Naish Kiteboarding is pleased to announce the addition of Ian Ponting to their product development and design team. 

Ian has been involved in the kiteboarding industry as an innovative product designer for the past 10 years and brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience. He will work in collaboration with Damien Girardin and the rest of the R&D team.

Ian will be based in Maui at the Naish International Headquarters.

Ezezquiel Ventura from Buenos Aires, Argentina is the lucky winner of our 2010 Charger Give Away. Congratulations from all of us at Naish and good winds.

See Sam Light’s Slider and Freestyle action in Australia on naishkites.com

Kevin Langeree presents his new World Champion “Limited Edition” Torch kite at the Naish Pro Center in Leucate during the recent Mondial du Vent event.

The Triple-S will feature the top pro kiteboarders in the world riding and competing in a unique freeride format that allows them to push the sport further than ever before. A total of 24 athletes will be scheduled to participate in the 2010 Triple-S Invitational held in Cape Hatteras, NC on June 5th - 11th, 2010.

From Naish the following athletes recieved invites:

• Ian Alldredge
• Kevin Langeree
• Sam Bell
• Sam Light

Alternate:

• Reo Stevens

Episodes 4 and 5 of Cape Sessions with Kevin Langeree is now available online at: www.kevinlangeree.com

Hey everybody! South Africa continued on a random path of inconsistency. Just when you write the place off as merely rumors, myths and misguided memories of a windy country – bam! - comes a couple of epic days.

The last few days were in good timing since I had a photographer and perfect weather to shoot a bunch of sequences for my next technique articles.

Woop – trip saved! Over the next couple of weeks I have a couple of articles to write up, a movie to upload on various channels on the internet and time to move house!
-Jo Wilson

For more information on Jo Wilson visit www.jowilson.com and www.jowilsoncoaching.com

World Champion, Kevin Langeree claimed 1st place at the first stop on the 2010 PKRA World Tour in Thailand last week.

The first day of freestyle single elimination surprised everyone when Kevin ended up 4th in the rankings. The next couple of days brought light wind conditions. Hin's famous thermal winds returned Sunday, allowing for the completion of the freestyle double elimination ladder and board-off competition.

Incredible high power action, and an amazing comeback from Kevin were the highlights of the competition. The next PKRA event will be the Mondial du Vent 2010 in Leucate, France.

Congratulations Kevin!

Photos: robertoforesti.com

For a full re-cap and results of the event visit: http://prokitetour.com/news.php?id=90

Episode 3 of Cape Sessions with Kevin Langeree is now available online at:

http://www.kevinlangeree.com/capessessions2.php

IKSURFMAG has nominated Jo Wilson as one of 2009's top 5 female riders. You can follow the link below to vote for Jo and help her claim victory!

http://www.iksurfmag.com/forum/

The second season of Cape Sessions kicked off last week with episode one released online.

Episode two will hit the web tomorrow with more action from Kevin Langeree's winter training in South Africa.

To view the online episodes go to: http://www.kevinlangeree.com/capessessions2.php

The latest Ben Wilson movie featuring Ian Alldredge as they travel through Australia is now available for free online.

Check out the life and travels of professional kiteboarders as they tear it up and get torn up by The Dirty South.

The guys attend the Mambo Classic and Ian takes first in the men's kiteboarding division.

To view the movie online for free go to: http://www.benwilsonsurf.com/dirtysouth

US Media Contact: Dean LaTourrette, dean@savethewaves.org; +1-415-596-7873

Save The Waves Field Teams Hit the Ground Running in Chile

March 6, 2010, Pichilemu/Curanipe, Chile – Save The Waves Coalition’s Chile relief ground teams have begun to distribute initial relief supplies to towns and villages that were hardest hit by the recent 8.8-magnitued earthquake and following tsunami. Teams have been traveling south from Pichilemu through the remote coastal areas and inland, reaching as far south as Duao in the northern part of Region VII, and supplying aid in small hard to reach towns along the way.

Save The Waves surf ambassador Ramon Navarro is leading the way in these efforts, and with his local knowledge of the region has already helped to supply initial water filters to provide clean drinking water, a crucial necessity right now, to those in need. Volunteers have also helped to clean up a school in Boyeruca that has suffered major damage. While more supplies arrive, water filters will continue to be dispersed over the coming days to help the many displaced families that are still without clean drinking water. Professional surfers Greg Long and Kohl Cristensen also arrived in Chile on Saturday with major supplies, including more water filters, and met up to support Navarro and others out of Pichilemu.

