Naish Rider Check-In – Part Two

For the second installment of our rider series, we caught up with three athletes from very different corners of the Naish world. From wave foiling on Maui to freestyle in Greece and Brazil to a quiver-for-every-condition approach on Australia's east coast, here's what they're riding, why they love it, and where they session.

Part Two presents Leo, Alex, and Koa.

Leo

The Freestyle go-to setup: Naish Torch 12/14m Torque 3-bar 50cm, Traverse EJ Pro 144cm.
Big Air go-to: Naish Pivot NVision 8m, Torque 3-bar 55cm, Drive 138cm, Apex bindings.

Why it works. "I love this setup because it's fully optimised for freestyle. The Naish Torch is a true freestyle machine and has been around for decades. The classic five-strut C-shape generates an explosive pop, followed by plenty of slack to do your rotations with ease. It's also very stable and reliable when riding both hooked and unhooked. The Traverse EJ Pro is a heavier wakestyle board, but the 144cm is perfect for my size and it excels at absorbing hard landings. It has a nice, playful feel on the water, especially when riding finless, although I usually ride it with the 2.8cm fins that are exclusive to this model. They aren't too big, which is nice, as you don't want to feel too locked in the way you would for big air. They still provide plenty of grip for explosive pops but give you enough movement to balance and correct your angle on landings."

Home spot. 

"It's hard to pick one favourite, as I've been lucky enough to travel to plenty of world-renowned locations. In terms of conditions, I'd have to put Drepano, Greece as my favourite. It's unbeatable when it comes to wind for freestyle: extremely smooth with little to no gusts, consistent, and generally 17-22 knots, which is ideally what we're chasing. The fact that it often switches direction from morning to evening is also great, because you can kite both sides of the lighthouse/spit and have perfect flat water for both left- and right-foot tricks. The only downside is that the spot can get busy with five or more kiters.

<>It would also be rude not to mention Taiba, Brazil as one of my top spots. I've been consistently returning there for the past five years, which says something! The spot is so great thanks to ideal, consistent freestyle trade winds, flat lagoons, nice warm sunny weather, and being able to train alongside so many of my international kiteboarding friends and top-level athletes!"

Alex

The setup. "I don't really have one go-to, because I like to make the most of what's on offer for the day. But if I'm foiling, my go-to is probably the 744 Excalibur. Kite foiling, it's the Boxer 5m. If I'm kitesurfing, my go-to is the Hunt 10 and Fish 5'5. If I'm on a twin-tip, it's the Torch 12m and 152 EJ Pro with boots."

Why it works. "These are the products that best fit my size and weight, and the ones I like the feeling of best."

Home spot. Ballina, NSW.

Koa

The setup. "Naish 600 Siren"

Why it works. "I really like this foil because it has a lot of lift and pop. For jumps, the extra pop helps me learn and land new tricks. In the waves, it handles really well. It's very maneuverable and responsive, and overall it just feels great."

Home spot. "Ho'okipa, Maui"

That's a wrap on Part Two

Three riders, three disciplines, one brand under their feet. Whether you're chasing waves, dialing in your freestyle, or building a quiver for whatever the day brings, there's a Naish setup that fits. Stay tuned for the next installment, and come find your local dealer to get set up. Stay tuned for part III.

Article source here.