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Naish AR5

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tautologies
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Re: Naish AR5

Postby tautologies » Fri Mar 01, 2013 11:15 pm

lol, the funny thing about this is that we remember them as good kites, and are not really aware of how much better the kites have gotten.

Sure they were good for their time, but man how much better aren't the kites now???

I can look at the kite smile and think...I am glad I have newer kite. Sure accidents still happen, but it seem to me we had people get pulled into trees and peoples backyards every other day then...hmm..come to think of it..we still kind of do...and they are all on pickleforks and old kites.
Kidding.

The problem these days it that it is almost too easy so people have no idea how to get out of trouble.

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Re: Naish AR5

Postby not annonymous » Sat Mar 02, 2013 7:10 pm

My friend had a 15.5 ar5. Back in those days I was flying foil kites and when I tried it out I remember thinking that the connection to the pull seemed extremely floppy - like there was a big lag time between bar input and kite and response.

Nothing at all like the foil kites at the time or the modern stiff leading edge inflatables of today.

My friend loved that kite but after trying it I stuck with foil kites for a very long time. I think it was not until 2004 -2005 that the inflatable kites started to catch up in terms of that stiff, direct connection feeling.

Trent

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Re: Naish AR5

Postby braveman » Sun Mar 03, 2013 11:24 am

I had a Rhino2 12m. Actual wind range was app. 14-20 knots :lol:
turned soooo slow and sat way back in the wind window.

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Re: Naish AR5

Postby bigwave » Sun Mar 03, 2013 7:42 pm

tautologies wrote:lol, the funny thing about this is that we remember them as good kites, and are not really aware of how much better the kites have gotten.

Sure they were good for their time, but man how much better aren't the kites now???

I can look at the kite smile and think...I am glad I have newer kite. Sure accidents still happen, but it seem to me we had people get pulled into trees and peoples backyards every other day then...hmm..come to think of it..we still kind of do...and they are all on pickleforks and old kites.
Kidding.

The problem these days it that it is almost too easy so people have no idea how to get out of trouble.
The AR5 IMO was a game changer. It truly offered some control other than edging the board. I feel, back in the day, 2 line inflatables and foil kites made you a more skilled kiter. You had to edge and fly the kite more precisely than todays models. If you have never flown a 2 line kite or early model 4 line C like the AR5, use your sliding stopper if you have one and slide it all the way down to the bar. Now you can experience some reasons why you really needed boots and could ride a lunch tray!
Todays kites are fantastic! Controllable, good safety systems, go upwind like its cheating. If you used an AR5 ( I had a 7.5 11.5 15.5) and todays kites side by side it would be no contest which would be the better kite. But back in the day it was the best kite out there for a time, all the pros, Robby,Flash, Pete Chris and Julie rocked that kite!

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Re: Naish AR5

Postby tautologies » Mon Mar 04, 2013 10:34 am

bigwave wrote:
The AR5 IMO was a game changer.
For sure it was. I totally agree.

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Re: Naish AR5

Postby Peter_Frank » Mon Mar 04, 2013 7:56 pm

tautologies wrote:
bigwave wrote:
The AR5 IMO was a game changer.
For sure it was. I totally agree.
Agree.

In my eyes there were two early game changers.

After the early two line Wipika Classics that got known in 1998, and was HUGE because of the innovation of course, there were three major changes in kites since, and till now, IMO.

The Naish AR5 in 2000 was the first game changer - it was a huge step forward in terms of control and range and EVERYTHING !
I had flown foils till now, and (unlike another poster here), I felt the AR5 was really direct and a perfect dream :thumb:

But if the other poster had a 15.5m2 I understand his doubt - as we used AR5 9.5 and max 11.5 for 80kg riders, which worked awesome 8)
And 5.5 when windy.

I ditched all my foils then, eventhough I think they are per definition a much better and more complex, attractive and impressive wing - as they all had some issues one kind or another, and not even close to the controllability and turning and practical as the AR5 was - REALLY a game changer.


Shortly after the AR5, the Wipika Airblast came.

It was the first "Front line flyer" - and all kites a few years later have been like that ever since, regarding bar pressure and to some extent also the huge depower and range.
Wider tips and turned fast.

It was a milestone, that suddenly made totally insane jumps possible - and you could ride in insane windspeeds and not get tired :thumb:

It took a couple of years till they got "world wide", eventough they existed from 2000-2001, but 1-2 years later than the Naish AR5 which were the first milestone after the invention with the Wipika Classic.

Other brands came now - but they (and Naish) took some years till they followed the frontline flyer style that is still used today.

