That led us to explore DYNEEMA, a fabric full of potential but in need of serious R&D.

This is where Patrick, the designer on the project, went deep. And by deep, I mean teaming up with a software developer to fine-tune a program for wing design and production. The new tools opened doors we hadn’t walked through before.

Patrick’s brief was to improve the TOPSPIN’s handling and usability without losing its fun, freestyle heart. The result? The ultimate freeride boom wing. The TOPSPIN V2 had Patricks meticulous attention to detail, tight canopy, quick and direct handling, and power you can use without wrestling the wing. Semi-rigid stabilisers on the wingtips and trailing edge smooth out the flight, so it glides through the air like it’s on rails. Read more about the wings here. It’s smooth, stable, and fun, whether you’re chasing speed, tricks, or just cruising. 

Where we are now

From Balz’s imagined Venn diagram to Patrick’s deep dive into wing design software, the TOPSPIN has gone through more twists and turns than some of the tricks it has inspired. Every stage was about refining how a boom wing should feel in your hands and in the air.

The TOPSPIN V2 is the result: a smooth, stable, and seriously fun ride. Whether you are into freestyle, cruising, or just love the feel of a boom, the TOPSPIN V2 delivers in a way that is hard to explain until you are out there on the water. The best way to understand it is to take one for a spin. Seriously, if you have not yet, contact your local ENSIS shop and give one a try. You will not regret it.