Further south, in the coastal town of Curanipe, which sits just 5km from the quake epicenter, Save The Waves’ Josh Berry arrived Saturday with a team of medics and truckloads of relief supplies, to distribute in the region. Berry and team also rendezvoused with Save The Waves’ local Coastkeeper program manager and Curanipe resident, Rodrigo de la O, who is directing a large portion of the relief efforts in the area.

Save The Waves has been working with nonprofit Waves for Water to supply water filters for clean drinking water to devastated communities where homes, restaurants, and entire fishing fleets have been completely destroyed. There are currently 1,000 filters now either in or en route to Chile, for distribution to coastal regions, in addition to other supplies. While initial relief effort progress has been significant, much more support and assistance will be necessary in the coming weeks as Chile continues to recover from this massive disaster.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

International support:
Save The Waves Coalition:

• Online donations:  http://www.savethewaves.org/
• Donations by check:  Save The Waves Coalition

PO Box 183, Davenport, CA 95017, USA; +1-831-426-6169

• Mark “Chile Earthquake” in comments/memo fields
• Save The Waves Nonprofit Tax ID # 36-4515216
• Contact: Lindsey Davis, +1-831-426-6169, lindsey@savethewaves.org

Local support, Pichilemu (supplies & other donations):

• Polanco's Supermercado, Calle Principal, Pichilemu, Chile
• The Pichilemu Institute of Language Studies: www.pichilemulanguage.com
• Local contact: Quinn Campbell, +1-714-293-0620 cell, quinn.campbell@quiksilver.com

Local support, Curanipe (supplies & other donations):

• Local contact: Rodrigo de la O, +56 9 9359 6318, curanipetur@gmail.com

My name is Arnaud Frennet. For those of you who do not know me, I am a Naish rider for both SUP and Winsurfing based here in Chile.

As I am sure you have heard, we have been hit by a devastating 8.8 Earthquake that was followed by a Tsunami.

My family and myself have been very fortunate given the circumstances, despite some material damage (the tsunami reached our house in Punta de Lobos but did not destroy it).

Unfortunately, some of our friends and neighbors did not have the same fate and lost everything. We put all of our energy into helping them recover.

All of the Surf, SUP, Kite and Windsurf communities have come together to help. The most damaged areas extend from Tirua to Pichilemu, which is the most famous area for watersports in Chile, and for sure one of the most intense on Earth.

- Arnaud Frennet

The second season of Cape Sessions is being released March, 2010. Cape Sessions is an online Kiteboarding series about the life of World Champion, Kevin Langeree.

Produced by Nick Hoedean and Arthur Neumeier who follow the life of Kevin Langeree as he spends his winter training in South Africa to claim the World Title once again.

Stay tuned for the upcoming series coming soon to: http://kevinlangeree.com.

To view the promo for the 2010 season visit: http://www.kevinlangeree.com/capessessions2.php

Team Naish Australia had a successful event at the 2010 Australian Freestyle Championships held at St. Kilda Beach, Melbourne on February 11 - 13, 2010.

No events took place on day one due to light wind, torrential rain and lighting cracking. The wind built to 12m conditions for day two and a single elimination was completed with Naish Rider Simon Wichterman finishing 3rd after just beating his Naish teammate Ewan Jaspen who took 4th.

Ewan was competing in the Junior division as well as the open mens, so he was stoked to finish 4th in the single elimination open mens division.

Simon and Ewan had spent a month training together in Western Australia with International Naish Rider, Sam Light.

Day three saw the completion of the double elimination with Ewan defending his 4th position, which again brought him up against Naish teammate Simon. This time Ewan took 3rd overall, while Simon claimed 4th.

Ewan finished off a great event with a 2nd place in the Junior Mens and 1st place in the kiteacross race against a field of International Riders.

Kevin makes the cover of Kiteworld Magazine with this shot taken the day he was crowned World Champion.

Inside this February/March 2010 Issue you will also find an exclusive interview with the World Champion himself.

Sam is the man when it comes to wakestyle kiting. He rips.

Check out Sam's latest video from his trip in Australia where he's simply mastering wakestyle: Aesthetics

Flo: South Africa, then Philippines

Rick: Ripping in Thailand

I am from Seattle, WA. I am in 5th grade and my favorite subject in school is math.  My parents are French so I am too. I also have a little brother called Maui who is 6 and ¾ year old.

My favorites kiting locations: Jetty Island, WA and the Sand Bar Hood River, OR. My favorite’s kiters are: Sean Richman, Kevin Langree and Sky Solbach. And I admire how Robby Naish is still doing sports  from  windsurfing and kiting and a champion in both. Another thing is I have rode with Sean and Sky in Hood River this summer.

