The new Goya and Quatro 2022/2023 windsurfing boards are now available from retailers. Alberto Lovison of Detour Surf , Peschiera del Garda, helps us discover new products, also giving us many useful tips.

WINDSURFING: THE NEW GOYA AND QUATRO 2022/2023 BOARDS (BY ALBERTO LOVISON)

(read also the article about 2022/2023 Goya sails) 

Two brands, one project

I find it useful to introduce the new Goya boards and Quatro ones at the same time, because the two brands follow a single project.

The people behind Goya and Quatro are the same;  in fact, the shaper is the same: Keith Teboul.

Keith's story began in Maui in 1996 when, along with Francisco Goya, Jason Prior and Sean Ordonez, he founded Quatro with the aim of making the best custom boards ever.

Within a few years, most professional windsurfers, regardless of their sponsor, were using custom Quatro boards.

I still remember my astonishment when I first visited the Cannery in Haiku where the Goya / Quatro / KT / MFC headquarters and Keith Teboul shaping room are located. On a large shelving were the graphics of various competing brands, ready to be applied on the custom boards of some famous pro.

And so it is, still today: Keith's custom is still considered the best and his prowess and fame as a shaper has also spilled over into surf boards and the foil world. To better describe the level and quality we are speaking about, consider that his "most frequent customer" currently is Kai Lenny!

Making boards for the best windsurfers in the world has allowed Keith Teboul to grow and evolve while keeping pace with the evolution of the sport, and at the same time contributing to the evolution of the sport itself.

This style and approach was maintained even when, in the early 2000s, Goya and Quatro  began series production in Cobra (Thailand).

Custom production has never stopped, on the contrary, it has taken on an increasingly fundamental role: everything starts from research and development, from the interaction with the strongest athletes as well as with the many amateur windsurfers around the world.

Complementary collections

I like to define the two brands as complementary to each other: all models differ in characteristics and performance, so that every surfer can find the right solution to their needs.

The Goya boards catalog is articulated and wide, from wave boards to those for flat water and schools. The Quatro proposal, on the other hand, has only 3 models obviously linked to the world of waves.

To simplify the presentation, it is convenient to order all the Goya and Quatro models from the most radical board (for wave riding) to the easiest:

• Quatro Pyramid
• Goya Custom 4
• Quatro Cube
• Goya Custom 3
• Goya Nitro 3
• Quatro Power
• Goya One

And as for the flat water instead:

• Goya Proton (slalom)
• Goya Bolt (free race)
• Goya Air Bolt (foil)
• Goya Air (freestyle)
• Goya Carrera (freeride)
• Goya Volar (freemove)
• Goya Surf (school)

The innovations

The innovations made to all models aim to make better performance more easily achievable.

After all, we windsurf for fun ... and without a doubt, the better you windsurf, the more you have fun!

Every single detail has been re-discussed, the superfluous eliminated, the fundamental made better, every single volume of each model has been developed individually.

The construction (standard, in Cobra) is based on production techniques and use of materials for which Goya and Quatro have the exclusivity.

The result is a standard board with very similar performance and structure to the custom boards that Keith produces in Maui.

In fact, all Goya and Quatro team riders use standard boards also in world competitions.

In addition to guaranteeing excellent performance, the high-quality construction guarantees durability and robustness; a product that lasts longer over time has more value and has a more sustainable impact on the environment.

The changes made to the various models to make the boards more accessible and more versatile without sacrificing performance start from the rails.

You should run your hand on the edge from bow to stern to better understand what I am talking about: it is all a matter of how the transition from the round edge towards the bow to the thin and angular edge at the stern takes place.

The bows become fuller but narrower, the thicker edges create a flatter deck area in the central part and more humpbacked in the stern part.

With the same volume, the boards are now more stable, glide earlier, reach higher speeds, are more comfortable and are easier to maneuver.

Which board to choose 

Wave riding

For the more experienced and for those lucky enough to attend wave riding spots with side / side-off conditions, the Pyramid is the right board. It takes more technique and more time to make friendship with. In down the line windsurfing, once the wave wall is found, it unequivocally generates the most beautiful sensation a windsurfer could wish for. 

For those who have fewer opportunities to become familiar with their wave board and for those who, in addition to looking for the most beautiful conditions around the world, also find themselves dealing with side-on conditions, the Goya Custom 4 is truly versatile and super performing: boss of the spot from Ho'okipa to Pozo.

The Goya Custom 3 and Quatro Cube are the easiest and most versatile wave riding boards. To be used truly at any level and in any wave riding spot. The Cube with 4 fins gives you safety when surfing even on the chop. The Goya Custom 3 is freer and faster. Besides surfing very well it is a lot of fun in bump & jump conditions.

If your home spot always has side-on and on-shore conditions, the Goya Nitro could make you change your mind about onshore wind sessions. It will keep you entertained even in the toughest conditions. Its agility and speed will make you catch previously unattainable waves and find ramps where others can't see them. 

