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Here's a little history about Shannon Best, Lou Wainman and Elliot LeBoe. Elliot Leboe is originally from Corpus Christi Texas. Back in 1999 or 2000 he and Lou Wainman were going to be in Corpus Christi and they invited several pro wakeboarders to learn how to kiteboard. Shannon Best was one of those pro wakeboarders. The only kites available back then were the Wipika 2 line classic kites. There was a featured story in Wakeboarder magazine showing them kiting at Bird Island Basin (it's banned there now) and also in Corpus Christi Bay. Elliot and Lou invited Shannon over to Maui and that is where he really got into it.
Lou and Elliiot were the first ones to use wakeboards when everyone else was using surfboards where they had added straps or tow-in surfboards which already had straps.

Shannon is for sure a legend too. Dudes a genius on any kind of board. Was awesome in his prime. One of the sports only big guys that kill it.

sijandy wrote:

samsam wrote:What i am concerned about is that no one from Wainman posted a response yet. I am sure they are following this topic.

Sam

err probably cos they're too busy trying to run a company and making money rather than worrying about what bullshit assumptions a group of keyboard warriors are bickering over on some obscure thread in a internet forum.

Along with every other company, they follow these sites enough to pimp their new gear and videos.

I would guess there is no positive way to frame the founder and namesake of a company quitting, so like most people and companies in this world, will just ignore the conversation hoping it will just go away. Which it probably eventually will.

lakelavonkiter wrote:Here's a little history about Shannon Best, Lou Wainman and Elliot LeBoe. Elliot Leboe is originally from Corpus Christi Texas. Back in 1999 or 2000 he and Lou Wainman were going to be in Corpus Christi and they invited several pro wakeboarders to learn how to kiteboard. Shannon Best was one of those pro wakeboarders. The only kites available back then were the Wipika 2 line classic kites. There was a featured story in Wakeboarder magazine showing them kiting at Bird Island Basin (it's banned there now) and also in Corpus Christi Bay. Elliot and Lou invited Shannon over to Maui and that is where he really got into it.
Lou and Elliiot were the first ones to use wakeboards when everyone else was using surfboards where they had added straps or tow-in surfboards which already had straps.

I was in Maui back in 2000 when Shannon was learning how to kite. Lou was really on a different level. This was the first year of the Naish AR5 but most of the locals were still on the 2 line Wipikas. Honestly it was about 5 years before I saw kiter as good as Lou Wainman. Woody Harrelson was at KB as well then learning too, It could have be Harrelson Hawaii, just a handle pass away from greatness...lol

seriously guys, we are all making our conclusions about facebook messages that Lou himself had deleted already.
Lou while normally being a really relaxed and laid back dude is known to have a very short temper from time to time and then being capabel of saying and doing things he later regrets.

maybe that was the case...

so...
did lou quit the company?

Wainman Hawaii hasn't paid him a cent in about 6yrs.
Took him to court etc?!!
There basically a bunch of assholes who screwed Lou and squeezed every cent out of Wainman Hawaii and probably just put it there up noses and raped the company.
As company is broke no new products all they own of any value is Lou,s name image etc.
Otherwise he would of pissed them off and started his own kiteboarding company and we would of seen kiss kites that would of been awesome.
It's such a pity that non kiters without morals or ethics can f*** a company up so much.
Lou is riding 5 yr old kites as wainman never gave him new ones that's how the relationship with Lou and wainman Hawaii is.
So he is working a normal job trying to pay rent etc like the rest of us not styling around flash with cash driving a new truck every yr.
A traversty I say businessmen with agendas ripping off core athletes.
And then locking them into restrictive contracts.
So Wainman Hawaii is dead and buried.
I guess that is what happens when people who sold there products realized that they screwed Lou over so they stopped getting shops stocking there products.
BOOM SHANKALANKA that's what I know.
So I dont think wainman will respond as they know there crooks who just paid themselves big wages and put nothing back in company.
Lou had great vision no new release every yr for kites etc. They used to come with spare trimline, big and small chicken loop and screwdriver etc.
Then he was stopped from being involved and products didn't have the goody bags anymore.
Sad but true

i really do think Wainman Hawaii should respond.

here.

i mean..
is that true?

and who is wainman hawaii now?

why would any red blooded human patronize a company like that?
there MUST...but another side to this story?

or are they really the scum of the earth?

Saltyman wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 19, 2019 11:25 pm

...A traversty I say businessmen with agendas ripping off core athletes.
And then locking them into restrictive contracts....

Well said.

its all true.. wainman kites F*cked Lou sideways..

dont support those fuckers.. support Lou! https://www.gofundme.com/f/lou039s-new-company