My favorite’s tricks: Stailfish, one handed toe side and toe side transition. I just landed my first back roll.

My word of wisdom is ‘BE AWESOME”
Some other sports I enjoy are Snowboarding, park I won third place in a snowboarding competition called the Greenhorns Games. I ride powder at Mount Baker and at Alpental. Also I play soccer with my team the Hornets and this year we were the Gold Division Champions for U11. Pretty soon I will be snow kiting.

I think these people rock!!: Mark Landvik, Micheal Jackson, Yoan Gourcuff, Santa Claus, my friend Leo and Larry the Big Kahuna!!!

My favorite food is pasta and my favorite drink is chocolate milk shake.

My favorite kiting day: Jetty on my 6m. My favorite animal is a flying pig. My 3 top things to do: Ride, Ride and Ride again, be cool with everybody and everything, be helpful and have fun!

I am a good student at school always have good report cards and I also am a peace manager in my school. A peace manager is going on little kid’s playground to make sure it is peaceful and help them to get along.

My goals are to promote and gain support for Cancer research by riding next year in the Kite boarding For Cancer in Hood River.  Many people and kiters noticed me and are very friendly, maybe because I am the smallest kiter in the Seattle area and Hood River area.

Thanks,
Matteo

• Kevin, Jalou, Sjoukje in South Africa, filming Cape sessions.
• Jo Wilson in Philippines heading to South Africa.
• Sam Light in Australia working on Videos.
  
• Florian Daubos freezing in France heading to Australia in February.
  
• Rick Jensen freezing in Germany heading to Thailand in February.
  
• Ian Alldredge, back in Cal after a trip to Maui, heading to the Caribbean.
  
• Reo Stevens, best surfing winter ever, but he is sitting on his couch.

Jo Wilson in the Philippines - Photo Credit: abbomusic.com

Jalou Langeree in South Africa

Benni Bozano introduces Action To Sport, A2S, to Italy. The new offices and warehouse are located in Rapallo (Genoa) very close to highway A12 and Genoa Harbor.

A2S is a sports distribution company focusing on action sport and sailing markets. A2S is now your direct source for all Naish gear throughout all of Italy.

Action to Sport Srl
Cia San Pietro 40B
16035 Rapallo (GE), Italy
Contact: Benni.b@action2sport.com

Sam Light: Kiteboarding Magazine (February 2010)

The Mambo wave festival at Merimbula NSW Australia is one of the longest running wind and wave events in the world.

The format is simple, 4 days of Windsurfing, Kitesurfing, SUP, Surfing and partying.

There are no heats. You do not know who the judges are, and you are being judged from the time you arrive till the time you collapse.

You ride what you want, when you want.

On the water the Naish team dominated:

Kitesurfing
1st Ian Alldredge (Naish)

Junior Kitesurfing
2nd Ewan Jasper (Naish)

SUP Wave
1st Matt Lumley (Naish)
2nd Paul Jackson (Naish)

SUP Team Race
1st Team Naish Queensland

Overall King Mambo
John Messenger (Naish)

We have a winner for the 2010 Naish Helix! Congratulations to James Whiteman from New Zealand.

James said, "Firstly I would just like to say THANK YOU SO MUCH. Life has been going great, I live to kite. I will kite to live."

Next up we will be giving away 2010 Naish Charger. Keep a look out for that free give away that will be going on from March 1st, 2010 till April 1st, 2010.

Check out the video to see what Jalou has been up to:

http://www.vimeo.com/8031017

KEVIN LANGEREE: PKRA 2009 WORLD CHAMPION

The results are in for the final event on the PKRA 2009 World Tour. Naish rider Kevin Langeree takes home World Champion and Naish rider Alex Pastor claims 1st Place at the Teri Kite Pro 2009. 

After a tough year of extreme competition, Naish rider Kevin Langeree from Noordwijk in the Netherlands is the World Champion of the PKRA 2009 World Tour.

“It feels so good I still can’t describe it! My cheeks are sore from smiling all day!

My dream has just come to reality!!! I just won the world title! I'm so stoked you just can't  believe. I have no words for it...

I want to thank my parents for all the support they gave me all those years and mom I won, now you have to win as well.

I also want to thank all my sponsor at NAISH, O'Neill, USA vision eye wear, Ben&Jerry's and Holidaycars.com for every thing they have done for me. With out them I would have never reached my goal!