The Quatro Power and the Goya One are the two freewave boards and are also the best-selling boards. From bump & jump to wave, considering all volumes, they meet the needs of most windsurfers. Minor differences exist between the two: the Power is more compact and rounded, the One is more elongated and tapered.

The Power is controlled more with the rear foot, while, with the One, the load passage between the front leg and the rear leg is more exploited. The One can be faster and more intuitive. The Power is most precise and responsive.

Flatwater

Apart from the boards dedicated to the individual disciplines (Air for freestyle, Airbolt for foil, Proton for slalom and Surf for learning), the choice is divided between Bolt, Carrera and Volar.

The Bolt, a pure freerace, is for expert windsurfers who want performances as similar as possible to those of slalom boards, but with less physically demanding equipment.

The Carrera is a classic freeride board, with adrenaline-pumping performance. Ideal for experienced surfers.

The Volar is the most planing freeride / freemove in the catalog. The less experienced are thus able to immediately enjoy the thrill of gliding.

Carrera and Volar, especially in small sizes and mounted with a central strap, are an excellent solution for heavy surfers who cannot find a freewave large enough for their needs. 

All models in detail

Quatro Pyramid

A completely new shape for one of the most radical wave boards on the market.

The new Pyramid is decidedly less "dancing", and enters planing more easily, without precluding the skills in surfing, at all.

The hull is a full-V with a V inside with concave edges. The rail-to-rail transition is even more intuitive and once the rail engages, the grip is precise and safe.

Outline decidedly curved both in the bow and at the straps level, to sit naturally in the wave wall.

The graphics strongly inspired by surfboards reveal the various layers of material. You can clearly see the carbon reinforcements in the central part of the board (track and straps) as well as in the bow.

Compared to the old Pyramid, this one is conducted less with the rear foot, and asks for a more centered rider stance. 

The side fins boxes are slot-box and the central one is US-box. The boxes and fins are lighter, but, above all, allow you to choose the positioning.

By moving the fins forward, the board has a tighter and more responsive turning radius. By moving the fins back, the radius is wider and you can more easily steer the board with the foot behind. 

Goya Custom 4 Pro

 The 4-fin wave board that has ruled the world in wave spots since 2011.

Completely new shapes for volumes 79, 84, 89 and 94.  Introduced a new size (54 liters) for younger surfers (or with a smaller weight).

For each size, the positioning of the straps, the track and the fins position are specially calibrated.

The boxes are all slot boxes for maximum freedom of adjustment. Especially for wave boards, moving the straps is often not enough. The advanced or backward positioning of the fins as well as the distance between them are used to adapt the behavior of the board to one's physique and style.

The  rails are fuller along the entire length and taper quickly only in the final part.

The bow is fuller and flatter, but tighter and softer on the edges making landings and lip encounters less physical.

The deck, flatter and therefore more stable, has a more pronounced humpback in the strap area. This causes the heel to be closer to the water, giving greater comfort in navigation and greater control.

Quatro Cube

The shape of the Cube has remained unchanged. But with the four slot boxes, the lightening of the board and the possibility of adjusting the position of the fins, new horizons of exploration open up for this very planing, fast and precise wave quad. 

The minimalist graphics are inspired by the surfing world and are deliberately transparent in order to appreciate the structure of the board.

Fast and planing rocker, with full and soft rails also in correspondence with the straps to maintain speed throughout the bottom. It is an easy and very versatile board, able to entertain you in side, side-on and on-shore conditions. 

Goya Custom 3 Pro

An excellent alternative for those who want a non-radical, intuitive wave board, but with a thruster setting, to be free and fun not only on the wave wall, but also in the bump & jump. 

It is not as radical as the Custom 4 but it is still capable of taking you into the most critical sections of the wave and will be able to project you more easily to the next section.

The rails are full and round in the bow and become more angular sooner than the Custom 4 to give better gliding cue and greater speed. Bow and stern are wider giving stability and accessibility.

Also for the Custom 3, as well as for the other wave thrusters in the collection, the side fins are slot box and the central fin is US box offering ample adjustment possibilities.

Goya Nitro 3  Pro

In the last PWA stage held in Sylt in 2019, we had seen Brawzinho running with a very compact custom thruster ... it was the embryonic phase of the current Nitro. The Nitro is a wave thruster board for side-on and on-shore conditions.

Proposed in volumes 89, 98 and 106, it is extremely compact, with the rear strap very backward and a particularly wide stern. It offers a lot of float and stability and boasts jaw-dropping acceleration and upwind performance for a wave board.

The mission was to make front-side wave riding possible without precluding the aforementioned features ... and to ensure that not only Brawzinho could use it, but also us mere mortals.

The V-shaped hull with the double concave that increases towards the stern to give grip despite the width and the very full rails in the bow and in the center that suddenly become thin and sharp in the stern give life to the magic. The bow, on the other hand, distances itself from the square geometries of the compact boards in order not to deny the Goya DNA wave.

