TAKARA ISHII: NEW DIRECTION
Takara Ishii, one of the most talented sailors to emerge from Japan’s strong contingent of young sailors has just joined the Goya family. Already known for charging big waves, his extreme motivation and his competition prowess, it seems like Takara will be a perfect fit in the Goya Team! We hear from Takara as well as Francisco Goya about the new collaboration!
Photos: Kota Kawanaka
TAKARA ISHII
“I am super happy about joining Goya, I sailed with RRD for long time so it feels a bit strange to move brands, but at the same time I know what an amazing team Goya is. They are very welcoming, so I am stoked to be with them.
At RRD I used a thruster and four batten set up, so in the beginning, the Goya equipment, especially the board felt quite different. But I have already used the Goya custom quad 68L and Banzai Surf pro carbon at Ho’okipa and Omaezaki and I am loving them. Every single time I ride the board, I feel new amazing things. As for the sails they are just incredible!
When I was younger, I used to watch Jason Polakow’s videos of Jaws and straight away I knew I wanted to windsurf there. After spending a lot of time in Maui over many years, I finally felt ready to ride that wave. I like pushing the limit with my windsurfing. My main focus is to become windsurfing world champion, but I also want to start charging Jaws! That wave is special!
I rode Jaws for the first time two years ago! I had done a lot of training before I went up there, I learned to properly ride a Jet Ski, I went on water safety courses and also did breathing training! I knew if I went to sail Jaws, I wanted to hit the lip at some point, so I just focussed on all the safety precautions I could. I also sailed a lot of spots with the PWA and IWT tours which helped me a lot.
It will be amazing to work with Keith Teboul, he’s best shaper I know and it will be a pleasure to work with him, especially for my Jaws boards!
Having so many great characters at Goya such as Marcilio Browne, Levi Siver, Francisco Goya and Jason Polakow is really motivating for me! In 2025 I compete on the wave tour mainly and windsurf as big waves as I can!”
QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS
Date of Birth: 2001/01/13
Height: 175cm
Weight: 60kg
Fav Move: Goiter and Push Forwards!
Rider you most admire? Marcilio Browne and Kauli Seadi.
Fav windsurfing wave and why? Hookipa…it is always super fun
Fav Movie? Wild Speed!
Dream car or van? 4×4 truck!!
What are your strengths and weaknesses? …I love riding waves and jumping but I need more control especially with the double forward.
What motivates you?… My passion is to windsurf!
What is the highlight of your career so far?…IWT Japan 1st , PWA Cabo Verde 6th!
Are you a fan of social media? Not really, it can be good but I don’t like a lot of it!
Three words to live by? Love myself and others!
FRANCISCO GOYA
Welcome to the Goya Windsurfing family, Takara Ishii, J-20
“My relationship with the Ishii family goes back to the early 90s, during my first trip to Japan. We were launching Quatro in Omaezaki, where I met Hisa (Takara’s dad), Matsui, Tomo, Shinjo, Taka, and others, leading a new generation of Japanese riders. It’s incredible to think how long it’s been since we saw such a strong wave of emerging youth and talent in Japan – now, with Motoko, Takuma, Takara, Ryu, and Hyata all currently in the top 24 of the world rankings. Today, Japan has one of the strongest and youngest fleets on tour.
What inspires me most about Takara is his mature approach on land, paired with his fearless and countless hours on the water – charging the biggest sections, going for massive moves, from Ho’okipa to Jaws while also competing at the top level in Chile, Canaries, the Aloha, and of course Japan. As we started reconnecting over a year ago, we also reached out to Hisa, who, along with Matsui-san and Tomo-san, lead ON’s distribution in Japan. They share an incredible passion for organizing events, from youth competitions to five-star World Cup events. Naturally, this made our collaboration in distribution a perfect fit, as we have so many things in common.
Watching how the energy evolves and transcends with purpose from the water to the business worldwide feels amazing, all while seeing the new generation driving the sport forward and showing the world what is possible. We’re honoured to welcome Takara Ishii to the team — his passion for windsurfing, combined with his family’s rich heritage and lifelong dedication, feels like a natural move for everyone.
Wishing you a great ride and year, Takara. We look forward to many sessions together.”