Designers Notes on the 2014 Naish Alana TT with Product Designer, Lars Moltrup

When did you first start development on the Alana? Was the end result what you expected?
We started designing the Alana in October 2012 using our feedback from the 2012 Raskal to assist in the overall design. We also utilized engineered deck and bottom shaping concepts, which were applied very successfully according to our design objectives and team feedback.

What inspired the design/concept behind the Alana? Is it similar to any other boards in the TT Range?
The Alana is our one-of-a-kind women’s freeride/freestyle board that does not compare to any other boards in our range.

The technical features, as well as the graphics of the board, are designed specifically for women. The beveled edges loosen the board up slightly while giving you the confidence to land tricks and pull off surface passes without catching the edge and crashing. The off-centered double concave design gives the board improved tracking, which helps keep the board stable on landings and makes going upwind a breeze. The tip shape has trapezoidal quad channels to give you better tracking & directional stability as well as extra grip when popping. The rocker has been balanced to give you amazing upwind performance and pop while still maintaining a playful and comfortable ride in everything from chop, flat water and even waves. The center & tip sections of the rocker were also kept low so the Alana can plane early while giving you directional stability.

The Alana utilizes Grade A paulownia wood as the supreme pop wood core construction, which gives you the flex response and lighter weight you only find on the high-end Naish twintips. The laminate is a fiberglass construction with a carbon cross on the deck that provides excellent torsional stability and a pop that requires minimum effort.

Are there more women-specific boards in the pipeline?
If the Alana turns out to be a big success, we will definitely consider it – time will tell!

Kiteboarding is quickly becoming the hottest new watersport. How do you see women evolving within the sport & what are your plans to foster their growth?
We are very aware of the contributions women are currently bringing to the sport so the feedback we receive from our female riders is directly translated into our products to improve the entire Alana range. Naish continuously supports numerous women on both local and international levels, including 2012 KSP World Champion, Jalou Langeree.