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Hi Everybody , Hey has anybody out there Know much about these Slalom boards , Would be Stoked to hear from anyone who has had the chance to own or ride one of these fantastic racing machines , Thanks for your thoughts and any info is much appreciated on how they compare with other Big name brands . 
Hi Bazz,
I am lucky enough to be a local rider for AV Boards thanks to 2ndwind in Perth. COVID impacted deliveries to Oz so far but hopefully in December and January we will see more boards on the water.
I currently ride the Modena 98ltr/62 wide and 118ltr/72.5 wide - both are exceptional boards. I haven't done detailed head-to-head testing with the current models from other brands but I think acceleration and high wind control are the main advantages. The build quality is top notch from the Kinetic factory.
For 2021 there will be 3 additional sizes - for more info contact Jez at 2ndwind and check out avboards.com.
Scott.
Hi
I have all three slalom boards, and they have lifted my average speed quite a bit. I came from Patriks in the two smaller ones and a fanatic falcon as the big board. The Modenas are just better in almost every aspect, only the 72,5 demands full commitment in the jibe compared to the Patrik, but then you get awarded with a higher exit speed. I have put some links to YouTube where I am using the medium and the small one. Don't have any videos with the big one.
And the build quality is second to none. I am never going back to boards from the cobra factory. 2 weeks ago I hit some driftwood full speed, fin was gone(pretty sad about that as it was a Z fin), but the board and fin box was intact.
Chaps,
What are the Modena boards like in open water in particular choppy conditions as considering the 88 or 98 for racing and Defi Wind? Sadly no UK distributor but Europe is only a stones throw away so a road trip could be the way ahead or whislt on way down to Defi ;-)
Here is a video with the medium in some chop at my home spot from today's sailing.
Don't let Bazz get his hands on one of those AV-Boards, Modena Slaloms.
He already goes FAST enough!
For all Ozzies who were interested in the Modena boards, we have just a few left...... but I leave for Italy on Saturday.
I only have one of each size left... PM me for info!
I also tried the Nuvolari during my Cocos trip, thanks to Jez who had brought a brand new 106l.
The board is really nice, if I didn't already own a Modena 108l it would be my choice for effortless blasting.
Our days at Cocos had strong winds and tight chop, the Nuvolari was surprisingly comfortable and able to fly on top of the chop well, a better sailor could have pushed it way further than I did.
As usual a suitable fin will be needed to get the most out of it, I borrowed one of Jez's decent fins and that made the ride much better for me.
Please note that the decking is very very abrasive and grippy, I stacked a gybe and scraped the whole skin of my left knee!
I've sailed the Nuvolari a few times more now, 3 times in the last 4 days. All in 18-19 knot southerly wind, with gusts, which at my local spot at Hamworthy Park in Poole Harbour is straight onshore, Lowish tide, but no flat water like other places, its still a bit choppy.
6.5m Ezzy Lion and did the fastest 500m speed for 7 1/2 years. 26.1 knots isnt fast by most standards, but it was across the wind and not bearing off, and felt quick to me over the chop. Maybe I've been gybing at 499m in recent years
Really impressed by the comfort, my knees really appreciate it.
My right foot now goes into the rear strap automatically, but the left foot sometimes takes a bit of prodding. I just checked and that strap is slightly tighter, so slackened that off a bit.
I cant see myself going faster than I did with a 6.5m Naish 3 cam free race sail & Falcon 80l/Mistral 110 I had many years ago, 30.77/28.46 10s avg, as I am now many years older and the Lions arent racy sails, although easy to use. My PB for nautical mile in Poole is 24.5, that might be within reach. or 21.25 alpha.
ah!!!!!! The Modena 88 with extra power!!!!!!! I had probably the best day ever on a slalom board last Friday, in a fresh breeze around 20 knots. With a Point-7 ACZ 6.8 the Modena 88 comes even more alive. It is a a flat water spot but the chop is there, the wind very gusty with some cannon balls occasionally barreling through. Even at my current 68Kg I was in complete control, where with past equipment I would have retreated back to the beach with the tail between my legs!
The stability of the board under the extra power is outstanding, it flattens the chop. And as expected (but still is a 6.8!) there is a significant gain in stability of the sail with respect to the ACX 6.5. The ACZ moves around way less, it is just locked in place, drives the board forward and keep its nose nicely down. What I did not expect was how easy it is to jibe, and how soft is the power delivery. You can actually de-power it by slightly opening it up, something I discovered with surprise when returning to shore. Past cam sails, but we go back a few years with HSM GPS and Loft Switchblades, just could not be de-powered ... ugly beasts they were 
Thank you Aurelio Verdi and Adrea Cucchi!!!
... moral of the story? I ordered a 2023 AV Modena 100 
