How many kiters in the world?

[Sea&Sun]

Does any know how or have a good guess of how many kiters there are in the worldY I wonder how many more start each year?

If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live.
---Lin Yutang

[Eduardo]

100 kiters at my local beach - a million beaches world wide, I guess
100 million

[cglazier]

This has been discussed before. Based on estimates of annual kite sales we figured there were probably 100,000 to 200,000 active kitesurfers. This number is probably still increasing each year.


Chris Glazier

[Santa]

This has been discussed before. Based on estimates of annual kite sales we figured there were probably 100,000 to 200,000 active kitesurfers. This number is probably still increasing each year.


Chris Glazier

I do not think so 60-70.000 sold kites last year... I think there is no more then 50.000 around the world! let all make an effort to get more people on the water

[sq225917]

i think santa is probably quite close.

[sgt. Salty]

Hey sq is it just your guess, or is it analysed fact? The guys (Alex as an experienced investor) probably estimated it before forming the business, like all companies should know their marketsize. Did they give you a hint? Come on companies, pants down

Another interesting figure would be active vs. inactive kiter. Not everyone that has a kite+board can be considered a kitesurfer, even if he/she used it before.

When guessing based on sales never forget the old kites out there.

[gumball]

Companies don't want to "pull their pants down" because then you will know they are not as big as you think they are and that Best is a lot bigger then you thought and a whole lot bigger then the other companies want us to be. It's easy to find out kite production numbers from customs in China, Thialand, Sri Lanka and other locations where kites are produced - hint, hint...

Based on customs numbers, Best was number three in 2004 behind Naish & Cabrinha respectively and ahead of North & Slingshot. These five companies represented about 85% of total kite production. Other companies aren't even worth mentioning. Not bad for a company started in February '04.

[Kitedude]

gumball surely you meant to say, Based on (Uunites states) customs numbers

[gumball]

nope, based on numbers from different countries' exports

If you judge on US imports, Best was #1 by a long shot.

[Pedro Marcos]

Interesting, i though North was the market leader for 2004.


I fly takoons, and they rock