Custom Works
Carbon in Jeffreys Bay

Carbon Fiber Manufacturing of high tech Motorsport, Aviation, Watersport components in South Africa.

Like all the other pro windsurfers at the time he was attracted to the quality of their workmanship. Airush have been one of the only brands to continue to devote time and energy to constant C kite development from the moment they began designing kites, from the Lift in Manu was sure that there was a sport about to explode, but he had issues with the kite’s lack of basic accessories. Manu was sponsored for his windsurfing booms by a brand called Hawaiian Pro Line, a Maui based outfit that specialised in the development of custom and production built windsurfing booms, run by Keith and Karen Baxter. Keith and Karen had been operating their Hawaiian Pro Line workshop for 15 years or so, and Keith set about making up at least some kind of a bar to give to people; items which Karen claims to be some of the products that they are most proud of from that time as they were crucial to the sport’s development. Around the same time a company had shown interest in buying Keith and Karen out of Hawaiian Pro Line, they decided to sell and Hawaiian Pro Line had such deep roots in windsurfing anyway, so it was only right that they came up with something fresh and more fitting for their new kiteboarding brand. Keith and Karen as Airush began to assemble a riding team, the early members being Lou Wainman, Elliot Leboe and Rush Randall. It quickly became the fastest growing watersport on the planet and while Keith continued to develop vital accessories demanded by both riders and other kite brands, Lou, Elliot, Rush and Mauricio were doing the job of putting Airush on the kiting map. The Baxters continued to work tirelessly to help push the sport, but theirs was a roller-coaster ride. Sky Hi were also distributing Starboard at the time, a windsurfing brand run by a Norwegian called Svein Rasmussen, based in Thailand. Going from making the accessories which the Maui workshop team really had the knack for, to throwing themselves into the world of kite making as a global brand was quite a step, and they began to think about taking assistance. The game from the golden days had lost its magic for Keith and Karen and their work in getting kiteboarding to Maui and then to help develop the sport in its infancy had been done. Karen has her garage back and it has been reverted back into a sail loft. Then we put this little Ronstan quick release in one line so that you’d be left flying the kite on just one line (as these were just two line kites back then). Back then everything was new and exciting and it was really easy to create a new product that was an improvement. Keith and Karen had such a big knowledge of manufacturing as well as components in windsurfing and skiing so were quickly able share ideas and development for kitesurfing. In 2014 it still just feels right from your very first run and has allowed Airush designers the freedom to develop a much more specialised range of boards as the Switch has always covered the kitesurfing basics so very well. As Keith moved his development over to Thailand where he could improve his booms more easily with carbon technology, he and Svein got to hang out more. Keith was really interested in the windsurfing boards that Svein and his team were developing and took on the US distribution for Starboard and, together with Karen, grew the brand’s market share by close to 40%. As had happened with Hawaiian Pro Line, soon all the best riders were using Airush products. Up to then Airush had only produced accessories and boards, so kites were the next challenge. Kyle Flower moved to Maui in 2003, one of the many riders who made themselves at home at Keith and Karen’s place. He went on to work for Sky Hi and is now the Airush US agent, still based on Maui, and in 2003 was riding the Lift. Absolutely key to the progression of Airush in the last several years in really solidifying the growing reputation in the public’s eyes as truly innovative manufacturer was the appointment in 2004 of now Brand Manager and board shaper, Clinton Filen.