Photo: Franck Berthuot: Robby Naish building momentum at the Naish SUP Proving Ground aka Lanes atop an X32.

MICHI SWCHEIGER on the Naish Hokua X32 LE

We caught up with Naish SUP brand manager Michi on Naish’s limited edition, ultra lightweight, high performance yet accessible wave board.

SUP: How is the Hokua X32 LE Series different from the existing Hokua and Hokua LE Series? MS: For starters, this entire range is 32” wide, making it an extremely accessible and stable surf design for beginner to intermediate riders as opposed to average to highly advanced riders. This range helps round out our complete Hokua lineup, giving novice wave riders a stable but performance-packed experience while paddling into waves with ease. The Hokua X32 LE series blends the wave riding performance of our current Hokua’s with the stability & wave catching ease of our Mana’s, making these boards amazingly easy to ride.  This design excels when ripping small to medium waves (that aren’t generating a lot of power) to shreds.

SUP: What inspired the design/concept behind this series MS: Within our group, we have a lot of very experienced surfers who are older and/or heavier, making it hard for them to ride one of our existing Hokuas or Hokua LEs. A lot of them demanded extra stability and volume to make standing around and waiting in between sets more comfortable. At the same time, they didn’t want to lose much of the surfing performance, which led us to the X32 Series. 

SUP: How did you arrive at 32” as the ideal width? MS: After testing varying widths, we felt that 32” would be the perfect width for the target group. Older and heavier skilled riders are able to gain stability while not sacrificing surfing performance. People learning how to surf can now experience the storage and transportation advantages of a shorter board with stability and surfing performance.  This combination makes it easier for them to improve their overall skills.  

SUP: What type of rider is best suited for this series? Does it vary by board size? MS: The boards in the Hokua X32 LE series range from 7’10” to 9’1”, allowing various sizes and weights of riders a nice variety to play with. As with any of our lines, the size of the board is purely up to the rider and their comfort level. As all of the boards are the same width, the rider can mainly choose based on the volume of the boards. 

SUP: Finally, what’s your elevator pitch for the Hokua X32? 

• Easy to stand on. • Directionally stable. • Easy to get on the wave. • Easy to surf. • Easy and compact storage.

NAISH HOKUA X32LE EXPLAINED: more at http://naishsurfing.com/