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While I hope he stays with SS, hasn't he been with them since 2004? 9 years is a long time. That's his entire professional kiting career so if he decided to try something else out that might just mean it's time to move on. There doesn't always have to be dirt about one party or the other.

Len10 isn't really out there competing in events and he doesn't ride the kites that SS sells in quantity. So, you really have to put a price on how valuable it is for SS to have the megaloop king on their brand? How much is that worth? If they decided to cut Len10 they could probably sign up 4 up and coming groms for what they are paying Ruben and will have a much wider reach in the market. If they choose wisely, one of those groms could be the next Ruben or Ben Wilson.

$.02

edt wrote:

C Johnson wrote:Who said he was looking for a 4 line kite?

That's just his style. If he liked 5 lines he would already have 5 lines. With his style, he is always crashing his kites in huge surf, 4 lines is better here.

Please think before you speak. Fuels were 5 line kites for several years. only the very recent fuels and the fuels 7+ years ago used 4 lines.

At any rate, even small 5 line kites don't necessarily need a 5th line. Its optional on the 7m and 5m Switch combats. The same might be true for other brands.

How many more riders do those megaloops like Ruben?

Toby wrote:How many more riders do those megaloops like Ruben?

They might not pay him much, but keeping his quiver full is a cheap way to ride redbull's coattails until/unless he finds a kite he likes better than the fuel.

Redbull pushes a lot of footage and burns it into the target customers' brains, if SS loses him, probably their loss. Any groms signed would be years from delivering that kind of value. Lenten is almost like the Laird of kiting, mainly seen as a specialist, but undeniably more of a badass than many on the tour. And he is still fairly young.

FWIW, to my knowledge Ruben never ran 5 lines on his fuels, at least not the 7's + 9's he used for big airs and loops.
He did use the ATL system to reverse relaunch (from beach at least) the fuels up to and including the 2007-2008 ones. By 08 the smaller fuels would reverse relaunch in strong winds, by 09, as is well known, SS expanded the LE tube and wingtips to let all sizes reverse relaunch.

Anyway if he does move to another brand, he will get them to improve their C designs I bet!

C Johnson wrote: My bets is on Len10 joining North.

...so what would he contribute to the brand? If you look at it from a business perspective? Remember that people have to at some point have produce for the brand.

At some point a rider lose their marketability, and the value created by the sponsored rider ends up being significantly lower than the salary they get. You do see some riders evolve their skills into something that continues to be productive for the brand or another brand. I do not mean to sound harsh, but this is the same for all of us working stiffs in regular jobs too.

I know nothing about the guy himself, so this is not about his personality or anything like that?
But it does not seem to me that he has been very involved in developing SS as brand, or their gear or anything like that? I might be wrong in this, so correct me if I am. I might no have been paying enough attention.

Kiting brands are not in this for charity...I doubt anyone gets super rich, but at some point they have to look at the bottom line.

and this is what people are looking at.
youtube would be enlightening too but I don't know how to get good comparative stats on it.
Still a blue chip stock, whoever is buying.

tautologies wrote:...I know nothing about the guy himself, so this is not about his personality or anything like that?
But it does not seem to me that he has been very involved in developing SS as brand, or their gear or anything like that?....

I'm sure he impacts the design of the Fuel, but that isn't the big money kite for SS. They are selling RPMs and Rallys by the truckload, the Fuel is a niche.

Len10 did contribute heavily to the Lunacy board design which was an extremely popular board for SS and once released, similar designs emerged from other brands. But, SS doesn't make the Lunacy any more. He doesn't have a pro model board or kite, he is just synonymous with the Fuel and that kite will continue to carry the freestyle-badass trophy even if Ruben leaves the brand.

So, Youri probably sold a lot more RPMs than Len10 sold Fuels...but no doubt Len10 has brought more notice to the brand.

CaptainArgh wrote: I'm sure he impacts the design of the Fuel, but that isn't the big money kite for SS. They are selling RPMs and Rallys by the truckload, the Fuel is a niche.

Len10 did contribute heavily to the Lunacy board design which was an extremely popular board for SS and once released, similar designs emerged from other brands. But, SS doesn't make the Lunacy any more. He doesn't have a pro model board or kite, he is just synonymous with the Fuel and that kite will continue to carry the freestyle-badass trophy even if Ruben leaves the brand.

So, Youri probably sold a lot more RPMs than Len10 sold Fuels...but no doubt Len10 has brought more notice to the brand.

Both what BWD and you wrote made sense. Maybe this is SS way of moving away from the fuel?
It is interesting for sure to see how even the product does not sell, it can help form an image of the brand.

aspirational marketing 101,
a kite is worth $xxx.xx, dreams are worth more... That is a "renault," see what I mean...
They can certainly build an engine, but other models actually sell better.