29/08/2018 | NANO ROD TECHNOLOGY
Airush Product Designer Dean Freedberg introduced Nano Rod Technology to the kiteboarding scene in 2017 to make our premium twintip line as lightweight and durable as possible. Featured on selected twintips, like the Livewire, Livewire Team, Apex Team, and Diamond Team, we caught up with Dean to give us some insight into their performance and further developments over the last year…
First off, what are Nano Rods?
These are 3mm rods embedded within the pressed core in an arc formation. We now have them in Fiberglass and Carbon, depending on the board model. This technology increases overall durability, high torsional flex, recoil response and impact absorption giving a more refined feel underfoot. Combined with the 3D deck and Carbon Torsion Control, you get an amazing and harmonious flex pattern that cannot be compared to any other board.
Durability is one of Airush’s fundamental design principles, how do the Nano Rods affect the durability of the twin tips?
The Nano Rods’ material is stiffer and stronger than the rest of the core. A large issue with the lightweight wood cores is the structural irregularity found in natural materials. This causes issues such as core sheering and other surface failures leading the boards to break under pressure. The Nano Rods do not have these problems, and the sheer strength of the Nano Rod is substantially stronger than wood and they are able to hold more energy/force than the wood core. As a result of this, a lot of the impact is dispersed through the wood into the Nano Rods, allowing for a longer lasting, stronger board.
How does the Nano Rod Technology affect the overall response of the board?
When launching into a trick or landing a trick, energy is expelled through the laminate and wood core. The flick back of the board known as the pop or shock absorption is the composite skin and wood core responding to this action. Composite has a substantially better response than wood when loaded with energy, therefore, the addition of the Nano Rod Technology into the core increases the pop and response of the core making the overall feel of the board crisper and stiffer.
Have you tried using different positioning of the Nano Rods – what’s the reason for the current arc shape of the rods?
Yes, we tried various positioning of the rods in the core, but the arc formation allows the rider to have increased control and stiffness between their feet, while still allowing the tips to flex. A fine balance.
After a successful year with the Carbon Nano Rods, why introduce Fiberglass Nano Rods to the line?
The Fiberglass Nano Rods are only found on the Apex, this is the board that blends performance and durability with price. The Carbon Nano Rods cost more, and we wanted to offer a really durable, well-priced, board to the market to make the technology more accessible…
