3 weeks ago I received the 2017 Mistral Vortex XL from Easy Surf Shop. It’s a new model which comes from the Vortex Ultra, board made for flat water. Mistral came out with the Vortex XL for heavier riders (over 85kg), and the board became really polyvalent. I’m 75kg, and I love the board for almost all conditions. When paddling on the Vortex XL, I feel like I am on an outrigger canoe, which means exceptional glide, and high stability. The nose looks like the nose of a dolphin, and it permits to cut the water so you don’t feel to have anything to push. Actually, thanks to the really low front rocker you don’t push the water but you glide through it. Not moving a lot of water, makes using your energy exclusively to go forward. The board doesn’t slow down easy, so each stroke is only here to maintain the speed not to push the board forward again. The carbon construction makes the board really light and I feel it when I want to accelerate, it’s reactive, plus lighter is easier to carry, especially on beachraces. Moreover, for starts, sprints, finishes, the board rises easily on the water and then the acceleration is even more impressive. The large tail of the board makes it really stable for heavier paddlers and when the water is getting choppy, or when surfing/downwinding. The lower deck is also helping a lot for stability, I can feel the water better being lower on the board. The volume added on the nose helps keeping it out of the water when getting waves, and it gives more power to cut the chops. The tail rocker is more pronounced than the nose one, and when surfing, I just make 2 steps back and the nose goes up and I feel like being on a short board. It’s a great board not only for flat water but for wind/surf conditions too.