Finally the Bow (SLE) changed the world as the 3'rd milestone in 2005 and took a few years to "grow up", a bit too flat to start with - but SLE kites that can do almost "everything" is now the standard.

I've, unlike most others, never seen the 5 line kites as a game changer whatsoever...

Maybe how the world looked from "Denmark" - but my, and friends, experiences, over the years.

:D Peter

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Re: Naish AR5

Postby Peter_Frank » Mon Mar 04, 2013 10:43 pm

I think every country has its own kite history.

I have a few older pics from the early years here.

I was offered an 8.5m2 Wipika Classic back in 1997 or 8 by my friend Torben Kornum who must have been the first here.

But because windsurfing in waves was on its "max" then, I was too slow to say YES... :(

It lasted a few years with "nothing happening", and in 1999 the first handful of locals here where I live started kitesurfing.

Peter Boldsen, Jan Blæsild, Thorkild Kristensen and others - they started it all up seriously here in Denmark.

And a year later there were kiteschools and kitesurf seminars all over - GREAT DAYS back then !

Here a Naish AR3.5 at a kiteschool just down here in spring 2000:
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The "tough" guys were going high and with speed even in light wind, like seen on above picture in the background.

Here same day, spring 2000, local Thorkil Kristensen (the only guy to beat Bjørn Dunckerbeck in slalom in windsurf now and then) is out:
02.jpg
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I started that summer in 2000 with foil kites - nice "little" bar:
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In 2000 we got the Naish AR5, a milestone - here is the 9.5 which was simply EXCELLENT !
05.jpg
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Here is Jan Blæsild, the Danish kitesurf Champion the first years - out on a Naish AR5 5.5 and jumping high - the leash were standard back then:
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My friend an me down here in winther 2000 with drysuits - doing 720's and table tops (which we found pretty rad back then ha haa):
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It was the Naish Sky Pirate 6'0 we simply adored !
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A friend, Thor, had been on Maui, where he learned to kitesurf on a wakeboard in waves - so we were up in 3 meters waves and I was amazed that he just "managed" and had fun out there back in year 2000-2001.
09.jpg
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While we where still doing our "thing" with killer endo front loops (which were very cool for many years, and actually still is...), here me out the same day as Thor:
10.jpg
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Shortly after - I had been on a vacation with my girlfriend to the Canary Islands, where the waves were so good that I bought a beat up used 6 foot surf board for the week down there - great holiday surfing and enjoying the evenings with food and wine with the girlfriend.

My first thought was to leave the "cheap" board down there - but I took it back home and mounted footstraps, and started kitesurfing on my surfboard - worked excellent !

Although, my friend and me shared the AR5 kites, so still out on foils with a huge bar often ha haa !
11.jpg
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Then in 2001 and 2002 the next revolution came - the front line flyers - the AIRBLAST.
12.jpg

It was such an amazing quantum leap in speed and performance and windrange - and since then it has just been minor improvements IMO, besides the Bow/SLE from 2005-7 and forward of course.
Just loved the Wipika Airblast 10.0 which I still has out in my shed - could be awesome to make a "Retro Day" with old gear one day :thumb:
13.jpg
We were many, still using the Wipika Classic and Naish AR3.5 the next years, but as instructors for kiteschools only, where they worked perfectly.


This is what happened here in Denmark.
Would love to see and hear about other countries "Kite History", as I think many started seriously before we did (1999), but I honestly dont know and havent seen many pictures 8)

As this Mat Pendle video from 1998 shows, we were "late" I think - but awesome to see the early "videos" :



:D Peter Frank

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Re: Naish AR5

Postby Bille » Mon Mar 04, 2013 11:12 pm

Peter_Frank wrote: ...
EVERYTHING you ever POSTED ...
...

:D Peter Frank
Peter -- I'm Quite certain that there are a LOT of people on this forum
that feel the same way i do ; whenever i see :
Last post
Peter_Frank ---View the latest post

We are in for a rather informative and well thought-out post, as well
as Fun to read on most occasions !

Really Dude, I feel "Lucky" to have people like You on this Forum ; and
especially You !!!

Thanks : Bille

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Re: Naish AR5

Postby Toby » Mon Mar 04, 2013 11:18 pm

braveman wrote:I had a Rhino2 12m. Actual wind range was app. 14-20 knots :lol:
turned soooo slow and sat way back in the wind window.
I wish they would build such kites nowadays!

And the kites had range...you just need a long depower ;-)

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Re: Naish AR5

Postby Faber » Mon Mar 04, 2013 11:47 pm

@ Peter Frank:
Very nice pics, a piece of history, neverthless I just love all those vintage colors :thumb:


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