Now it's time to celebrate. "

-Kevin Langeree

ALEX PASTOR WINS THE TERI KITE 2009 IN NEW CALEDONIA

At the final event of the PKRA 2009 World Tour, Naish rider Alex Pastor from Spain stepped up to the plate nailing impressive tricks and claimed Champion of the Teri Kite Pro 2009 in New Caledonia.

“I just went for it with all of my energy,” said Alex.  “I’m really happy, this is the first PKRA I have won and hopefully not the last!”

KAROLINA WINKOWSKA: 3rd OVERALL and 2nd at the TERI KITE PRO 2009

Naish team rider Karolina Winkowska takes 2nd at the Teri Kite Pro 2009 making her 3rd overall for the PKRA 2009 World Tour.

Congratulations Karolina! And congratulations to all three Naish team riders that made it to the podium for the 2009 Championship event. We are very proud of our Naish team and the success of the 2010 Naish gear.

LINKS AND VIDEOS FROM PKRA 2009 CHAMPIONSHIP

For more information and clips from the event please visit:  www.prokitetour.com

For videos from the event please visit:  http://www.extremeelements.tv/miss-teri-kitesurf-pro-day-4-in-new-caledonia-2009-kiteboarding-world-tour

Photo Credit: Roberto Foresti/ Canon

Photo Credit: Patrice Morin

As the snow began to fall in The Gorge, Wyatt Cohen (New owner of South Padre Island Kiteboarding) and I (Nick Stuart the North American Naish Rep) hopped on a plane to Texas hoping to catch the beginning of the season in South Padre Island.  South Padre has huge flats that are waist deep for as far as you can see, and on the other side of this narrow island is the Gulf of Mexico that provides you with small to medium size surf.   During their windy season that runs from November through April they get pretty consistent 18 to 25 mph winds.

Upon arrival to this island that is located on the boarder of the US and Mexico, we were immediately welcomed by 75 degrees and blue skies.  Not bad since we just left in a snow storm. We headed straight for the South Padre Island Kiteboarding Shop on the north side of the island to meet up with the rest of the crew.  After packing up the trailer we immediately bee-lined it to the North Flats for 3 days of demos.  The wind was light and came in waves.  Despite the conditions there was a great crowd of people that were stoked to see the new line up.  During the lulls in wind, riders that had traveled to South Padre from all over the US gave great feedback on the kites and what characteristics are most important for their local beach.  At the end of the third day the wind still had never fully kicked in, but the trip was still a success due to the great company on the North Flats.  A big thank you goes out to the Crew at SPIK and all of the riders that hung out at the North Flats for 3 days.

As Wyatt Cohen headed back to The Gorge, I traveled north to Corpus Christi to drop in on Jeff Howard at the Kiteboarding.com Shop.  This shop truly deserves the name “shop” with bladders being repaired in the front, and Jeff Howard sewing some sort of prototype in the back.  Jeff and crew had great insight as to everything kite related, from the local scene to kite construction.  I found out among many things that Corpus has great year round winds, tons of spots and very diverse riding conditions.  I look forward to returning to ride with the Corpus Crew soon.  Thanks for lunch Jeff!

Next Stop Florida!

Check out our facebook page for more details: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Naish-International/159056065892?ref=ts

Kitesurfing continues to gain momentum in Italy.  Newcomers to the sport have increased substantially and more competitions, events and contests are being featured.

The 2010 Naish Team Italy is excited to present the newest additions to their fleet.  Chiara Esposito from Napoli joins team Naish this year along with Andrea Sterbini from Rome.

At 15 years old, Chiara Esposito is already a top contender in Italy.  She has taken home the trophy at many freestyle contest and plans on claiming the Italian Champion title soon.

Chiara Esposito

Andrea Sterbini is an excellent waverider that rides the Naish Cult and Custom Wave board.  We are happy to have him join the squad as well!

Naish team Italy has also brought on board a couple young athletes, 13 year-old Giuseppe Notarianni from South of Italy and 13 year-old Giulio Chiti from Tuscany.

Daniele Maiorino, Naish Italy team leader who is training hard for next season said, “It’s time to come back to the top.”

The rest of the 2010 Naish Team Italy include:  Cristiano Cecchini “South Gun” from Bari, the veterans: Roberto Mocellin and Daniele Nolasco, and our female contender since 2000, Franziska Otth.

Andrea Sternini

Daniele Maiorino

Kevin Langeree Video: NK KITE 2009

Kevin Langeree is the kiteboarder to watch. Kevin Langeree is the kiteboarder to watch. This video of Kevin was filmed at the 2009 Dutch Championships when he was crowned Dutch Champ!

