Robby Naish
Encyclopedia
Robert Staunton Naish (born April 23, 1963 in La Jolla, San Diego, California
) is one of the first athletes to have gained long-lasting international fame in the sport of windsurfing
. At a young age, his father, competitive surfer and surfboard shaper Rick Naish, moved the family from California to Kailua, on the Hawaiian island
of Oahu
. It was there, at the age of 11, that Robby took up the fledgling new sport of windsurfing. Shortly thereafter, in 1976, he won his first overall World Championship title, at the age of 13.
Competing as an amateur, he went on to win successive World Championship titles from 1977 to 1979. After the emergence of the Professional Boardsailors' Association (PBA) — later to become the Professional Windsurfing Association (PWA) — Naish won the Overall World Champion title from 1983 to 1987, and the PWA World Champion title in 1988, 1989, and 1991. He was renowned for his 'Table Top' and 'Forward Loop' moves. Adding to his fame was his 'Longboard Loop', where he forward looped the 3.72m long Mistral Equipe.
In the nineties, branching out into new pursuits, Naish became a noted competitor in the emerging sport of kitesurfing
. In 1998, he won the kiteboarding slalom world title. In 1999, he won kiteboarding world titles in both slalom and jumping.
As an international sports celebrity, Naish has been featured in numerous films, videos, news reports, and articles. As of 2006, thirty years after his first World Champion title, popular lines of sailboards, sails, and kitesurfing equipment are marketed worldwide under the Naish name.
La Jolla, San Diego, California
La Jolla is an affluent, hilly seaside resort community, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean in Southern California within the northern city limits of San Diego. La Jolla had the highest home prices in the nation in 2008 and 2009; the average price of a standardized...
) is one of the first athletes to have gained long-lasting international fame in the sport of windsurfing
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
. At a young age, his father, competitive surfer and surfboard shaper Rick Naish, moved the family from California to Kailua, on the Hawaiian island
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
. It was there, at the age of 11, that Robby took up the fledgling new sport of windsurfing. Shortly thereafter, in 1976, he won his first overall World Championship title, at the age of 13.
Competing as an amateur, he went on to win successive World Championship titles from 1977 to 1979. After the emergence of the Professional Boardsailors' Association (PBA) — later to become the Professional Windsurfing Association (PWA) — Naish won the Overall World Champion title from 1983 to 1987, and the PWA World Champion title in 1988, 1989, and 1991. He was renowned for his 'Table Top' and 'Forward Loop' moves. Adding to his fame was his 'Longboard Loop', where he forward looped the 3.72m long Mistral Equipe.
In the nineties, branching out into new pursuits, Naish became a noted competitor in the emerging sport of kitesurfing
Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard or a...
. In 1998, he won the kiteboarding slalom world title. In 1999, he won kiteboarding world titles in both slalom and jumping.
As an international sports celebrity, Naish has been featured in numerous films, videos, news reports, and articles. As of 2006, thirty years after his first World Champion title, popular lines of sailboards, sails, and kitesurfing equipment are marketed worldwide under the Naish name.
External links
- Naish Naish kites, windsurf and surfboard site
- International Windsurfing Association biography