2014 Naish Park Review

Steve Bertie-Roberts reviews the 2014 Naish Park

The 2014 Naish Park review was conducted in Table View, Cape Town in good 20 to 26 knot cross shore winds with sometimes heavy 5’ waves on a Naish Global 5’8”.

The Feel

For 2014 the changes to the kite technology are an evolutionary jump compared to the usual annual tweaking we are used to.

One of the first sensations when heading out for your first session is just how smooth this kite feels to fly. Every move it kite makes is seamless and intuitive. The new bar with softer grip and a redesigned frictionless centre hole contributes to the smoother feel.

The Bridle

The biggest technical change is the new fixed bridle which has had the most noticeable effect. Finally the best of that legendary ‘C kite feel’ has been engineered into a bridled kite. Bar input is no longer muted by the action of pulleys and the kite responds instantly. Turning is snappier, and the power ramps up a lot quicker than before over the full travel of the bar. This means a lot more instant power when you need it. This means extra pop and boost. Pre-jumping even the most daunting close outs can now be done confidently with a massive safety margin.

The fixed bridle also gives the kite a more stable solid feel, as the front line attachment points are no longer variable. This means less distortion of the wing when turning and adds to the responsive feel and efficiency of the kite.

The Power 

The 2014 Park low end power has improved, bringing with it a whole host of advantages:

• It has a much wider wind range
• In lulls the kite just keeps on pulling
• There is no tendency to back stall when the bar is pulled in to the max
• The new kite accelerates further forward into the window

The Shape

Too much C kite DNA would of course be a disaster, as typically C kites have very limited depower, especially when accelerating down a wave. Fortunately Naish only took just enough to liven the Park up without losing the forgiving attributes of an SLE. On a sizeable wave the 2014 Park does however gain more dynamic lift when accelerating down the face than last year’s, but this can only be felt in strong conditions. A few cm of depower, and control is regained, thankfully not at the cost of turning response. Handling is smooth and easy and there is plenty of depower to initiate a tight bottom turn. The direct response of the fixed bridle means that minimal bar input needed to keep the kite ahead of your turns. Even at maximum depower for bottom turns, bar all the way out with slack steering lines, a quick flick of the bar brings the Park around facing down the wave instantly in time for your next turn.

Jumping

Almost forgot to mention how well this kite jumps. Higher altitudes can be reached than before due to the C kite like vertical acceleration, along with excellent hang time and control with improved glide. Never got to do any tricks and kite loops etc but there is no doubt the kite will be brilliant in this regard.

Gliding

One of the stand out attributes of a C kite is the consistent glide they provide even with the bar at full depower. SLE’s on the other hand, tend to unceremoniously drop you out of the sky if your bar is fully extended. Naish’s sliding bar stopper (optional on the Park for 2014) sits above the bar on the double center lines, and can be engaged instantly in any position when needed. Maximum bar travel is controlled, and the rider can keep the kite properly powered for complicated freestyle tricks where hands and concentration are needed elsewhere for grabs or board offs etc.

Overview

The 2014 Park is an excellent all terrain kite for all disciplines. Easy wave riding does not come at the cost of freeride performance. Handling is intuitive and forgiving enough for any level of rider and there is more than enough boost and top end excitement added to the mix to take any rider to the next level.

Pop a comment below if you have anything to add. Will be great to hear your opinions!

Kind regards

Brian from Naish South Africa