Quatro Power

For the Quatro freestylewave thruster, we find the same shape as the previous model. Even the fin boxes have remained unchanged: power box for the central fin and mini-tuttle side fins boxes.

As a freewave board is made, the rear fin must be positioned slightly behind the rear strap and the side fins are positioned accordingly.

Often, this type of board is chosen by less technically sophisticated windsurfers, for whom the possibility of fins positioning, rather than being an advantage, is misleading and unnerving.

The Quatro Power differs from the Goya One (Goya's freewave board) because it has a more compact shape and rounded edges. In the hull we find a single concave that becomes V in the stern. The board, thus, becomes very stable and well connected to the water in order to be guided intuitively with the rear foot. 

Goya One  3 Carbon

The One is Goya's freewave, an undisputed best-seller.

V hull, rocker taken from slalom boards, sharp rails and an outline reminiscent of a surf board: the perfect compromise for a windsurfing board!

The shape has been renewed consistently with the innovations introduced in the other models in the collection. The edges are more parallel and the bow and stern have grown in width. The stern offers greater support and the wisely distributed volume guarantees excellent stability.

The board is so intuitive that it immediately enters planing even if you are not precise and reactive with your posture.

As for the Quatro Power, the fins remained a power box for the central and mini tuttle for the side ones to respect the correct set-up of a freewave board. The 77-liter (new size introduced) has a US Box as its central fin to avoid space problems between the central strap knobs and the PB screw hole.

All sizes of the One have the option of mounting 3 or 4 straps. They are all supplied with 4 straps and with side caps to take advantage of the board in single fin trim.

Goya Air Pro

New shape for the board dedicated to freestyle. Developed by the talented and meticulous Antoine Albert, the new board strikes for the important stern and lightness.

The board is shorter for quick spins in the water and in the air. The track is set back, and, together with the voluminous stern and the low weight, generates a monstrous pop. The edge on the rail has been lengthened to create greater acceleration and greater top speed.

The fin box is a power box to generate less drag than the us box or slot box. And it is not foil ready, so as not to unnecessarily burden it.

Goya Airbolt Carbon

Board born from the experience of Keith Teboul, Kay Lenny and the rest of the team with everything related to foil, from windsurf foil to surf foil.

Specifically designed for windsurfing foil, it detaches from the water much earlier than any other board and offers a direct and precise connection with the foil.

Due to the shape of the hull, and the positioning of the track, straps and foil, it amplifies the lift so much that the reduction of the sail area necessary to fly is drastic!

It turned out to be an excellent solution for cross-over, for sup foil and wing foil (beginner and intermediate). For this the pad extends towards the bow; there are inserts for the straps for all needs and there is the attachment for the leash at the stern.

The shapes are those of last year, and the 90 liters (193 x 63.5 cm) has been added. The construction is the same used for waveriding boards ... which allows you to release all the energy of the foil in jumps without fear of the consequences of inelegant landings.

Goya Carrera Carbon

At first glance, it looks like an old-style freeride, in reality it has the performance of modern freeraces and the adrenaline and technical feeling that the boards of a few years ago were able to confer.

The elongated and narrow shape leads to exhilarating accelerations and top speeds and manages to navigate fast and responsive even in the most annoying chop. The construction is in fact the best that Goya offers, while often boards in this category are proposed with less performing constructions.

The changes made with the new shapes allow you to reach higher speeds while being more comfortable. The edges are fuller and the deck between the straps has a more pronounced humpback shape. The sharp rail runs along the entire edge but falls more markedly to facilitate entry into the jibe.

All three sizes have the option of mounting the central strap at the stern. This, in addition to benefiting the less experienced, is very useful for surfers with a more imposing body (> 100 kg.) who use these boards as freewave / freemove for medium strong winds. 

Goya Volar Carbon and Volar

It's the most fun and accessible freeride board you could ever want.

The new shape has an even wider stern so you can glide even if you don't want it. Wider and thinner, with the flatter deck; it is truly stable and the fast rocker makes it reach speeds that thrill even experienced surfers.

The strap options are different to accommodate all levels.

Goya Surf

Board for beginners, children and adults.

The development of these boards is mistakenly overlooked by many brands. Francisco Goya, especially since he found himself teaching his children, has instead devoted a lot of attention to the most important board of all: the first board you get on!

Cover entirely in soft EVA with didactic graphics (trivial but useful!), multiple positions for the straps (even for the little ones), additional central fin up to 145 liters and tilting drift for the other larger sizes.

The possibility of mounting a small rig in the bow on the 3 largest volumes (190, 220 and 260) to go in tandem is a brilliant idea. This solution proved to be the fastest and most fun way to learn to windsurf.

Conclusion

The right board is the one that leaves a smile on your face for the rest of the day ... and that's why you decide to keep it season after season!

This is exactly what the Goya and Quatro boards are made for: by making better performances more accessible, having fun is guaranteed!

For more information, do not hesitate to contact  detour.surf !!

Alberto  
detour.surf 

(Photo taken from:  https://goyawindsurfing.com  ;  https://quatromaui.com/ )