The 2026 Windsurf World Tour has started and Naish junior rider Koa opened it with a bang. At the Maui Pro Am at Hookipa, competing in the waves he knows better than almost anyone, Koa took first place in the U18 Junior Division. His first World Tour event win. On home turf. In some of the trickiest wind of the season.
Hookipa is not a forgiving venue. The reef breaks are fast, the wave selection window is narrow, and the wind has a habit of doing whatever it wants. Competing there as a local is a double-edged sword: you know every section of the break, but the pressure of performing in front of your home crowd is real. Koa handled both.
"I had to adjust but I am glad it all worked out," he said. That adjustment is the part that matters. Conditions shifted heat to heat. The wind didn't cooperate. The riders around him, from Japan, Australia, the USA, and Europe, were some of the best youth wave sailors in the world. And Koa still found his way to the top step.
He also entered the U21 Pro Junior Division, finishing fifth. Two divisions. Two results. A full event at the highest level of junior windsurfing, against an international field, on one of the sport's most demanding breaks.
Throughout the competition, Koa rode the Hookipa Quad and Force 5, equipment built to charge and handle whatever conditions throw at you. The Hookipa Quad is Naish's most performance-driven wave board. Quad fin control delivers fast acceleration and strong grip on the wave face, with drive through the bottom and top turn when you push harder. The refined rocker line and narrowed tail increase bite and precision in critical sections, you can set the rail earlier and hold a tighter line through the pocket. It's the board built to perform on the biggest days on Maui, and Koa put it to work.
The Force 5 completed the setup. A five-batten wave sail built for riders who don't back down, rock-solid when fully powered, balanced when it's messy, and light in your hands no matter how hard you're pushing. When the wind cranks, the Force 5 doesn't flinch. Exactly what you need when Hookipa's gusts are shifting and the heat is on the line.
Beyond the result, Hookipa gave Koa something just as valuable: competition experience at the sharpest edge of youth windsurfing. Wave selection, strategy, consistency under pressure, lessons that only come from competing against the world's best in real World Tour conditions. He came away more motivated than ever for the events ahead.
The Naish team was fully represented across the event. Julian and Zdenek competed in the Pro division. Michi lined up in Masters. Zdenek and Michi both provided support throughout Koa's heats, a team environment that makes a real difference when conditions are demanding and heats are tight.
The first World Tour stop of 2026 is in the books. Koa is on the board. And he's already looking ahead to what comes next.
Explore the Naish windsurfing lineup, including the Hookipa Quad and Force 5.
