Naish Traverse EJ | Lightwind Freeride Twintip

The Naish Traverse EJ is a light-wind freeride twintip kiteboard built around one idea: making every session feel effortless. Designed in collaboration with 2× KPL World Champion Ewan Jaspan, it's the board you reach for when the wind is marginal and you want to cover water rather than fight it.

The 2026 version brings updated construction — lighter tips with more flex, reinforced UD Glass Cross through the centre — giving it a lively, responsive feel that still holds together under park hits and hard landings. The King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard-inspired graphics make it one of the most distinctive boards on the beach too.

Who It's For

• Discipline: Light-wind freeride, freestyle, kite park
• Level: Intermediate to advanced — you don't need to be a pro, but you need to be comfortable riding in low-end conditions
• Best for: Riders who want a board that comes alive in 10–15 knots, carves properly, and can take a hit on a slider without delaminating

Key Features

• Updated UD Glass Cross construction – Reinforced cross-laminate reduces weight at the tips while keeping the centre stiff. You get rebound on pop without a soggy feel underfoot.
• Sintered base – Harder and faster than extruded bases, and it survives park obstacles. Slides cleaner on sliders and holds up to gravel beaches.
• Medium-high continuous rocker – Smooth, predictable arc through the water. Softer landings, less chop bounce, and proper carving ability when you lean into a gybe.
• Rounded tips – Reduce drag and improve release on the water. Carving feels more flowing; the board exits turns cleanly rather than hunting.
• Long, narrow outline – The key to how this board planes. Less width means it sits higher in the water and picks up speed earlier. This is also why you ride it bigger than normal.
• 2.8 cm G-10 fins – Enough bite for upwind and carving, but they'll release on demand. Versatile for both water and park riding.
• Centred inserts – Symmetrical stance options give you flexibility to find your ideal width and angle.
• Optional haptic handle – Taller grab profile than previous versions, easier to snag mid-air without adjusting your wrist angle.
• King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard graphics – Naish collaborated with the band for the 2026 artwork. It's bold, it's weird, and it looks genuinely good on the water.

Real-World Feel

If you've been frustrated by boards that feel dead in sub-15-knot winds, this one is worth your attention. The long, narrow outline catches the water differently — it planes early, almost without you noticing, and then just keeps going. There's a directness to the carving that you don't get from wider, shorter boards: lean onto your heels and the board follows your body weight, not your kite. The medium-high rocker keeps landings soft without making the board feel slow or sluggish going upwind. One thing to be clear about from the start: you ride this board a size bigger than you normally would. That's not a quirk to work around — it's how the shape works. The narrower profile means less volume for a given length, so sizing up restores the planing area you'd otherwise lose. Once you accept that and pick the right size, it clicks. The 2026 construction update is noticeable in the tips — there's a bit more spring on pop, and the board feels lighter overall without having lost any of its durability in the centre where it matters.

Setup / Fit

Size up: If you normally ride a 135–138, start with the 144. If you're on a 140–144 usually, go to the 152. The narrow outline compensates for the extra length — it won't feel unwieldy.

Stance: Start with a neutral, shoulder-width stance. The centred inserts give you room to move outward if you prefer more stability in chop. Moderate outward angle (around 15–18°) suits most riders for freeride.

Fins: The supplied 2.8 cm G-10 fins work well for most conditions. Go finless for park; keep them in for open water freeride and anything technical upwind.

Materials

• Core: Wood/foam composite
• Laminate: Reinforced UD (Unidirectional) Glass Cross construction
• Base: Sintered polyethylene
• Fins: G-10 fibreglass, 2.8 cm

Size Guide

Remember: size up from your usual board. If in doubt, go bigger rather than smaller — the narrow outline means the extra length doesn't compromise manoeuvrability.

Pairs Well With

For light-wind sessions, pair with a high-aspect, powerful kite from our kitesurfing kites collection. Complete your setup with quality kite pads & straps — a comfortable binding makes a real difference on longer light-wind sessions.

Why We Stock It

We're a rider-owned shop on the Wirral, and the Irish Sea doesn't hand out 25-knot days as often as we'd like. Light-wind performance isn't a nice-to-have for us — it's what keeps us on the water. The Traverse EJ earns its place here because it genuinely extends your session window without asking you to compromise on feel or build quality. It's not a beginner board dressed up as a freeride stick — it's a well-thought-out shape with proper construction that delivers where it counts. Ewan Jaspan has ridden this concept across multiple seasons and the 2026 iteration is the sharpest version yet. If you're after a board that makes marginal days feel like proper sessions, this is it.

FAQs

Should I size up on the Naish Traverse EJ?

Yes — this is one of the few boards where sizing up is the intended way to ride it, not an optional tip. The long, narrow outline gives it its light-wind planing ability, but that narrower profile means you need extra length to get equivalent planing area to a wider board. Naish and most retailers recommend going one size bigger than your usual twintip. So if you normally ride a 138, start with the 144.

What makes the Traverse EJ different from other Naish twintips?

The Traverse EJ has a much longer, narrower outline than boards like the Naish Stomp or Traverse. That shape is specifically optimised for light-wind planing and flowing carves rather than maximum pop or freestyle tricks. The sintered base also makes it more park-capable than a standard freeride board, so it bridges disciplines well.

Is the Naish Traverse EJ good in light wind?

It's one of the best light-wind twin tips in its class. The narrow outline, medium-high continuous rocker, and updated tip construction all work together to get you planing earlier and keep you going in marginal conditions. For UK conditions — particularly on the Irish Sea or similar spots — it's a very practical choice for extending your session window.

Can beginners ride the Naish Traverse EJ?

We'd recommend this for intermediate to advanced riders. The light-wind performance is excellent, but you need to understand how to work the narrow outline and the sizing-up requirement. Beginners on this board are likely to find it confusing rather than easier. If you're still developing your edging and upwind skills, a wider freeride board will be more forgiving.

What kite should I pair with the Naish Traverse EJ?

The board is built for light to moderate wind, so it pairs best with a kite that has strong low-end grunt — typically a medium to large delta, bow, or hybrid design. If you're buying both together, come and talk to us — the right combination depends on your weight and the conditions you're riding in.

What are the 2026 changes to the Naish Traverse EJ?

The main updates for 2026 are the reinforced UD Glass Cross construction, which reduces overall weight and adds flex and rebound to the tips without softening the centre, and the King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard-inspired graphics. The haptic handle is also taller than previous versions, making grabs easier.