As my post got deleted I will post it again to shine some light.
I have a hunch things are way better than before from my real life observation at the beach where some of the testing is done. Maybe Switch can post a company response to dilute all the BS.
After reading some of these posts .
Time has come that I had to create an account and set the record straight.
Living on Oahu and having the chance to test the odd proto from time to time. Give some feed back and see all the different proto kites that never made it to market makes me think people should not get carried away with old proto photos.
There must be a few reasons the kites never made production
Like Marc said it just did not work for him.
I watched Felix one day cycle through 8 different proto kites of the same design and hand them off to different riders including my self and not one of them any one liked.
This is during Bill Hansen time at Switch.
I have watched Switch test over last 6 years at my local beach and not one time Bill Hansen would test his own designs. This I see as a huge down fall in their design model .A kite designer that can’t ride his creations at all. Probably the only kite designer that can’t kite. A huge missing link in design.
Makes things very difficult. Best of Luck Slingshot if thats the way they go
Many different designers over the years have tested at my local. All of them testing on the water.
I wonder if this had something to do with the change and new direction. .
Just recently I watched Felix test kites with one of their new designers . Watched them swap kites on the water exchanging feedback.
A much different scene then the old days. Looked very efficient and productive.
I was fortunate enough to try one of these kites. I do have to say the kite they bench marked off felt nothing like the other even though they looked similar.
I did have a friendly chat to the designer and was very intrigued with his knowledge and feed back on the kites they were testing .
He explained things to me as a rider that I could totally understand.
Going forward things to me look very bright for Switch with the new way they work with different designers.
The new models they have released are next level compared to what they had.
Switch had a vision for online sales early in the game. They are onto something great not being locked down by one designer.
BTW -The new H3 rocks.
Stacy.