Naish 2011 Kiteboarding Gear Preview by the Kiteboarder

kite	sizes	bridle	struts	4/5lines	onepump	style	availible
Bolt	3,5,6,7,8,9,10.5,12,14,16	Yes	5	4	yes	All-Around, Waves	August
Torch	5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,14	No	5	5	yes	C-Kite, Unhooked, Wakestyle,Freestyle	August
Park	6,8,10,12,14	Yes	3	4	yes	All-Around, Waves, Freestyle, Wakestyl	October
Charger	3.5,5,7,9, 11, 13,15	Yes	5	4	yes	All-Around	March

Robby Naish gives the 2011 Bolt a workout on the North Shore of Oahu. Photo Stephen Whitesell

For the 2011 product year, the Naish kiteboarding line has received a big overhaul, with two brand new kites added to the line. For riders who could not decide between the 2010 Cult and Helix, those two kites have been combined into the Bolt.
The new Park is a C-like kite for riders who have always wanted to ride a C-kite, but who have shied away from C-kites for fear of them being too demanding. Of course, the now legendary Torch C-kite is still in the line with improvements for the new year and a 2011 Charger will be released in the spring.
Naish’s Damien Girardin (Kite Designer) and Greg Drexler (Board Designer) supplied the answers to our questions about the 2011 Naish products.

For 2011, it looks like Naish went for a major redesign, instead of simply refining last year’s models. What spurred the decision to revamp the Naish lineup of kites?
Actually, we only have two new kites out of four in the line. The Bolt is the mix of the Cult and the Helix, taking only the best of both kites so it could not be named after neither of them.

The Park is an entirely new kite, based on the idea that the Torch was the best C-kite on the market and that some people would just not be able to experience it because of its pedigree of being “too freestyle oriented.” We then created the Park based on what we knew with the Torch. We added the freeride and easyness provided by the moderate delta outline, added bridles, and made it a three-strut kite for a light feel.

What rider input did Naish incorporate into the 2011 designs?
All our top team riders like Kevin Langeree, Sam Light, Cyril Coste, Ian Alldredge, Reo Stevens, etc. had some input on the 2011 kites, but we also have a crew of testers and regular customers, dealers, importers, and schools worldwide that get to help us drive the design.

Naish has been very dedicated to the Sigma shape concept for the past few years, but for 2011 only one kite, the Bolt, features the Sigma Shaping. Why is Naish moving away from the distinctive shape of the Sigma kites?
We’re not moving away from the Sigma this year, we have just realized that the people buying the Helix and Cult last year were looking for the same kite most of the time, so we’ve decided to make it easier for them by combining them into that one kite they were looking for.


Naish’s Kite Designer Damien Girardin takes the 2011 Park out at Maui’s kitebeach. Photo Erik Aeder

Voor meer klik hier