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Robby Naish - Still crazy after all these years

Robby Naish

 · 01.05.2016

Robby Naish - Still crazy after all these years
Robby Naish - Still crazy after all these years
Robby Naish once again impressively proves that you can still surf some of the biggest and most dangerous breaks in the world when you're over 50.
While other people of his age are thinking about early retirement, Robby Naish prefers to go for it again. At 52, he shreds gigantic waves in Fiji as if he were a spring chicken. He was when he first surfed the Cloudbreak wave almost 30 years ago.While other people of his age are thinking about early retirement, Robby Naish prefers to go for it again. At 52, he shreds gigantic waves in Fiji as if he were a spring chicken. He was when he first surfed the Cloudbreak wave almost 30 years ago.

Robby Naish tells:It's almost 30 years since I was in Fiji for the first time. I was there with Pete Cabrinha and the rest of the Gaastra crew to shoot parts of the film "Angle of Attack". You can still watch the trailer on YouTube today - it's like travelling back in time: The shorts were short and tight, the colours bright and colourful and the young sport of windsurfing was taking the world by storm. Back then, Namotu was a small atoll with a few bushes and one or two palm trees on it. I visited Namotu many times after that and today it is an exclusive, private surf resort.

This time I was supposed to shoot another film, but actually for a kitesurfing documentary. But when I saw the forecast, I couldn't set off without windsurfing equipment. I packed the minimum equipment, an 82-litre board and two 5.0 sails. Nevertheless, I had to pay an excess baggage charge of 630 dollars with all the kite equipment. I could only hope that the conditions would justify this price.

Naish knows that if this white water roller catches him, the session is over and the equipment gets a burial at sea. But with his experience, he won't let anyone buy his edge so quickly.Naish knows that if this white water roller catches him, the session is over and the equipment gets a burial at sea. But with his experience, he won't let anyone buy his edge so quickly.

Every dollar well invested

The two islands of Tavarua and Namotu, not far from the main island of Fiji, are world-famous among surfers. There is a large surf camp on Tavarua, while Namotu can accommodate just 30 surfers at the resort run by Australian former windsurfing pro Scotty O'Connor and his wife.

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After a kitesurfing session to get used to it, the second morning started with unusually strong winds and the swell was already pumping really big waves onto the reef, which can only be reached by boat. Rigging a windsurfing sail on a boat is already complicated, but getting your kite ready is even more difficult. And once you're on the water, that's it - taking a break on a boat that has to be in constant motion is not an option. I was able to roast off straight from the boat with my 5.0 sail, which is very unusual for Fiji. Cloudbreak was already breaking a little high up the mast. If it's smaller, you can forget it for windsurfing and kitesurfing because there are too many surfers out there. I was the only windsurfer along with eight kiters, which makes the spot pretty crowded.

Rush hour in Cloudbreak. But old master Naish doesn't let kiters and surfers put him off a good windsurfing session. He actually wanted to go kitesurfing too, but when he saw the wind and swell forecast, he realised: these are epic windsurfing conditions - so he took a board and two sails with him to Fiji. It was worth it.Rush hour in Cloudbreak. But old master Naish doesn't let kiters and surfers put him off a good windsurfing session. He actually wanted to go kitesurfing too, but when he saw the wind and swell forecast, he realised: these are epic windsurfing conditions - so he took a board and two sails with him to Fiji. It was worth it.

I felt comfortable from the first wave, even though I hadn't ridden downwind all season. When I took the second or third wave of a set, the face was so smooth that I could pull bottom turns that felt like you had a few "G's" of turn acceleration. It almost felt too easy because I realised that if I got caught by the breakers on the inside, then that was it for the session.

I surfed for a few hours, actually too long, because the others actually wanted to make a kite film with me. But that had to be postponed until the next few days. Those few hours surfing with just a few friends in perfect conditions in one of the best waves in the world was one of the best windsurfing moments of my entire life. To be able to say something like that at the age of 52 and around 41 years on a surfboard speaks for itself, I think.

The waves were so clean and smooth that Naish sometimes thought they could have been ridden without fins. Robby hadn't had these kinds of waves under his board for a long time. But his conclusion is simple: windsurfing is like riding a bike, you can't unlearn it.The waves were so clean and smooth that Naish sometimes thought they could have been ridden without fins. Robby hadn't had these kinds of waves under his board for a long time. But his conclusion is simple: windsurfing is like riding a bike, you can't unlearn it.Even real sailors get seasick. Robby can't last long on the swaying boat, he says. So he'd better get into the mast-high waves quickly.Even real sailors get seasick. Robby can't last long on the swaying boat, he says. So he'd better get into the mast-high waves quickly.Better on board than aboard - rocking the boat is not Robby's domain.Better on board than aboard - rocking the boat is not Robby's domain.
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