Kevin will be competing for World Champ at the PKRA final event in New Caledonia next week.

www.vimeo.com

Ian Alldredge Kitesurfs Strapless

Ian Alldredge shredding strapless, surfing with a kite. Check it out:

www.youtube.com/Ian

Naish Euro Tour Part II

The Naish Euro Tour was on the road again for a demo close to Leucate, South of France.

http://vimeo.com/7647347

The highly anticipated final event of the 2009 PKRA World Kiteboarding Tour takes place in New Caledonia on November 25th – November 29th, 2009.

Naish team rider, Kevin Langeree is headed to the PKRA World Championship event with his eyes on the prize.  Kevin has been working hard this year and recently won first place in Germany.  He plans on taking home his first World Title and will be going up against Aaron Hadlow who has won 5 years in a row.

Naish team rider Alex Pastor will also be attending the event and tugging at the reigns for worl champion.

For more information on this event visit: www.prokitetour.com

Kevin LangereeAlex Pastor

Jalou Langeree competed in the KPWT event in Brazil taking home 4th place in the freestyle and 3rd place in the waves.

Nice job Jalou!

For more on the KPWT events visit: www.kiteboardpro.com

Naish team rider Alex Pastor kiteboards Cauipe, Brazil.

Alex is currently in Brazil training for the final PKRA event. Watch him make elaborate moves look effortless on his new 2010 Naish Torch and Thorn CC.

Check out the footage at: http://www.youtube.com/

British Champion 2009, Sam Light, makes the cover of Kitesurf Magazine's Nov./Dec. 2009 issue.

Within this same issue you can explore Turkey with Jo Wilson and discover kiteboarding at Reunion Island with Reo Stevens and Ian Alldredge.

Sam will be competing along with Kevin Langeree and Alex Pastor at the final event of the PKRA for the World Title November 25th - 29th in New Caledomia.

Stay tuned for more on the competition everyone has been anticipating all year long.

Pick up a Kitesurf magazine today or visit their website at www.kitesurf-magazine.co.uk.

During Kevin's Euro tour this year a Dutch television crew followed the Naish team rider on and off the water to give all of us a day in the life of a Pro.

Catch the excitement for yourself at: www.101.tv/trickmania

Kite Designer, Damien Girardin and Naish Team Rider, Kevin Langeree recently travelled around Europe to ride all over France and demo the new 2010 Naish kite range. Check out the footage from their first few days in Europe:

www.eurotour1.com

The Cult contest has a winner! Congratulations to Sasha Bogojevic of Naples, FL! Thank you to all who participated and don't miss out on our upcoming contests. Below you will see our latest contest for the 2010 Helix. Enter today for your chance to win!

"Sweet! I have to say this is most unexpected as my luck lately has been to say the least nonexistent. I greatly appreciate it!"

- Sasha Bogojevic

The Haze delivers reliable performance for all rider levels in all conditions. 

For beginners and advanced freeriders alike, easy is good.  The Haze gives you the reliability to take your kiteboarding anywhere you want to go.

The outline, rocker and flex have all been engineered to provide power when needed and control at a moments notice.  The outline is a blend of the Thorn (80%) and the Sol (20%).  The Haze shares the same low rocker as the Thorn for efficient planing, and incorporates a unique flex for the ultimate in control.

The Haze utilizes the same premium materials and construction technology that makes all Naish kiteboards the industry’s finest.  Combined with the latest revolution in component performance, the Haze is an unbeatable package.

The Thorn CC delivers the most direct power for light wind efficiency, upwind drive, and explosive freestyle pop on-demand.  It was no small project to improve upon the performance of the 2009 Thorn.  Devin Langeree was unwilling to compromise any amount of the Thorn’s speed and power that has been absolutely proven by his competition excellence in the various conditions around the world.

The Thorn’s moderately more parallel outline, wider tips and low rocker line perfectly balances locked-in grip with essential control.  Our greatest achievement for the 2010 was from continued construction development where we managed to combine truly the best attributes of the 2009 thorn and Thorn FC. 

The winning combination for the 2010 Thorn CC construction was discovered with the same top and bottom laminates as the 2009 Thorn, but replacing its I-beam core with carbon fiber composites from the FC.  The end result is a new Thorn that has the solid contol of the 2009 Thorn, with the responsive liveliness of the FC.

*TIP2TIP Hybrid Wood Core
*Carbon Composite Laminates
*Optimized Response Flex
*Pro Power Performance

No sibling rivalry between Kevin and Jalou Langeree when they BOTH take home first place at the same event.  Kevin and Jalou dominated the Dutch Championship this weekend, October 3rd and 4th, in the men and women singles and doubles.

