Why isn't North Sails in the Game?

[Thieu]

I didn't know 'North Sails' was 'North'...which is also 'Ion,' which is also 'Fanatic' - all under 'boards & more' company...


so...they are in the kite game...er...I guess...

I wonder how close R&D teams are between North Sails and North Kite.

I bet they never met each other in their lifetime.

And I bet level of aerodynamics know-how isn't in favour of Northkite r&d team.

yet aerodynamics laws are the same

[longwhitecloud]

North Sails is a different company to North Kites. I think North sails simply licenses the brand "North" to Boards and More in Austria to produce kites under the brand North kites.

[NYKiter]

Interesting how N and NS don't advertise the conglomerate more visibly...
I would think North Sail would enhance the North brand - they seem to be an industry legend.
Inversely, I wonder if cross-branding would dilute the other brands (i.e. hard core yacht owners might not want to be associated with kiteboarders?)

[knot_moving]

I have never heard that North Sails and North Kiteboarding are related in any way.

[knot_moving]

Maybe like Atomic skis has nothing to do with Atomic Aquatics ?
... now that I'm being a smartass it will turn out that North Kiteboarding and North Sails are related ;/
... but I don't think so

[Thieu]

Maybe like Atomic skis has nothing to do with Atomic Aquatics ?
... now that I'm being a smartass it will turn out that North Kiteboarding and North Sails are related ;/
... but I don't think so

Diving business and skiing business doesn't bring confusion to buyers.

NorthKites and NorthSails should clarify the status of their relationship;

I'm sure many people on this forum buys northkite because of the leadership and long time aerodynamics know-how of North Sails.

It brings confusion

[Pierrot]

They are related : sailors sponsored by North Sails also get their North kites at discounted price...
Not a joke...

[NYKiter]

No doubt.
Now that I think about it, the North dealer I was in last year also sold ION drysuits...

[S.A.]

As I understand it:

North windsurfing (sails? if that's what you're thinking) and North kiteboarding are one and the same company (Boards & more) but they have Nothing to do with North Sails (the yachting guys).

North Sails sold off the windsurfing side of the business years ago and the Sri Lanka factory even changed name later from North Sails to Global Sports to open up as a generic production facility, which is what they currently are, producing kites and windsurfing sails for many different brands.

The North Sails yachting guys are in a different league altogether and couldn't be bothered with piddling around with kites

[rtz]

the Sri Lanka factory even changed name later from North Sails to Global Sports to open up as a generic production facility

They make the Core and Best kites there? Any other brands made in Sri Lanka?