Why the Cedrus Forged Mast Is for Everyone

Tucker's had his hands on a Cedrus Forged mast prototype for a few months now, and he feels that it may be one of the most disruptive products in the industry this year. If you're a foiler, you should take a look at this mast, because it is something that will benefit riders of all levels.

What Is Cedrus?

Originally known as Project Cedrus, it was founded back in 2016 ago by Kyle Lobisser, then a lead product design engineer for Apple. He left Apple to focus his passion on developing an incredibly stiff, light mast that would be compatible with any brand's foils. It's an innovative concept that has only gotten better over the years, and is still made in the USA.

What Is the Forged Evolution Mast?

The Evolution series masts have been available since last year in a carbon construction. The Forged is one of two aluminum models. It differs from the Clydesdale aluminum model in that its thickness tapers to be stronger at the ends where there is more torque, and thinner along the center where it cuts through the water. The Clydesdale, on the other hand, is a consistent thickness along its entire length. As far as we know, the Forged is the only aluminum mast on the market with this shape. It's designed to give you higher top speeds and better glide efficiency with the reduced drag along the center.

How Does the Forged Mast Perform?

Everyone has been chasing thinner masts in their high-performance carbon models, but that comes at a cost. It becomes more flexible and fragile, and carbon breaks down over time when it moves. Aluminum is the ideal material for this, and it's likely to continue to perform for you for many years.

Now, to keep expectations realistic, this is not a race-level mast. Those are designed for a single, niche purpose and have pushed the ratio of strength and shape right to the edge. They require maintenance, are fragile, and are very expensive. The Forged is designed to be ridden by any level rider on any foil setup at a price any rider can afford, all while delivering performance that's not going to hold you back. And there, it succeeds.

Who Is the Forged Mast For?

Riders of any level and discipline can appreciate this mast. No, really. It's stiff enough for a beginner's massive wings. It cuts through the water as you move to smaller, faster foils. It handles the torque as you carve the waves. Wingers can get up to speed more easily with its reduced drag.

Is the Forged Mast Durable?

When Tucker took this mast out, he wasn't gentle. In fact, he was downright punishing since it was a prototype and Cedrus was looking for honest feedback about its real-world performance. And there was no noticeable reduction in its stiffness after a few months of hard riding. Tucker anticipates that this mast will still be in service 10, 15, or even 20 years from now. Divide the price by that, or even by how many sessions you think you'll get, and the value is almost heartwarming in an industry where prices seem to keep going up.

What Are Some Features of the Forged Mast?

The tapered shape of the mast is its most obvious feature, but there are other details that go into making this mast what it is.

• The top and bottom connections are welded onto the mast. This means there will never be any wiggle, and it adds to the overall stiffness.
  
• The mast is hollow to keep it stiff and lightweight, and with the top and bottom welded on, no water can get in. The mast stays light and balanced in the water, and you won't have any water dripping out and into your car after your session.
• The adapter slot is part of the magic of a Cedrus mast. You can get an adapter for just about any foil brand on the market and ride whatever wings you want to. Want to check out an interesting new foil? Go ahead and pick it up without having to get a new mast. This really does open up the whole foiling world to you.
  Note: You'll need the newer Evolution adapter; the original adapters are not compatible with Evolution masts. However, the Evolution adapters are compatible with both carbon and aluminum Evolution masts.
• Adapters fit onto the mast with 2 M8 bolts and two pins with very tight tolerances for an extremely strong, stiff connection to your wing set.
  
• The top plate has drop-in style M8 slots, as well as a Foil Drive hole you can use to keep your Foil Drive unit attached to the mast.
• The chord (width) of the mast is between their carbon Surf and Wind masts. This means it's not as loose as the Surf or as tracky as the Wind, but is a nice all-around width typical of most masts.
• Tucker's mast is a prototype, but the production models will be anodized in a very cool, distinctive gold color. Aside from letting everyone know you're riding a Cedrus mast, the gold doesn't show nicks and scratches as much as black does, so it stays looking new longer.
  

