Interview with Michi Schweiger: Is the new Naish Stratos freeride board the Holy Grail?
Surf Testteam
· 11.10.2023
Michi, until now you had Starship and Galaxy in your programme. Is the new Stratos an addition to these? Or does the board replace one or even both models?
The Stratos line is a combination of the well-known Starship and Galaxy models. These will be replaced by the Stratos in the future.
What is the philosophy behind the board? Who is it aimed at?
The aim is to bring easy to ride, early planing freeride boards to the water that offer the ultimate combination of early planing, free planing, speed, easy control and good jibing characteristics. I know that sounds a bit like the Holy Grail, but in our eyes we have really found a suitable combination that seems really well balanced. It's important to us that the glide characteristics are easy to access and don't require a lot of rider input, e.g. pumping.
What are the most striking shape details to achieve the desired driving characteristics and how do they differ from those of the Galaxy?
All shape details are very flowing, with natural lines. The bottom curve has a slightly flatter area in the centre and the tail of the board is slightly narrower than the Freerider Galaxy. We have dispensed with cut-outs in the tail of the Stratos and the edge shape has been adapted so that it is quite round and soft in the nose area. This ensures surprisingly good turning characteristics, even with the larger models.
When will the board be available in stores and how much will it cost?
The board will be available immediately from specialist retailers and will cost between 2199 and 2299 euros, depending on the size.
Is the board also suitable for foiling? If so, with which foil types does the board make sense?
The 125 and 145 have a foil ready box and can therefore also be used for windsurf foiling. The Stratos works best with freeride foils that do not have to be ridden with giant sails.
Info about the Naish Stratos
- Sizes: 105/115/125/145 litres
- Lengths: 236/238/240/244 cm
- Widths: 63/67/77/82 cm
- Price: 2199 to 2299Euro
- Web: www.naishsails.com