Both athletes have streaks going in this event with Kevin winning in the men’s division for the 4th time in a row and Jalou taking home first place for the women for the 5th time!

The Euro Tour with Kevin Langeree and Damien Girardin has finally reached its end. Even though the wind was less than ideal, the guys had some good sessions and met a lot people and dealers all over Europe. Their trip took them from the South of France to Holland, through Tarifa (Spain) and Belgium in a quick 13 days.

Two windy days in France allowed for some 2010 Product testing. People were stoked with the new gear and kite designer Damien Girardin received a lot of positive feedback. Kevin threw some pretty serious action that pleased both the crowd and the Dutch TV crew following him for an upcoming show. The Naish Party in Montpellier was a huge success with almost every Kiteboarding VIP from the South of France attending.

The Spanish session kicked off with some luggage negotiation.  Getting 250kg (550lbs) of gear on one plane can be difficult, but after some friendly negotiations they were on their way.

Tarifa in September is an ideal kiting spot. If, on a rare occurrence, there is no wind, it is also an excellent location for stand-up paddling.  Kevin and Damien met with the new Spanish Importer to present the 2010 gear to the Spanish dealers.  The feedback from the dealers was excellent and two days of Levante wind allowed for some good product testing on the water.

Then they were off to Belgium and Holland, where Kevin and Guido (Naish’s Dutch Rep.) had a chance to show Damien their homeland.  Their quest for wind was unsuccessful but once again they received positive feedback from the dealers on the 2010 Naish gear. The final celebration with Kevin’s fans and friends was a blast and an excellent conclusion to the tour.

Naish would like to thank the fans and dealers met along the road for their warm welcome and hospitality.  See you all on the water soon!

Last week from September 16th - 20th, Kevin Langeree, kite designer Damien Girardin and I were on the road in the South of France showing people what’s up with the new 2010 Naish gear.

The first day we went to Port Saint Louis (close to Marseille) to visit flysurf.com at their office. 

Wind was lacking so we decided to open a forum on the web site for anyone who wanted to express themselves about the 2010 product line. It was very interesting to hear all of the expectations and observations. Many people came to congratulate on a job well done, which was pretty cool.

The next day we drove to Almanarre, which is 2 hours east of Port Saint Louis. There was still no wind so we hung around and met different kiters who were pretty stoked to see us at their spots. That night we drove to Montpellier.

The third day, after visiting some local shops, we went to la Grande Motte since the forecast was south east wind blowing at 15 knots. It looked hopeful that we would get some action in the afternoon. Over 20 kites and 15 boards were being shown off on the very crowded beach.

That night a party was organized in the center of Montpellier at Café Joseph. The bar was decorated with Thorn kiteboards on the wall and Sigma kites on the ceiling. It was really fun to see all these things in the middle of the city. The place filled up and we had an awesome time.

The last day we stopped at Leucate. The wind was already blowing strong by morning and after an awesome breakfast at the Naish Pro Center we went to a spot called la Vieille Nouvelle. The wind, pretty constant, was coming straight off shore and the water was flat. The spot was really nice with a wild and rugged landscape. We rode the whole day. It was so cool to do a full-on run together, close to the beach! It is true that happiness only exists when shared!

Everyone was very stoked about the 2010 Naish products, especially with the new Charger, which made a big impression as the perfect user-friendly and stable depower kite.

The Euro tour continues to Spain then it will travel to Holland and Belgium.

Keep tuned ;-)).

Cheers.

Florian Daubos. 

Sam Bell has the insight and the knowledge on the ideal equipment necessary for the ultimate kiting experience.  He exposes the best kept secrets on products, from the kite itself, to the accessories that accompany it.

Check out this article that gives you the “down low” on what you really need, and what you could probably do without:

http://www.sbckiteboard.com

Kristine Hoffman has a new, fresh idea that comes from old, tough kites.

Hoffman's innovative and environmentally friendly approach to every day totes has made a splash that landed her on the big screen.
Take a look!

Go To: http://www.khnl.com

Grav-D
Integrated Footstrap / Footpad Binding System

Fourth generation of our exclusive Grav-D design, wrapping around and under the foot for revolutionary footstrap performance.

New design with “wake-boot outside” for amazing support and “footstrap inside” for heel angle freedom!
New double strap adjustment feature to trim the angle of the footstrap top for optimal fit!
New overlapping strap design providing size adjustment in width as well as height!
New molded footbed for increased cushioning!

