In this exclusive interview, Rou Chaters sits down with Leo Koenig to talk about WOO’s latest release. From pinpoint accuracy to bulletproof reliability, Leo shares the vision and hard work behind WOO 4.0—this conversation is packed with insights you won’t want to miss!

Hi Leo, Thanks for giving us time to discuss the new WOO 4.0 and some updates over previous versions. It’s a big step forward in terms of design and durability. What were the goals when you started the project?

Hi Rou, thanks for taking the time to talk to me! When we started the project, we had two goals, and two goals only - to make WOO 4.0 bulletproof in terms of reliability and pinpoint accuracy. When we talked to our customers, they all loved WOO, but too many mentioned that they had had bad experiences with their WOO devices. They also said the difference between WOO 3.0 devices was still too big regarding height measurement. That all yielded into a 30-page long requirement document containing over 30 individual requirements solely related to accuracy and reliability. We wanted to make 100% sure that we solved these two issues. It was a ton of hard work, but we are happy with the outcome. 

What are the main differences between the WOO 4.0 and the 3.0 regarding the build and materials?

The main differences are the removal of the charging pins and the introduction of wireless charging. That removed the primary source of failure - corroding pins. As a second step, we completely re-engineered the waterproofing seal. We re-engineered the geometry and spent tens of thousands of dollars testing different material combinations in a lab, particularly regarding the plastic resin and epoxy. We also removed the screws. The result of this work is that the WOO 4.0 is ten to twenty times more waterproof than the WOO 3.0. We measure this by glueing little valves into the WOO housing and inflating it with pressure. WOO 3.0 could withstand about 2 bar of pressure (about the pressure used in a car tyre). WOO 4.0 can withstand up to 35 bar. At that pressure, the unit explodes, but the glue joint still does not fail. 

Duck for cover! 

And what about the internals? What's changed inside in terms of the tech?

A lot has changed there as well. First off, we had to fit wireless charging into the device. Second, we have a new motion sensor, which is five to ten times better than the sensor used in WOO 3.0. Third, we have a new MCU with two processor cores and much more power. Lastly, things like the gas gauge (the chip calculating the battery's state of charge) have also been updated. We also introduced Shelf Mode, which disconnects the battery from the circuit board when the WOO is untouched. That ensures that the battery isn’t drawn down slowly during winter months. That preserves battery health over time and ensures there is some charge on the WOO when you return in the spring! All this also leads to a drastically increased battery life - WOO 4.0 can record at least 24 hours without a charge!

Has the software that runs the device and records the date changed at all?

There is not much in terms of the algorithm that calculates the jumps, actually. However, Juan, the brain behind our tech, had to rewrite the whole rest of the firmware to take advantage of the two processor cores and the multithreading technology (the ability to run processes in parallel). Of course, the new motion sensor, wireless charging, new gas gauge, etc., had to be added as well, so all in all, it was basically a complete rewrite of the firmware. 

How much more accurate is the device now?

If I had to put a number behind it, it would be 5-10x more accurate. We are converging to a point where multiple devices deliver nearly indistinguishable results on a board. That’s where we want to be - to have a level playing field for those who use WOO. 

How durable is it? The company has had issues in the past. How can a rider who’s been put off be confident about the new device?

WOO 4.0 has been in the field for a year, and nearly 10,000 devices have been shipped. We can track warranty rates, and if there were a big issue, we’d know by now. Recall rates are minuscule compared to the industry standard and what we saw with WOO 3.0. But, for someone with doubts, I’d say try to find a friend with a WOO 4.0 and ask about the experience. Of course, everything we discussed in this interview thus far should already give a lot of confidence, but nothing beats a genuine world opinion from someone owning the product.

Why is having the device connected to the board so important?

There is a short and a long answer to this question. The long answer is covered in an 80-page whitepaper on our website. The short answer is that the only way to measure jumps in kiteboarding reliably is when the sensor is a) on the board and b) the same sensor for everyone. It mainly concerns the signal you get - board vibration and orientation are necessary to determine takeoff and landing. If you don’t have this data, you can estimate jumps at best, no matter how good the algorithm is. This all matters because no one wants to be beaten by a friend after a year-long battle because of bad reading, defeating the purpose and deflating the game's fun.

There are a few watch or phone-in wetsuit options out there now just as an app with no separate hardware; what makes the WOO 4.0 better than these options, which are often cheaper?

They have their place for those who value convenience and don’t care about accuracy. However, as soon as there is some element of comparing yourself to a friend or even progressing for yourself, which is the whole point of measuring something to begin with, you need an accurate measurement. A WOO is the more convenient option in the long run and for day-to-day use. Phones and Watches have limited battery life, and in our testing, we showed up on the beach with an almost empty watch too many times. Also, frustration is involved when you feel like your jumps aren’t measured correctly and when you realise that crashing your jumps gives you a meter or two extra on your watch. So, we feel that many customers will eventually realise that the only way to enjoy the playing field of “jump height” is to get a WOO.

Do you have any accurate data you can share with us?

Yes, of course, even in comparison with other available options. For those wanting a deep dive, there is a test video on the internet (google Timo’s test WOO). We’ve also done a lot of internal testing over the summer, and if we find the time for it, we will be releasing some of the footage of that as well. 

Since WOO was founded in 2015, every year went by with a big step forward or innovation. What’s next for WOO?

It almost feels odd to say this after 11 years of doing this, but we are far from done. Since day one, we have had a vision of making kiteboarding attractive to spectators who haven’t heard anything about kiteboarding. What the pro riders do, particularly in Big Air, is beyond amazing, and they deserve much more attention and recognition than they currently get. We’d love to change that in the interest of the riders and the sport overall. The fact that we have this super-accurate sensor now allows us to think further. What we’re working on these days will create shockwaves in the community. I am sure about that, and it may just be the biggest step we’ve taken as a company. You can probably tell that I am fired up about it. 

Of course, there is always the community and app side of things. This year, WOO Worlds will have Wing disciplines for the first time, and the prize pool is yet again close to $100,000. And new app features will roll out over the coming months, each providing a ton of fun and value to our community. So, it’s been a busy summer thus far, and luckily, there is no end in sight - We love innovating and won’t stop until we at least get close to the apex of our potential.

By Rou Chater
Rou has been kiting since the sports inception and has been working as an editor and tester for magazines since 2004. He started IKSURFMAG with his brother in 2006 and has tested hundreds of different kites and travelled all over the world to kitesurf. He's a walking encyclopedia of all things kite and is just as passionate about the sport today as he was when he first started!

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