Described as their ‘Control Wave’ series, the Haka ST has recently replaced the Haka in the Witchcraft wave board lineup, sitting alongside the brand’s other expansive wave board ranges – the V5 Wave, Reaper and Shaman. Rather than conforming to the usual annual or bi-annual cycle, the brand’s boards are developed by Bouke Becker and his team through continual R&D out in Fuerteventura – the home of their custom centre. The CAD / CAM production boards are then produced in a factory in Eastern Europe, using a semi-custom process. And as with all the other wave board ranges, the Haka ST is available in three construction options, the most reputed of which is Heavy Duty Dyneema (HDD), as tested here. Producing full Dyneema boards since 1995, Witchcraft have long been advocates for the material’s impact resistive qualities, so despite it being a difficult material to work with (since it highlights the weakness of any other material used), perseverance has brought a greater understanding and knowledge base. With a full wrap of Dyneema on both deck and hull (overlapping on the rails), the boards are said to be tough from the inside out, capable of withstanding knocks in the most abusive environments. So much so, that all HDD boards come with a 24 month guarantee.

The design of the Haka ST itself is as interesting as its construction, with plenty of features worthy of note. Its outline is described by Witchcraft as ‘drop shape’ – a sort of reverse teardrop, with the wide point well forward of the board’s mid-point, before tapering to a narrow swallowtail. This is put into context by the Haka ST having one of the wider max widths of the 90s we have tried this season, yet one of the narrowest one-foot-off measurements in the tail. Said to possess a “parabolic medium rocker” (for smoothness, early planing and tight turning), the rails of the Haka ST are incredibly sharp in the tail, the hard edge witnessing minimal tuck until the front straps, whereupon they tuck quickly and disappear into soft rails by the board’s shoulders. You also get the sense that the fittings on the Witchcraft are thoroughly scrutinised and deliberated upon. The mast track length is short, saving weight and mitigating the chance of a poor setup. The dual density deckpads incorporate a lovely raised wedge, which fits perfectly into the arch of each foot (and can be easily felt through boots), providing extra traction and making it easy to ascertain that your feet are properly located. The Witchcraft branded Velcro straps supplied are easy to adjust, with each one fixed to the board using four screws to eliminate any twist. They also encourage the rider into a wider stance as standard (some 5-6cm wider than on most other boards), making it easier to move weight from the front to back foot. Capable of being used as a single fin, the Haka ST is supplied with Witchcraft’s self-stated unique tri-fin system, using pre-twisted CNC milled G10 fins. There is a wealth of information on the brand’s site, providing the background to the extensive research done on the fins and the toe-in determined by the thruster boxes. Suffice to say the belief is the pre-twist and shape of the fins provides more drive and less drag, allowing for larger side fins and resulting in better upwind performance, improved manoeuvre potential and earlier planing. With an exhaustive fifteen sizes in the Haka ST line-up, from 57 to 115L, the amount of work and dedication to their product is very tangible.

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