All new mounting options include:
* Positioning options on center or closer to the rail
* Stance width fine tuning
* Additional strap/pad angle options

* Ergonomic 3-D footbed shaping
* Full comfort shock absorption
* High grip texture
* Carbon fiber footpad plate

Up close and personal with Kevin Langeree:

www.youtube.com

Kevin Langeree and kite designer Damien Girardin are packing their bags with all of the new 2010 kites and kiteboards and heading South of France for a demo tour!  From September 16th to the 20th here is what the boys have in store:

Check out these testimonials about the new 2010 Cult:

“Nice job on the 2010 Cult.  Bravo!  I had a good feeling about it when I tried it with you in Waddell, but now there are no questions. The 2010 Cult is better than the ’09 Helix and ’09 Cult.  It is closer to the ’09 Helix in terms of pop, turning speed and power, but has the ease of the ’09 Cult.  Here is what I think:

·      The Cult turns faster in loops, both hooked and unhooked, generates more pull in the turns, has more pop for the jumps, glides better than the ’09 Helix and of course the ’09 Cult.  

·      The new Cult overall has more power than the ’09 Cult (kind of like the ’09 Helix to me) and is super stable and very pleasant in bar.  

·      The 2010 is definitely behaving better for unhooked moving (kiteloops, raileys etc.) compared to both ’09 Helix and Cult.  

·      There is no more line wrapping when you loop the kite thanks to the new “Y”.  It is a very good combination with the Momentum.  

In three words, I LOVE IT!”

- Fred, San Francisco

“I got out on my new 10.5 Cult yesterday, for a flat water light wind session. The wind was between 14 and 18 and rode the 5'7'' global. I weigh 170 lbs. The first thing I felt was how light and responsive the kite flew thru the air. Very solid and stable. I had to work some to get up wind but in the gusts it flew up wind like a champ.

The next thing I felt was the solid pull while working the kite. I think it has more power than the 09 Helix. The 10.5 has been my biggest kite for awhile and I am stoked to see the new Cult with more power and grunt.

The kite felt quicker than the Helix, which leads me to believe it will be awesome in the waves.

During my session the wind picked up towards the end and I was able to get jumps in.

The bar pressure feels perfect and I really feel that setting up for jumps and pulling the trigger is so much more positive than in the past. Feeling the kite on all points of rotation.

More like the days of the C.

Love the new bar.

I think the designers have nailed it again with this kite and can’t wait to try the new Helix.

Thanks for the stoke.”

-Greg, North Carolina

Hi Naish,

Just got my new torch 2010, fantastic! I have only had the 11m on two sessions and it rocks.

I must say the 11m Naish Torch is the best kite I have ever flown; it makes bar passes a breeze.

Thanks Naish,

-Andrew , Australia

Join team Naish this year for the 2010 Naish beach shows!  From October 9th, 2009 – July 2010, Naish beach shows will be occurring across the US.  Check out the one nearest you and join us for 2010 product demos, riding clinics by Naish Team Riders, kite technology clinics, and kite gear tuning and trouble-shooting clinics.

Below is a list of the locations and dates; don’t miss out on this rocking 2010 kite tour!

For more info about the tour & show schedules
please visit the Naish International Facebook Page

Join the free demo day for SUP and Kitesurfing September 5th, 2009 on the Gold Coast.  Learn to SUP, Kitesurf and bring the family to BBQ!  You can try the latest gear from Naish.  It will be held at Corrumbin Alley very close to the Roar Industries shop: 

Roar Industries   
8 Thrower Drive Corrumbin 4223  
Ph. 55 257 003 

For more information on this event go to:

www.kitesurfinggoldcoast.com.au

Kevin Langeree’s visit to Triple C surf shop in Dunkerque was a huge success! Here is a video from last weeks event that brought out drodes of people including the mayor to the signing, freestyle session and after party.

Check out this video from Triple C:

http://triple-c.smugmug.com/News/AOUT-2009/Vidéo-Kevin-Langeree-21-Août/9400583_jZNib

Kevin put his 2010 Torch to good use as he scored at the legendary “La Torche” wave break Tuesday and Wednesday.  Waves reached 2.5 meters with winds blowing at 25 knots.  Loads of kiteboarders came in the morning to share a session with Kevin.  Even Kiteboarder Magazine was there to meet with him. 

Jalou Langeree and Jo Wilson travelled to China for the first ever Weifang Binhai International Kitesurf Tournament.  This government organized event kicked off with a bang!  The opening ceremony was an event in itself including a Kitesurfing National Anthem, fireworks display, water-sports show, cameras, TV crews and radio stations. 

