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Naish 2012

Naish has made a lot of changes for 2012 including all new shapes and construction for the twin tip line, a new line of strapless only surfboards, and refinements to the kites and existing directional boards. Designers Ian Ponting and Damien Girardin filled us in on what Naish has in store for the 2012 model year.

For 2012, Naish has three kites in its lineup. What are the changes compared to last year’s models?

The Torch received a lot of improvements based on rider demand and thanks to what we learned last year on the Park. Due to a slightly shorter wingspan and lowered side struts that allow for a more rigid profile on the wing tips, The Torch is now more stable and has a stiffer arc. Technically this gives a crisper bar feel and a more responsive kite, making the kite better in overpowered conditions and finishing turns even better providing extra pull to land without making a hole in the ocean!

The Park has been refined in order to provide added low end power without losing any of its light crisp feel. Its LE diameter and profile depth were tuned to improve the low-end pull. We also slightly reduced the sweep in order to get the overall platform closer to a real classic C-shape. In order to maintain the relaunch characteristics, we slightly extended the wing tips to keep the same leverage on the overall kite when the rider pulls on the back line. We also introduced our new Anti Stiction Windows that allow water to drain quicker out of the wing tip when relaunching. The result is that the rider can expect earlier planing without sacrificing handling.  The bar feel is crisper, which means the rider can better feel what the kite is doing and can steer it with precision.

On the Bolt, we focused on tuning each surface by reworking the LE diameter for each size thanks to our new automated LE calculation application. We also reworked the arc in order to have a better match between LE and trailing edge curve. The Bolt can now fly further forward in the window, provide better low end power, and is more lift efficient. Thanks to its Sigma outline and Geotech construction, it remains the most stable kite you can find to ride in gusty and shifty conditions.

Photo Tracy Kraft

Who is the target rider for each kite?

The Torch is dedicated to competition freestyle, unhooked waveriding, and power freeriding. The Park is really the kite dedicated to any rider, no matter his riding style or the conditions. The Bolt is for riders demanding superior stability, direct bar feel, fast turning, and easy jumping.

Why would you recommend a rider choose the Park over the Torch?

Want More? Get the rest plus info on 2012 gear from 18 more brands in the TKB 2012 Buyer’s Guide.

Choose your version of the 2012 Buyer’s Guide below. You can get a .pdf file for you to view on the device of your choice or you can also download the Buyer’s Guide directly to your mobile device through The Kiteboarder App.