Some reflection and insights from the legend of our sport.

(Warning: no amazing action sequences)

That why I like his gear I feel like he is from my generation of fun lovers.

Just out for a blast

Russ

sick_em_rex said...
Windsurfing is extremely lucky to have a guy like Robby as one of its leaders. So many sports nowadays have outspoken and brash athletes who can taint it for the majority but in guys like Robby we are in safe hands. The Roger Federer of windsurfing. Great interview of a gracious and humble man.

I totally agree and I think its a big factor in keeping the sport cool.
However, I would actually change that Roger Federer is The Robby Naish of Tennis.

What can you do Barn? Not the first time you have slagged him off on SB, get over it.
I wish I could sail half as good as Robby.
Was sailing at Gnaraloo few years back a here is this guy waving to me around the front of his mast as he was heading out upwind. He was just enjoying himself and having a great time on the water - the eternal grom.
Caught up with him later on the beach and he was just a normal guy and not full of himself at all.
A very good ambassador for the sport.

So why fish then Barn?
It just proves to everyone quite a bit about you.
Please try to work it out and build that bridge.



A smart man once said it better to keep quiet and let everyone think you are a fool than to open your mouth and prove it.

beermate said...
So why fish then Barn?

It's called tall poppy syndrome.

Jezstrt said...
I'm going to Hawaii tomorrow and if some how meet him, I could faint and then get his signature

Lol.. Pull your self together man!

What you have to realise about Robby Naish is he was basically a trailblazer. He has been involved with windsurfing from almost the genisis of windsurfing and he is still doing it. Plenty of others from that era you don't hear about anymore. However Robby is still around and about.

He won the windsurfing championships when there was one board and one sail.

He was involved and winning professional windsurfing competitions right from the beginning of professional windsurfing. His Gaastra pink sail with US-1111 and yellow Mistral boards were icons for many years.

Sure the sport moves on and he probably is the first to acknowledge they awesome (and it really inspires awe) moves by on new style windsurfing.

However whatever eventuats in the future he still is the legend.

Robby is my hero , along with Milsy from the marauders

I seem to remember that Robby's father Rick was Hobbie Cat champion in California. So the family's involvement with sailing and water sports has a strong history. This of course is not that unusual as each generation of sailors stands on the shoulders of the previous.

Yeah Robbys my generation, and has been inspiring me for 30 years, he hasnt pissed into the wind like a lot of others, hes a great role model to younger guys, and if you can replicate part of what he has done, your a champ

Reflex Films said...
he sold out big time to kitesurfing 02 -04. saw him trying to sail hookipaa in 06 and it was pathetic. all skills gone.
1 year later he was getting 2 waves to anyone elses 1. shredding hard top to bottom. great to see him see the light and not completely sell out like so many others did. old school ripper who could teach so many of the new school kids how to do actual turns.

some interesting insights into the sport from one of the statesmen. although spelling errors and some of the editing in that piece were average relative to budget. enjoyable nonetheless.

the skill level in the sport has gone up 3 levels since then and there are a lot of things barn can do that robby couldnt even visualise.

which is what you want from the next generation. if you could fuse barn , robby , scotty mckerchers vert attack , jagers surfing top turn and koster's aerial awareness you would have a slater esque rider to dominate the next 20 years. i reckln koster will put it all together in the next 3 years regardless.

ammm...hes over fifty, built up a multi million dollars company, and can kite surf better than most tallented windsurfers that never get kiting, what else do you want?

^^^ Barn, you must be a young'un? those comments sound very gen-y (self gratuitous). As you get older (which you will), you begin to realise that respect is earned and RN has definitely earned it by immortalising himself to the sport through both skills, longevity, ethics (and marketing).

Without him and the other pioneers of the sport, you wouldn't have the toys to play with that have allowed you the level of skills (you obviously have some skills/ability) that you probably think is all thanks to you, when in fact without guys like RN, windsurfing would no doubt be a very different game.

I reckon we should thank Robbie and all those other 'pioneers' involved in developing windsurfing. I know that the enjoyment I've gotten from the sport is directly contributed to them and hope that the next generation of ambassadors for the sport keep developing & refining it for the enjoyment of generations to come.

I'll check back here in 20 years and see if 'Barn' is a name remembered for his contribution to...anything?

Sailhack^Pretty much hit the nail on the head, but at what point do we need to stop thanking Robby? And since when has anybody ever talked about the other pioneers? Richie Meyers and Dug Hunt? Pascal what's his name? And that cheese roll guy?

What would windsurfing be like without Robby? No worse I'd say..

Dissing Robby Naish in the context of say, Philip Koster is like dissing Michael Petersen in the context of Kelly Slater.

The comparison is meaningless.

Also, respecting someone's achievements doesn't have a use-by date.

Cheers

barn said...

Jezstrt said...
I'm going to Hawaii tomorrow and if some how meet him, I could faint and then get his signature

Lol.. Pull your self together man!

Jezstrt obviously has a man-crush!