Over 5,000 spectators came to witness the riders compete from 27 different countries.  Though the lack of wind was disappointing, one day of 12m wind provided enough force for the 500m race and best trick and expression session.  Jalou took 1st place for the women and 5th place overall while Jo took 6th place overall.  Nice work ladies!

The entire experience proved to be a unique and exciting adventure.  Wilson said, “We spent 4 days blown out of our minds with their culture and enthusiasm for us being there.”  The girls felt like queens as they were escorted to the races by a police car with flashing lights.  They were provided with a translator who insisted on tagging along to all the appearances.  Langeree said, “The people were great and very interested and willing to help out anytime.”

China didn’t slack on the festivities.  The event also ended with a bang as everyone gathered for dancing and drinks!

Steen Carstens and his Naish Helix Kite broke boundaries Monday August 17th as he conquered the Guinness World Long Distance Kite Surfing Record by 37 miles.  Carstens journey took him 207-miles, beginning on the small Danish island of Sprogo until he reached the Swedish town of Lysekil 12 hours later.

 “I could have gone on for a few more hours (adding 50 more miles to the record) but the RIB needed to go back to Skagen DK.  The Helix 9m2 handled well and was well suited for this record-breaking effort.  I really like my Naish Kites and look forward to breaking some more records!” says Steen Carstens.

For the first 6 hours the wind was blowing at 12-16 knots from west-south west.  However, when Carstens was travelling a little south of Laeso the wind died down to 4 knots unexpectedly.  Carstens was able to keep his Naish Helix flying slowly from one side to another for the next 45 minutes.  Finally, north of the island, the wind started picking up again and it wasn’t long before it reached 25 knots and the foaming waves were 4-5 meters! 

Twelve hours, 207 miles/331.5 kilometers and just a little south of the Norwegian borders, Steen Carstens, the former professional sailor, raised the bar for kite surfers everywhere with the worlds new long distance record.  Congratulations Steen!

go.tv2.dk/video.php/id-24442387.html

Naish International is now on Facebook! Come join us:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=121388396355&ref=ts

Maui resident Jessica Alderson has selflessly dedicated the next six months of her life to volunteering in orphanages in Mwanza, Tanzania and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  This is a self-funded excursion and Naish is a proud supporter of her journey. 

Two months ago, the Maui community came together at a bikini carwash to help raise money for Jessica’s voyage.  Naish donated bags, shirts, sweatshirts, DVDs, hot sauce and more to entice residents to stop by, donate and receive free give-aways!  Naish also donated luggage to Jessica to help out the cause. 

The benefit was a success and Jessica was able to collect $2,000 that she used to purchase supplies for the orphans. 

“I’ve packed a huge Naish suitcase absolutely stuffed full of supplies for the orphanages.  Everything from art supplies, candy, dental supplies, games, feminine products, and baby stuff,” she said. “I can’t fit another piece of bubble gum in that bag!  It’s exciting to know that 75lbs of needed and new things are going with me to disperse accordingly.  To see those faces when that bag is opened for them!”  Jessica exclaimed practically in tears.

We wish you the best of luck Jessica, and hope you have a safe and fulfilling experience.  Thank you for this random act of kindness.

One final farewell from Jessica: “To everyone who’s supported me and have helped to make this journey nothing but amazing… THANK YOU!  I’m so very grateful for the people that have circled themselves around me and showed me their appreciation and love towards my trip.”

Kevin Langeree Begins Euro Tour

The New 2010 Cult Getting Waves of Attention!

Team Rider News

What Has Jo Wilson Been Up To?

Naish Welcomes Fabienne Dortoli

Naish Rocks the Orange Massilia Freestyle Cup

The Hood River Slider Scene

Adam Vance Feels The Need For SPEED

Adam Vance has made a bid this season to throw his hat into the San Francisco Cabrinha Race Series. Course racing is quickly catching hold worldwide, and Adam is proving that with a lot of hard work, dedicated training, and proper gear, that it is possible to keep up with the big boys. Adam lives and trains in Seattle, and travels for each event. Adam’s results are impressive so far this season, and he is in the top five for the series up to this point. Good luck Adam at the next race on June 25th.

Mark Barnes Wins in a Landslide

Naish Local Team Rider Mark Barnes has been elected President of the Columbia Gorge Kiteboarding Association. Pacific Board Sports would like to thank Mark for his support not only as a rider, but for his continuing work to improve the local kiting scene and access. Mark states “The misson of the CGKA is to maintain, improve, an increase kiteboarding access in the Gorge.” Photo Credit: Henry Rico