Q1: Hi Brian, welcome to Ocean Rodeo, we are thrilled to announce you as the new designer for the brand. Can you tell us about yourself, your background and goals as a designer in general?

"Thanks, I studied Mechanical Engineering at Brown University, where I built an adjustable stand for miniature windsurfing sails to test in the wind tunnel and electronically collect performance data. After that, I earned a graduate degree at the University of Washington, focusing on mechanical design and naval architecture. I developed a CFD design tool for low-drag underwater bodies, then built, tested, and raced a carbon fiber human-powered submarine.

My first engineering role involved designing subatomic particle detectors. It was a crash course in high-precision design and machining — and on the side, I kept busy tinkering, building snowboards and mountainboards. From there, I joined K2, working with Shimano to develop step-in snowboard boots. That’s where I really cut my teeth in design and development with Asian factories, learning about fabrics, foams, injection and compression molding, footwear manufacturing, and quality control.

I also got deep into industrial design, creating patterns, colors, and early 3D printed components. While I loved the sporting goods industry, the constant travel was tough with a young daughter at home, so I settled in the Columbia Gorge and helped grow a startup called Insitu, building robotic aircraft. Over the years, Insitu became a major aerospace player, and I gained extensive experience in composite design, control systems, and complex system integration — racking up seven patents along the way.

Later, I specialized in composites manufacturing, developing fiber layups, materials testing processes, and even helping build a prototype electric VTOL aircraft funded by Airbus.

Eventually, I landed my dream job in the kite industry at Naish, designing and developing kites, wings, control systems, composite foils, and a range of mechanical components. Out of everything, designing sporting goods is my passion — because I believe helping people get outside, have fun, and feel happy is one of the most meaningful contributions we can make. My goal as a designer is simple: to make gear that’s exciting, accessible, easy to learn, and more fun to use — and in doing so, make the world just a little better."

Q2: What is your objective with Ocean Rodeo? Obviously, we want to sustain the great design and performance tradition the brand has, but all brands have to develop and move forwards. How do we find the correct balance in future?

"At Ocean Rodeo, this is truly a team mission that’s still evolving. From my perspective, I see two big opportunities:

First, to streamline our connection with customers, offering outstanding products that are more affordable and accessible — helping more people get into these incredible sports.

Second, to push the boundaries of what our gear can do by applying smart innovation in materials, components, and overall design. I love brainstorming new ideas (and revisiting old ideas whose time has come), and I see Ocean Rodeo leading the way in technical excellence.

I hope to contribute through creative design, sound engineering principles, thorough testing, beautiful product aesthetics, and a commitment to the highest standards of quality and safety. I want to be proud of every piece of gear we put in riders’ hands."

Q3: Let’s talk about materials, what's your assessment of the material developments that we have seen in recent years. Obviously, I am referring to Aluula which Ocean Rodeo brought to the market initially and is most well-known for, but also the move to lighter weight dacrons which are featured in a lot of high performance non-Alula kites.

"I approach materials both as an engineer and as a passionate kiter/winger/foiler.

From my aerospace background, weight, strength, stiffness, and aerodynamics are critical, precisely calculated and carefully tested. That mindset naturally carries over — I want to see kites and wings achieve optimal shapes with minimal weight, but as a rider, I just want gear that’s reliable, fun, and looks great.

Of course, it would be great if we can make a 12m kite feel like a 9m kite, or if we can make a 5m wing go upwind even a few degrees more. That's when the advanced materials come in. UHMWPE (ultra high molecular weight polyethylene) fiber has emerged as the current winner for kite lines, due to its exceptionally high strength/weight ratio, but it has not overtaken the world of fabrics, at least not yet. In the early 2000's, best kites used it in the "cuben fiber" fabrics that were on some of their kites, and the resulting smaller leading edges flew great, in my opinion, although they also had some Achilles' heels.

Then Aluula came along — a fusion of UHMWPE fabric and high-strength films — setting a new standard for high-modulus fabrics used on the inflatable tubes, making them lighter, stiffer, and potentially smaller. It’s incredibly high-performance, but the complex stitching process and hi-tech material costs currently limit broader customer accessibility.

One of my hopes is that new UHMWPE-based fabrics will emerge at lower prices, especially aligned with Ocean Rodeo’s new direct-to-customer model, making cutting-edge materials more accessible to a wider audience. With Bainbridge (our parent company) leading in sailcloth for top-end yacht racing, we have great expertise to draw from.

When it comes to heavier fabrics, it’s important to separate perception from reality. 

