South African Adrenaline Seeker Jason van der Spuy Joins Team Naish

If you don’t know the name, you’ve been living under a rock. But in case we need to re-jog your memory, he’s a South African heavy-hitter who’s made some of the most viral moves, content and expressions in the past year. You might know him from his daring short-line radicals, or maybe his cheeky personality. The perfect balance between professional and free-spirited, Jason brings a whole world of knowledge and experience to the team.

He’s 24 years old. He’s been kiteboarding for 20 of them (yeah, read that again). Raised in Cape Town wind, shaped by some of the harshest conditions on the planet, and now stepping into Naish at a moment where intent matters more than noise.

Together, we’re building something – on the water, in the product and in the culture around it.

During our conversation we bonded over many things, an Aussie and a South African have more in common than you might think – including a deep love of the elements that, globally, many deem us crazy for. Not only that, a sense of humour many might not understand. It’s safe to say it didn’t take long to get along. To me, it seems Jason could get along with everyone he speaks to; a casual calmness with enough cheeky banter thrown in to make you want to keep chatting. Once we started talking about the real stuff – what he wants, why this move matters – his professionalism and deeply rooted passion shone through, and it’s easy to understand why he’s not interested in being another number.

“I don’t want to be on a team where I’m just enough… I wanna feel a part of the family and really connect.”

That’s the starting point.

Jason’s story doesn’t start with Big Air megaloops or highlight reels. It starts with a four-year-old kid in South Africa, following his dad down to the beach when kites were still wild, unpredictable things. “My dad started kiting… he got me into it in 2004 when I was 4 and I started competing from seven years old.”

Twenty years later, he’s still here. Still chasing it. Still building it. And Cape Town is stamped into every part of how he rides and how he thinks.

“South Africa is the most beautiful place in the world, but there’s danger and a lot of other factors you deal with. If you can perform in these conditions in Cape Town, you can pretty much ride any spot… it’s technically the most difficult, but we also get the strongest winds which definitely helps the confidence.”

It’s the culture too. The post-session beers. The braais. The tight crews that turn windy afternoons into community. “You go kiting and afterwards you go for a braai, grab a beer… you’re always chatting and chilling.” That sense of people, of belonging, is something Jason’s carried with him – it’s not only a big part of why Naish felt right, but the reason we’re taking Naish House 2026 to Cape Town; for the comfortable familiarity of culture and family.  

For Jason, this move wasn’t about running from something, but leaning into what could be next.

“Naish was kind of on the sidelines, intriguing me. Obviously they’re a huge company with a massive legacy of innovation.” Then came the conversations. The future talk. The ideas that made him lean forward. “Hearing about their projects and visions for the future… it really aligned with my own goals and my visions as well.”

It wasn’t just the brand, but also the family behind the image we portray. The people behind the brand, and especially the chance to work closely with Ewan.

“We chatted with a mutual respect as pro riders, but then also there’s this work relationship respect… I feel like we just connect and we understand each other.”

And that matters when what you’re trying to build is more than just another model year. Jason knows exactly what he wants right now: a Big Air kite that doesn’t just win heats, but actually moves the sport forward. “I need a kite that’s the best of the best for big air, for competition…” But he’s not interested in building something only a handful of riders can unlock.

“I think it’ll be really cool to have this kite that is ridiculously good for me… but can also cater to the rest of the world, so that everyone can ride it and love it.”

That line says everything about how he sees his role – not just as an athlete, but as a bridge. “It has to be really easy to use… so everyone else can enjoy it too.”

I’ve always known Jason as someone who pioneered short line riding. And yeah – he helped push that era, showed what was possible, and turned heads doing it. But that’s just one chapter.

“That was really cool… but that is just one part of who I am. I did freestyle for like 12 years before I started heading down the Big Air rabbit hole.” He doesn’t like to think of his style as following a trend, but flowing with his passion for kiteboarding. Twenty years of freestyle, racing, waves, Big Air – all layered on top of each other. “The other disciplines mean the world to me for sure. It’s how I stay excited on the water. I really want to lean into blending more disciplines, taking certain moves from freestyle, style from wave riding, and punching it into my Big Air repertoire.”

And then there’s the content world; the part of the sport that’s impossible to ignore now. Jason understands it better than most. He knows how to play the game. He just doesn’t want the game to define him.

“I know how to post content that can go viral… but it doesn’t actually build you as a personality or a brand or a character.”

So he’s shifting. Slowing it down and digging deeper into who he really is on social media – the Jason he wants to portray. “I want to create more personality… so people can truly buy into who Jason is.”

Longer stories. More real moments. Less just-for-the-algorithm chaos.

“I’m knocking out some cool ideas… more true to who I am rather than just projects.”

For someone who regularly throws himself into the most chaotic situations the sport can offer, his biggest fear isn’t crashing.

“The fear of not enjoying it anymore. I always want to feel like a child every time I’m about to go kite… I just never want this to go away.”

Because that feeling – the spark that, ultimately, we all seek – is the whole point. Lose that, and none of the rest matters.

When we spoke about the future, it was clear Jason isn’t just thinking about the next heat or the next trick. He’s thinking about the shape of a career.

“I want to really take my career and step into something much bigger and bring kiting along with me. I don’t want to go on the downward slope. I want to keep the slope going upwards.”

At the end of the call, I asked him what kiteboarding is to him, in one word.
He paused for half a second, then said it.

“Freedom.”

Maybe it’s cliché. Maybe it’s perfect. Probably both.

A kid who grew up in Cape Town wind. A rider who’s never stopped evolving. Someone who wants to build and leave something behind. But most of all, someone who cares just as much about everyone’s experience as his own. A true community-driven legend.

Welcome to Naish, Jason. We’re stoked to have you.