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Hiiyyyaaa folks!

Yesterday I was quite surprised. We had some really cool kiting conditions but I was taken aback when I saw that there was only 7 kiters on the beach. The region is generally crowded. Well trying to find some sense to this I came up with a question. Do you think these difficult global financial times are affecting your kite life? Do you still invest in new gears like you used to do before?

One thing is for sure, it will take more than a financial crisis to take out the passion out of us die-hard kiters!. I personally think that the kitemakers, IMO, are excessively crowding us with new models every year while in some cases there's only a simple change in colors. From what I have noticed, people are starting to spend wisely... and I cannot but help think that those small brands out there are facing a really difficult situation. For the competition, I hope they get over these hard times.

Evans

wikiz wrote:. Do you think these difficult global financial times are affecting your kite life?

Yes it does ,I take any job I can , spend as little as possible , gas is expensive .......

Do you still invest in new gears like you used to do before?

since 2007 not anymore , why spend 1300 euros for a new kite when you can get it 6 months later in second hand , hardly used with no tears for less than half the price ?

I personally think that the kitemakers, IMO, are excessively crowding us with new models every year while in some cases there's only a simple change in colors

Agree , take any SLE and move the front lines attachments 5 cm higher or lower and you have a totally different kite , add new colors and some fancy advertising and presto , next year kite is ready.

From what I have noticed, people are starting to spend wisely..

.

Actually , first comes your home , food and at the end your hobby

and I cannot but help think that those small brands out there are facing a really difficult situation. For the competition, I hope they get over these hard times.

Don´t think so , small companies have a better chance to survive since they have less overheads / G&A , the problem I see here is that most brands placed the orders in China or whatsoever for the new kites before all the trouble begone so they can end with lots of overstock and most kiteshops I know are ordering 50 % less kites as they used to last year .... some others are just ordering barely to cover demand.

it´s going to be a hard year for the industry

Saludos


Franz

It's weird.

Here on Fuerteventura it seems to have increased the number of kiters. We are in our Winter Off season and we have almost as many kiters here as in the Summer High Season.

It could be that more Europeans are coming here rather than traveling further (Brazil, Carib etc..).

..
Gunnar
Kalima Kiteboarding
www.arc-kite.com

panchito wrote: ......most kiteshops I know are ordering 50 % less kites as they used to last year .... some others are just ordering barely to cover demand.
Franz

50% less...... for real ??? That's gonna be tough for some companies, but also it will probably make the after-market even worse. Already the price loss is extensive.....

Regarding Fuerteventura ..... Well the travel agencies almost give away the tickets these days, so even students can go I guess. It's only us family fathers that are not allowed to go

Feeling the crisis..... Well my house probably 150-200 T€ in value. Who cares, is not for sale anyway.

yeah theres barely any work, so there is nothing to do so i kite and surf so much, i want there to be work so i can have a rest............

Dr_Rosen wrote: 50% less...... for real ??? That's gonna be tough for some companies, but also it will probably make the after-market even worse. Already the price loss is extensive.....
.

Something very few people know .... Tarifa is probably the biggest single market in the EU with a total sales of approx . 4.000 kites per year ( 07 ) , just a side note : Best sold approx 2.500 Waroos in Tarifa during 2006 ,divided thru 40 kites shops is not that spectacular at the end , everything point out that in 08 that amount went down 20 % ( which is quite a bit if you think that , that means 800 kites less sold ) , that number goes together with same number less students during 08 , within the past 4 months I have seen at last 6-7 shops closed down and been told that same amount will do till the summer so we are talking about 15 or more kite shops out of 40 which is around 30% .
New gear has increased an average of 10% , second hand market has almost 0 movement at the moment , you can get a 08 kite ( almost new ) complete for less than 500 euros ( check out E-bay Germany or the UK) brand new 08 kites are been offered for less than 700 .-

Depressing ..... I better stop


Saludos


Franz

I am hoping it will give me more time on the water and on my bike.
Nico

Franz: Wow... It would be interesting to hear such a report from Hatteras.

I suspect the impact will be mostly felt toward the top of the kite food chain. We plebs have plenty of toys from last year .. and earlier. I feel sorry for kite retailers; theirs is the smallest piece of the pie.

Jim

yeah if you walk down the high street in tarifa you can see on the shop doors big lists of new kites that are a year old for less than 1/2 price its quite unbelievable, but kiters will kite, regardless. im sure even more people will be on the beach this year and it will be chaotic as usual. the shitty second hand market is soley the fault of the marketing managers from the kite companys, (but they have achieved there aim of making last years kites look ainchent)... but im not one to believe thhe hype and when i pick up my allmost new 07' 7m complete this week for 200 bucks i will be stoked.............

there's got to be more about kite-life than purchasing? 06, 07 and 08 kit seems to work fine for most at the moment.
Are there any marketing figures about general leisure choices? If you skip one family vacation a year or postpone the purchase of your yacht you end up with some more cash and time to do sports you don't need to travel that much for and are affordable. I heard this is the case for scuba diving, anything known about surfing (wave/kite/wind)?

For water sports, kiting is way more affordable compared to any motorized or boat involving variety. except swimming.
So the crisis could just as well be a boost for kiting...