I think it's necessary to understand the real benefit of weight versus the perceived benefit. Lots of people like to talk on the beach about gear, and who has the lightest gear. And I agree, it is cool to pick up something which feels exceptionally light or exceptionally stiff.  

The bicycle market is proof that some people will pay thousands of dollars to shave a few hundred grams. But when it comes to kiting and winging, what is the real benefit of being light? For kites, certainly you can keep a lighter kite up in the air longer, if the wind is very light. But if it's windy, that's not really an issue. It's not just about weight. The other thing is rotational inertia : that is, the resistance to a change in angular velocity. Simply put, the amount of mass (or weight) at the wingtips makes a big difference in kite feel, and wing feel. The weight at the center is not felt as much. Similarly, with a wing, once you're moving, the weight of the wing is not really an issue, because it's flying itself. But you can feel the weight of those wingtips when you want to move the wing around. This is why it's not such a bad thing to use heavier fabrics towards the center of the kite/wing.

Also, people may talk a lot about weight, but I think it's important to consider stiffness and weight together. You don't want a kite / wing that feels like a noodle. You want it to respond quickly to your input, and you want the wind to make it respond instantly. 

That response is a function of both stiffness and mass.

It's possible to have a heavy fabric with a high modulus result in a stiffer tube structure with a smaller diameter. The benefit of the smaller diameter is better aerodynamics (lower drag = faster top end and better upwind angles).

So, you have to evaluate a candidate material in terms of its weight, stiffness, and aerodynamics. The lightest one may not be the winner."

Q4: Affordability. Kites can be expensive, and wings are getting up there also. How much performance do these super lightweight materials add in the real world? Who are they for?

"It’s true, kites and wings are expensive, and we need to be mindful if we want to grow the sport.

Ocean Rodeo is embracing a hybrid model: partnering with great retailers worldwide while also selling direct-to-customer online. As has now become accepted in the market. This should allow us to pass efficiency gains onto riders through better pricing. We will do what we can to support the customer base and the sport at the grass roots level. We need to be part of expanding the market, not making it ever smaller with ever higher prices.

Aluula kites and wings deliver incredible performance — but they come with a premium price tag. If you're a serious enthusiast or a competitor, you will appreciate the better aerodynamics and faster response. That will give you more speed, better upwind, bigger jumps, faster kite loops. All good, but it does add to the cost of getting out on the water. 

For a lot of riders out there the majority of kites and wings sold are still made in high quality woven dacron materials. The reason is they offer incredible bang for the buck, they are strong and resilient, and this is why we have introduced Dacron LE kites alongside the Aluula models, they offer a big % of the performance of the A-Series kites at a lower price. Dacron kites and wings still represent most of the sales by quantity. Our dacron kites are Pro level kites, using lighter dacrons developed in recent years and are not the heavier, first generation, dacron kites.

When newcomers ask me about getting started, I encourage them: don’t let price stop you. Start with used gear if needed — the important thing is to get out there and ride.

We must learn from windsurfing’s history. When gear became too complicated and expensive, the market shrank. We don’t want to make that mistake again. Expanding the sport — not shrinking it — is the goal."

Q5: What are some of the R&D projects you’re excited about?

"Without giving away too much, here are a few areas I’m really passionate about:

Wings: More customizable hand interfaces, lighter and simpler structures. Stiffer, more responsive interface.

Wings: Evolution of high-performance gear and gear focused on wave riding.

Foils: Smarter structures for easier assembly, lower cost, and more “airplane-like” control systems.

Kites: Pushing for even lighter by design and materials, innovative new materials, evolution of the harness interface

E-Foil Alternatives: I’m working on a concept that’s lighter, simpler, and avoids electronics and batteries — super excited about this one."

Q6: As a designer, what is important to you, weight, aero shape, material response, materials etc…

"Ultimately, it’s about creating joy.

Helping people feel that excitement and freedom when they’re out on the water — that’s what drives me.

Visually, I want our gear to inspire pride — beautiful curves, clean lines, striking colors, and a strong brand image. Functionally, I want it to feel intuitive: a kite that loops smoothly and predictably, a wing that’s stable and easy to handle.

From my aerospace background, I aim for the lightest, strongest structures possible without compromising durability. As a kiter, I value responsiveness and a tight, connected feel. As a winger, I prioritize stability — because a stable wing helps people learn and build confidence.

Finally, I think about the people making the products, too. The factory workers are critical partners in the process. Listening to their insights, respecting their craftsmanship, and designing for manufacturability are essential to creating truly high-quality gear.

Good design should be efficient, sustainable, and, ultimately, joyful — for everyone involved."