Damien Giradin: he as kite designer at Naish for 15 years | Photo: Girardin Archive

After 15 years of working at Naish as kite designer and brand manager, Damien Girardin has decided to resign from his position to pursue new projects.

Girardin played a pivotal role in the action sports brand's success over the years.

Through his seemingly effortless innovation, Girardin has reshaped the industry and allowed clients to view kite design and material through an unseen, new perspective.

His original creation of the Sigma series propelled him into the most recent design of the Pivot and Boxer kites, both of which have largely impacted the industry in the past years.

Furthermore, Damien Girardin continued with impressive work like the apex binding, largely viewed as the leading, unparalleled kiteboarding binding on the market and the eventual fabrication of innovative control systems.

One of his highly regarded projects remains the Quad Tex material developed with Teijin.

His work on the latest inflatable SUP range introduced a whole new dynamic to that segment of the brand.

Damien Girardin: the former Naish kite designer will now focus on his business company DGD | Photo: Girardin Archive

The Wingsurfer

His last masterful creation for Naish, the Wingsurfer - coined through the remembrance of his father's use of the original Windsurfer - has propelled the commencement of an entirely new sport: wing surfing.

The French says he is "proud of all the accomplishments made in the past 15 years."

"I'm grateful to Naish's General Manager, Andy Church, and Robby Naish for the opportunities presented to me over the years," underlines Girardin.

"My gratitude further extends to all of the Naish distributors, dealers, and customers that I ultimately view as those I truly worked for."

"Additionally, I was offered incredible opportunities to interact with brilliant professional athletes whom I have seen rise from young aspiring pros into world champions, kings of the air, and true legends of kiteboarding."

His constant quest for perfection and continuous intent of providing user-friendly material has been a cornerstone of the Naish kiteboarding brand for the past 15 years.

Girardin served as the mind behind and coordinator of countless marketing projects such as the Naish House I and II, Naish kiteboarding TV seasons, and multiple photo and video shoots.

"My overall mission has always been to create an exceptional experience for all individuals, from the moment they purchase my products through their riding time," adds the kite designer.

Girardin has a Master's degree in Industrial Design from Université de Aix Marseille and a Master of Engineering in Mechanics and Materials from École Centrale de Marseille.

"Although I'll always cherish the past experiences, I am ready to embark on new personalized projects."

Damien Girardin will be working as a designer and marketer in his new company, DGD, and on other projects.

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