I’m on It: Naish Triad

RIDER WEIGHT:  80kg // RIDER HEIGHT: 175cm

Since becoming Kite Designer for Naish and spending a lot more time on Maui, it’s a rite of passage to start riding more waves. It isn’t really the location for freestyle and park unfortunately. Every now and then I do get a freestyle session, but the conditions really need to align. I learnt to surf during the Covid lockdown period in Australia, so that has also sparked my interest more in wave riding. I really love it now, and want to explore more.

What we really focused on this year with the new Triad was surf style riding. We totally changed the kite, from the bridle to the profile progression, to the wingtip shape and the overall aspect ratios. We have really focused on being able to shut the power off when top turning and having very light pull in the kite through loops. The drift is incredible as well due to the profiles in the wingtips and the more squared-off shape. 

I rode the previous Triads a fair amount, especially when prototyping the new Triad as well. We always make sure to test kites back-to-back with something else to be sure that we are making improvements and enjoying the new kite more compared to the old one or other kites on the market.

On the new Triad I really wanted to see more depower and control, with less pull in the turns. This is what I believe a wave kite needs. You need to be able to kill the kite’s power in an instant so that when you are turning you can really take on all the wave’s power without getting too lit up. You also want a consistent light pull through turns so that when you’re riding fast and loop the kite you don’t build too much speed and lose control.

When designing a wave kite, you also feel that many of the characteristics you are looking for such as light pull, forgivingness, drift ability and so on, are what make a kite easy to use for freeride as well. This paired with the bridle change setting make the Triad an easy-to-use and predictable freeride kite as well.

The Synergy Bridle System offers two bridle settings, helping to turn the kite from a wave kite to freeride. The wave setting sits the kite further forward in the window and has more depower, while the freeride setting gives the kite a deeper, more consistent pull for sheet-in-and-go power. Basically what it does is it changes the tow point on the kite at an area which is very sensitive to change.

We have brand new TLS500 bridle lines on the kite, helping with less drag through the air and also breaking the surface tension more easily when relaunching. The new Triad also has the Bladder Cap construction, which is a new way to close the wingtip, ensuring no LE blowouts under high pressures and when the kite gets rolled in the waves.

We have added a profile lock seam as well to ensure the profile of the kite is held stiffer over time and locked into position. This will keep your kite feeling fresh year after year.

We tested the kite mostly on Maui and Oahu, in a wide range of conditions from nuking 5m wind, to light, underpowered, 12/14m onshore wave riding. We tested and developed the kite with our team who had a wide range of skills, weights and preferences. This included Des and Tim Walsh, Robby Naish, Ray Borg, Noah Hoffman and other trusted sources.

We wanted to make sure heavy riders don’t stress the kite which is why we rode a lot with Ray who is known internationally as 100kg Ray! It is important to test with these riders as many kites out there don’t stand up to heavier stresses that bigger riders exert on the kite.

I just got the chance to ride a few waves backside in Cape Town. I am regular stance and ride almost solely on rights so going left was a challenge. I surf lefts quite a lot, but the feeling of kiting backside is very different and a cool challenge. I did find unhooking made things feel a little freer and more open, maybe a rope slider would help this blocked feeling you get from kiting backside.

There is nothing like a perfect peeling right though on your frontside to make you feel like a hero! That is one thing I love about kiting waves, you can rip a lot harder than you do surfing with much less skill, haha!

Our trip to Cape Town was decent, but we missed out on the proper Cape Doctor which was a little unfortunate. What we did achieve was gain further knowledge and finish up the new Big Air kite we have been working on. We also spent valuable time catching up with Naish contacts and really immersing ourselves in the industry hot spot for kiting in the Northern Hemisphere winter months.

I am now home in Hood River, with a few work and kite trips to Maui planned, with hopefully a few other trips, maybe even for freestyle as it’s been a while. Coming up next we have the release of the Big Air kite. This is an exciting project we have been working on for a while. After that (and currently being worked on) we have the new Pivot and Boxer, so testing and prototyping really never stops. Exciting times!