Cedrus Mast Sizing Tips

Unlike most other brands, Cedrus labels its mast size according to the length of the main section of the mast. This means that it's measured from the underside of the top plate to the top of the fuselage connector. Other brands measure from the top of the top plate to the bottom of the connector, or even the bottom of the fuselage itself in Code's case. To get an equivalent number, add 4 or 5 cm to the Cedrus measurement. For example, an 81cm Cedrus mast is like an 85cm mast in many other brands, so if you're happy with the length of your existing mast and want to buy the same thing in a Cedrus mast, size down the Cedrus a bit.

Tucker has been enjoying the 81cm prototype he was sent. It's perhaps a bit long for smaller waves or prone, but it's perfect for kite, wing, and parawing. Because it's such a stiff mast, it feels more nimble than you'd expect from one this length. It's stable and responsive. Your foil wing and fuselage sizes are important, but many people forget that if your mast isn't stiff, you won't get the response, drive, and direction you expect out of the other components.

On most carbon masts, Tucker can feel that he's pushing the limits of their stiffness at his 190 lbs weight, especially on a high-aspect front wing. He can really put a lot of leverage on a setup like that when he powers into a turn, and a stiff mast like the Cedrus Forged transfers all that energy into the turn, giving him instant feedback. If you've been sizing down your mast because longer ones are getting too flexy, you won't need to do that here.

What Do Other Riders Think?

Sharing is caring, but Tucker also wanted to collect more feedback when he loaned the prototype out to other riders. They were universally impressed, and some even said it was so close to carbon in performance and so much more durable that they didn't want to buy another carbon mast when they could get this one and just swap out the adapter for whatever foil brand they wanted to ride.

What Does Tucker Think?

This is Tucker's desert island mast. It's not going to fail him or lose performance over time, and it'll work with any foil that washes ashore. It rivals the performance of carbon masts so closely that he won't miss them, and when he grows fat on coconuts, it won't flex as he carves those sweet island waves.

The price to performance ratio is pretty much unbeatable here, and for heavier riders, it's the preferred option. You can have the perfect foil wing plane, but if your connection to it is mushy, it's just not fun.

Tucker likes to nitpick every product he tries, but that's not easy to do with such a well-engineered mast. It is heavier than the stiffest ultra high modulus carbon masts, but some of those are within a few ounces of the Forged aluminum mast, so most riders won't even notice since the mast weight is centrally located. But if you really want a lighter mast with all that Cedrus has to offer, they do have two carbon options.

It's also not a race mast. It's fast, sure, but dedicated racers will want a purpose-built mast. The Forged is for freeride and surf where stiffness and durability matter more than having the ultra top speed, and price is a factor too.

That said, this is still a fast, efficient mast. You won't fall behind the pack in your recreational beer league races, and you may even find yourself out in front. Tucker's had it out on a 550 wing, and it was plenty fast for getting up and it didn't cavitate. Pumping is incredible with a stiff mast like this. You can feel all your power being transferred right down to the foil. It's also perfect for dockstarting, with every little pump making a difference.

Should I Get a Forged Mast?

Tucker is really impressed with the performance and durability of the Forged mast. It's almost TOO durable; it's the exact opposite of "planned obsolescence". It'll adapt to any existing or future foil system, and it's tough enough to be around for those new foils. You might not ever need to buy a new mast, so if you can get some new people into foiling so Cedrus can keep selling masts, that'd be great.

Cedrus wanted this to be a mast that lets everyday people experience the best foiling has to offer, and they nailed it. Hands-down, it's got the best price to performance ratio Tucker's seen, and the stiffness is top of the line. It's compatible with any system, it can take a beating, it's made in the USA, and you won't spend a lot to get one. Impossible? The mark of a good engineer is ignoring the limits and forging ahead with your own rules, and that is exactly what Kyle has done with Cedrus, leaving the foiling community a better place than he found it.

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