A PORTUGUESE COMPANY, PTWORKS, FOUNDED BY TWO AVID AND PASSIONATE BODYBOARDERS WHO SEEK TO DEVELOP INNOVATIVE PROJECTS FOR THIS PARTICULAR SPORT, WITH A SPECIAL FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY AND NEW PROCESSES, RECENTLY LAUNCHED AN INNOVATIVE STRINGER SYSTEM THAT GOES BY THE NAME HEXAFLEX.
Versão em português aqui
Inspired by the lack of flexibility in the latest boards generation, two friends created the Hexaflex system which is being patented at the moment. According to them, a board with the Hexaflex system offers bodyboarders maximum performance, durability and comfort.
“The Hexaflex is the biggest evolution in stringers since they’ve been around. Allows you to reach a higher speed. I never had boards so fast and that allows me to have more control in my manoeuvres”, starts by saying Barrela, one of the Portuguese athletes who knows most about materials, shapes and their behaviours/reactions.
“The Hexaflex is the biggest evolution in stringers since they’ve been around”
The combination of premium materials and the innovative design results in a “board with an excellent memory that is practically unbreakable”, assure the creators. This means that it can withstand extreme pressures without losing its structural properties.
In addition, Hexaflex technology has advantages in different fields, such as speed, recoil and energy. The structure made in the form of a “honeycomb” works as a skeleton inside the core, allowing the board to adapt perfectly to the changes in pressure exerted by the athlete and the wave. An exceptional harmony between the body, the board and the wave is the end result.
“Hexaflex aims to offer maximum performance, durability and comfort”
“Hexaflex has taken bodyboard technology to another level. Its innovative shape and material, with elastic stiffness and memory, provides a good balance of speed and control. Its “on demand” flexibility on the upper top is beneficial in demanding bottom-turns, offering the right stiffness, to enjoy aerial maneuvers with projection and incredible barrels. I became a fan!”, asserts André Leite, one of the local bodyboard legends.
Both ergonomics and choice of materials were absolutely determinant in the Hexaflex creation. The 
PTworks team studied the anatomy and biomechanics of the human body during bodyboarding, in order to design a board that would suit the needs of the athlete’s body and the dynamics of the wave. The choice of materials was also extremely important, the creators underline, as “the board needed to be resistant and light at the same time”.
“The structure made in the form of a “honeycomb” works as a skeleton inside the core”
“The Hexaflex system changed the bodyboard paradigm. It merges the useful with the pleasant, providing comfort, better control and more speed. A good starting point to take better advantage of the conditions presented to us. I was totally convinced after trying it out”, points Afonso Rodrigues in a first thought, adding later that “Innovating and providing opportunities is a crucial point. I think it is something revolutionary for the bodyboard industry, by increasing the riders’ performance in the water and providing a “balance” already sought by many, there may be a pearl here for the development of the sport.”
This new technology has been tested by bodyboarders of different levels in different types of waves. Boards with Hexaflex received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many saying they would never use traditional boards again after trying this system.
“My first impression was a stringer that looked like a stingray. I liked its original format but, above all, just for being different! This system allows us to have a very rigid area in the center of the board, practically covering the area where we place the upper body, and to continue to enjoy flexibility in the areas we need for smoother transitions even in extreme conditions. The response to direction changes is truly fantastic, providing superior projection on the way. Combined with materials for hot water, it’s a bomb! I had the opportunity to try it out in Bocas del Toro (Panama) and I simply loved it!”, attests Carlos Elias, a stand out free surfer.
“The Hexaflex system changed the bodyboard paradigm”
About PTworks it is also important to refer it extremely commitment in maintaining/elevating the Portuguese production, but at the same time venture into the global market, using high-quality materials and innovative construction techniques as one of its values.
“The company is always researching new ways to improve the Hexaflex system and develop new projects for bodyboarding”, points out in a last comment one of the managers of the bodyboarding company forged in beautiful Portugal.
One thing seems certain and indisputable: With its technical innovation and a direct commitment between quality and technology the Hexa System is clearly intended to have an important role in the bodyboard world in the next years.
