Health of Kite Industry?

[UKSurf]

Seriously anyone who has even seen the Switch kites knows their build quality is very good. I would assume you are a competitor or retailer who doesnt like their distribution method

You're joking right?

Nope - when someone says something that I know is totally false I assume they have an ulterior motive for saying it. Alot of people in the industry do not like the fact that switch is cutting them out of the equation.

[windrupted]

bomb proof. Or then i´m lost in the translation about what bomb proof mean

b] John A wrote: "One of those "bullshit" marketing phrases - should have bin "solid, but still still might break during normal use" hahaha
"Nothing like the hype - one brand start with some fancy words for how great it is and then the rest follows... But that doesn´t make the kite isn´t any better...
But unfortunately people get immune against that kind of stuff, and then even the actuall good changes looses it´s value..."[/b]

Greetings from California, sorry for the slang, we get stuck using a lot of corrupted language they may not be teaching in other countries, but at least we have spell-check. We use the word bomber, bombproof, and in fact a giant set wave is very often called a "bomb". I have had many a kite torn in two pieces after getting rolled over by a "bomb". I used to just say bye bye to my kite. It's a horrible thing to see your beautiful $2000 kite get torn clean in half, the leading edge bladder wide open and full of sand, saltwater and sea grass. My Switch kites haven't ever blown through the leading edge, or the trailing edge for that matter. It might just be luck, but when I look at the way it's built and then look at some of the other brands, it just looks.....well, sturdier. But I also think they found a design that absorbs the big impacts of "The Bombs". And who better to test for "bomb-proofing" than someone like Felix and Bill, out there going hard on the North Shore every single day?

John A and Niklas: enough of your cynical whining. This new competition you are facing will strengthen the gene pool of your kiting industry by eliminating the weak and overpriced, or the hucksters (great gossip Royal!) The overall health of your species will improve, ask Charles Darwin.

Now what to do with my Arc-load of shitty old worthless kites.....Got a brand new Slingshot Link! Anyone? Anyone? (At least the bar was good). Looking up at my brand new 8m V2 Nitro as it cuts a diagonal line well upwind of some 2013 10m kites in my path costing twice the price, I'd say your industry is getting healthier with every tack. Better kites at cheaper prices bring your sport to more people because suddenly they can afford it.

[Bradn]

For those thoughtless people complaining about switch,
-switch uses the same canopy material as the other leading brands
-the leading edge material is far superior to most of their competitors, the highest quality and most expensive available, only a few use similar. They also use 2 layers of Dacron whereas others use 1 - I have never seen another brand with 2 so far, why? its expensive, switch do everything they can to achieve the highest quality possible
-If you are complaining about wear, etc. it is probably because you do not treat your gear properly, leaving a kite flapping in the wind for a few hours (for example having lunch, waiting for wind) is the fastest way to ruin a kite. Just as rolling up a soaked kite and leaving it is the quickest way to stain it.

If anyone has an issue, a simple sentence, for example, 'the kites quality is bad compared to ____' , is not sufficient enough so mean anything, kites are detailed and complex, what area? what problem(if so)? why do you feel that way?

[sfpete]

One thing they can still do is come up with some original names...We have a Switch kite, and a Blade kite and a Switchblade kite. We have a Prodigy board and a Prodigy kite... I am sure there are many others...

[wetdog]

Both Liquid Force and RRD have a Bliss board.

But back to the topic: I think the industry is doing fine. It's a tought competitive climate with the new brands coming up, but that's similar in other markets as well. Personally, I buy second hand gear 1-3 years old as I can't afford to buy new, but there seems to be enough people that can affor to buy new to keep the industry going.

What I'd like to know is how many kites in total, worldwide the big brands sell and what brand is actually the biggest now. In Europe it seems to be North, followed by Naish and Cabrinha, then probably Liquid Force, F.one and Slingshot.... ?

[Jbrook]

Haha all these retail ho´s coming on here and talking bad about kites they have never seen or flown just so you come to their shop and dump 2 grand on the new 2016 kite, haha.

I have seen a few good riders using Switch they kite looked great. I dont know Bill but I know he has been building wings or kites longer than most new to the game designers so give respect where it is due and dont hate a company trying to produce a good product at a fair price. Who really cares about health of this industry, people want fair priced kit. 1100 dollar boards is too much, 600 bars also tooo much. So many trolls on this forum time to go somewhere else.

[Hasse]

Haha all these retail ho´s coming on here and talking bad about kites they have never seen or flown just so you come to their shop and dump 2 grand on the new 2016 kite, haha.

I have seen a few good riders using Switch they kite looked great. I dont know Bill but I know he has been building wings or kites longer than most new to the game designers so give respect where it is due and dont hate a company trying to produce a good product at a fair price. Who really cares about health of this industry, people want fair priced kit. 1100 dollar boards is too much, 600 bars also tooo much. So many trolls on this forum time to go somewhere else.

I have been a teamrider for Switch. And I can say I had a lot of problem with the bar. I hope they gone sort it out with the new bar. I was even stop using it because i was break down so bad in critical times. Loose my kite and just had luck to get it back from the coastguard 4 days later.
But I had a oki talk to guy's on Switch and like I wrote I hope they gone sort it out.


The kite breaks to in pieces but that doesn't matter wich brand it is. It hard to get a kite don't break in a shorebreak for some time!

[FabsPH]

No kites are bomb proof, claiming they are is bs.
All have flaws.
Most break in the dumbest way possible and usually by operators fault.
Why bars cost $500 now, I don't get.
Some are 2007 design and still cost $450.
Kites are kick ass no matter what brand.
Expensive but worth it... unless you kill it.
PS: Brand bashing is just stupid

[UKSurf]

I have been a teamrider for Switch. And I can say I had a lot of problem with the bar. I hope they gone sort it out with the new bar. I was even stop using it because i was break down so bad in critical times. Loose my kite and just had luck to get it back from the coastguard 4 days later.
But I had a oki talk to guy's on Switch and like I wrote I hope they gone sort it out.


The kite breaks to in pieces but that doesn't matter wich brand it is. It hard to get a kite don't break in a shorebreak for some time!

I havent had any problems with the bar myself, seems fairly well built and less than half the price of bars from other brands. What failed on your bar, the chicken rope? I would say they could improve on it a bit, and they are releasing a new bar soon - but the current bar for the price is very good value for money even if the build quality is not up their with the North Bar it is comparable to alot of brands IMO.

[UKSurf]

Personally, I buy second hand gear 1-3 years old as I can't afford to buy new, but there seems to be enough people that can affor to buy new to keep the industry going.

Problem with buying second hand kites is the material doesnt last that long - 3 seasons and the material is starting to look pretty shot and likely to tear in my experience. You are better off looking for deals from people who works in the industry who want to sell an unused/hardly used kite they have in their van to pay a bill or something