027_Francesco Maffei: Designing the Ultimate Parawing Board Quiver for Parawinging with Frank Boards

In this episode, I sit down with Francesco Maffei to chat about his journey—from growing up as a young surfer in Italy to becoming one of the go-to shapers for custom parawing boards. We talk about how board sports have evolved, why custom parawing boards are blowing up right now, and all the little details that actually make a board feel good under your feet: volume, thickness, stability, shape… all the nerdy stuff we love. We then jump straight into a full design consult where Francesco walks through how he approaches building a quiver that actually matches a rider’s style, goals, and feel for the sport. He breaks down the three core boards most parawingers want: a light-wind cruiser, a solid everyday board, and a high-performance weapon for stronger days. It’s a super cool look into the trade-offs, the priorities, and how he balances performance with real-world riding. Of course, no custom board is complete without a custom look. Franky shares how he takes a customer’s ideas and turns them into something unique, clean, and totally “them.” We wrap up with Francesco talking about his own parawing goals, how he squeezes progression into a packed schedule, and his mission to complete some of the biggest crossings on Maui. Overall, it’s just a laid-back chat with one of the best shapers out there—and a sneak peek at what it’s like to work with the legend himself. Appreciate you accepting the challenge Franky! Can’t wait to see where this goes! #Parawing #Foiling #Podcast