Introducing — Naish Park

Recently released, the Naish Park offers freeride simplicity. It is for riders who are looking for simple, no-fuss performance. The Park is a performance-focused kite, condensed into an easy, simple package.The Park’s three-strut design is stable and responsive. This configuration, combined with a powerful profile and full outline gives the Park the consistent pull of a “C” type kite and the power control of a swept kite.

The swept leading-edge positions the wingtips behind the center of the kite, which gives the kite easy relaunch capabilities and maximizes depower.

The “do everything” nature of the Park opens up a huge range of performance options for the rider. It is the perfect tool whether you are focusing on sticking that handle-pass rotation, bashing the lip or maximizing your freeride time out on the water.

Testimonials

Here is a message our kite designer had this morning on his answering machine: “Hey Damien, it’s Buck. I just wanted to thank you for a bitchin’ kite man. The Park is… perfect. I mean for surf, I can’t imagine anything that it doesn’t do just right. You guys definetly scored on this one for surfing. Thank you.”

Read on kiteforum.com: “I have been riding a 10m Park a couple of times now in Western Australia, and find the bottom end much better than the 2010 Helix 10.5m. So far been super stoked with this kite — super easy to fly, easy to relaunch, simple 3-strut, faster pump-up and packing up, simple bridle with great pulleys — and only 2 of them. This kite sits really nice in the window — just parks there. Been waveriding so far with the 10m strapless and she handles like a dream — super stable and nice direct response to get you out of trouble.”

Naish kiteboard product manager Greg Drexler says, “The Park is insane. You’ve wrecked me; I can no longer ride anything else. The Park is so much fun, flies so fast, has such a great bar feel, so much range and has so much more depower than anything else. It has changed the sport for me. I haven’t been this stoked on kiteboarding in years.”

“I can’t do half the stuff I’m landing with the Park on other kites because the lack of depower in other kites will have the pull from the front lines limit my freedom. I’m even teaching my wife to kite on the Park due to the safety from the depower of the Park. Anyway, I could keep rambling, but the point is, I’m stoked!”

The Park in Action:

Check out the video Sam and Rick filmed at Hood River, where they were ripping it up on the Park: http://www.vimeo.com/14377346

Some Facts:

Competitors have been trying to steal them out of our truck down at the beach.

The Park is taking over the entire north shore of Maui, from beginners to big jumpers, from wake-style riders, to kiteloopers and waveriders.

Call your local Naish dealer to get your hands on a Park and verify these claims for yourself!

Photos: E. Aeder, J. Malmberg, S. Whitesell

Naish Summer Kite Race Series — State Championship Race

The final installment of the four-event Naish Summer Kite Race Series went off in spectacular fashion on August 21st. Over 30 riders battled for final points towards the State Championship title. ShadowBox provided tracking for the Big Air contest. Winds were perfect: 20 to 30 mph all day, for the three races of each division.

Overall Results

Men’s Raceboard

1st — Alex Aguera

2nd — Des Walsh (Naish Park/Venturi)

3rd — Patri McLaughlin

Men’s Surfboard

1st — Monte Bell

2nd — Patri McLaughlin

3rd — Alex Aguera

Men’s Twin Tip

1st — Patri McLaughlin

2nd — Oliver Rahm

3rd — Jon McCabe

Women’s Raceboard

1st — Raquel de Lima Cruz (Naish Park/Venturi)

2nd — Natasha Gronski (Naish Venturi)

Women’s Surfboard

1st — Natasha Gronski

2nd — Raquel de Lima Cruz (Naish Park/Custom Gun 5’10”)

Women’s Twin Tip

1st — Karlie Thoma (Naish Bolt)

2nd — Natasha Gronski

3rd — Raquel de Lima Cruz (Naish Park)

Big Air - Tracked by ShadowBox

1st — Ryan Toaspern (52.1 ft - Naish Park)

2nd — Dave Sheetz (50.8 ft - Naish Park)

3rd — Jon McCabe (39.0 ft)

Photos: Mike Neal — MNeal.net, Batel Shimi

Betty Does America

This summer, Sam Light and Rick Jensen flew to Hood River where they each got their new 2011 Park, Torch and Momentum. Follow their tour of the West Coast, spot by spot, where they are spreading their stoke and keeping one step ahead of the law. Featured spots: Hood River, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara and Las Vegas.

http://bettydoesamerica.jimdo.com

Check out the video Sam and Rick filmed at Hood River, where they were ripping it up on the Park:

http://www.vimeo.com/14377346

Riders Match - Get Out the Vote!

Many Naish team riders have entered an international video competition called “Riders Match Online World Contest.” In the Pro category are: Ian Alldredge, Reo Stevens, Rick Jensen, Sam Light and Florian Daubos. In the Amateur category are: Ewan Jaspan, Paul Serin and Olivier Sautet. Sam Light/Rick Jensen are in the Crew category. To check out the videos and place your vote, check out:

http://www.riders-match.com/uk/summer10/category/kitesurf

Kevin Langeree

Spectators at the 2010 PKRA Fuerteventura were not expecting what they saw in Men’s Freestyle double- elimination final heat. Kevin Langeree was dominating the heat one moment, then pulled out of the water by a jetski in the next. Kevin blew out his knee while landing a trick, and as a result, will have to wait six months for his injury to heal. But Kevin is optimistic, saying, “I just want to get back on the water as soon as possible. I’m going to train as hard as I can, and do everything to make that knee as strong as possible.”

Here’s to a speedy recovery, Kevin!

To see a video about Kevin’s injury, go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjRgTR5rZCs

Jo Wilson & Jalou Langeree

Jo Wilson and Jalou Langeree took a trip to Portugal this summer, and found some great spots to kite - for both freestyle and wave conditions. Jalou pushed her waveriding skills and hit the freestyle hard as well. Jo pushed hard on the freestyle, and made sure to get some waveriding in for fun. These girls had fun rocking the spots together. Stay tuned for future magazine articles/movies of their adventures.

Ian Alldredge & Reo Stevens

Who says there isn’t good kiting in Bali? Ian Alldredge and Reo Stevens have been ripping it up there — scoring some incredible sessions, like the one in this video:

http://vimeo.com/14235525

Follow Ian and Reo on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/IanAlldredge

http://twitter.com/ReoStevens