Kite company's are out of their minds

[vannibombonato]

I don’t see the scandal.
Yes, kites are obviously “overpriced” vs. manufacturing cost.
Yes, real innovations are now mostly marginal.
Yes, each year every kite is the new “do it all” machine.

But it is all pretty obvious, and no one on earth forbids us to buy last seasons’ kites at heavy discounts. According to this theory, they’re exactly like this season ones.

[grigorib]

The cheapest kites are foilkites http://www.panshkite.com/.

Also they are the best, most efficient kites ever produced. Snapped from the rich and given to all the poor!

[grigorib]

Cashing in or putting their heart and soul into their work? I doubt the little guys are getter rich. No don’t by there is an easier way to make a buck but I’m happy for them to be able to follow their dreams.

Both cashing in and putting their heart and soul. I’m glad they exist and find a gap to fill and show industry the way to direct their offshore capacities to

[SaltWaterDog]

I also don’t get what the whining is all about. People have a choice and as a consumer you vote with your wallet every single day. When I go on my local Facebook group where used gear is sold I’m flabbergasted how many suckers sell last years gear for no other reason than this years gear is out. And maybe they do have more money than they know what to do with but who cares. I ride gear that I saved up to buy new after using perfectly good used gear for years. If people want to buy a full quiver brand spanking new then let them burn that cash. There’s obviously a market for it. If you can’t afford new and used gear turns you off simply because it’s not new, then I’ve got no answer for you. Try another sport

[grigorib]

The average age of a kiteboarder is the oldest it has ever been.

Many dumb sellout kiteboarding brands now support the gka that says kiting is sailing, that now put on an absolute embarassment of a freestyle tour on ( in the eyes of youth). I heard mention of clown tricks on a podcast.. i agree.. not right for the top level of youth.

There are no more pro freestyle riders left for young riders to look up to aspire to make a professional living ( a real one not a trust fund one).

Full retail kite prices are astronomical today. You can buy a used car for the same price as a single kite.

making it simple.. kiteboard marketing today is based on selling the youthfull talent image to balding middle aged wealthy men. Technical equiment features feature heavily to this audience that is incredibly receptive to them, whereas a younger rider could rip on a kite from 10 years+ ago and simply does not have time ti talk abour kite features at the beach.. too busy riding.

The youth grown up wakebording behind daddy’s powerboat, tired of golf and cable parks?

Or millennial youth with entitlement attitude, broke because they didn’t learn to earn money?

Older guys are all fine. They have money for gear first (maybe not much for anything else but they don’t care), they’re confident, they know how to talk to and satisfy a girl. They’re ones gathering to ride and enjoy nice kiting locations, spend whole winters there...
Older guys don’t give a damn competing/measuring their junk or give a damn about ideological Olympics. They live their long happy lives and ride a lot. Some of them are overweight and bald and still more fun and alive than eggshell fragile “youth”.

Also 10 year old gear is kind of outdated both by construction and by age. 5 year old gear (2013 or so) is perfectly fine, I’d agree with that and is sold very, very cheap.

[foilholio]

Cheap ...get what you paid for. Sorry but most times true.

Yes you do get what you pay for, and with big brands that is mainly not the gear. You get adverts, flash videos, pro riders, team riders, shops, shop riders, shop friends, shop friend friends, flashy graphics, new colors, status, a feeling of being less gay, a feeling of being more gay, the full package, the whole kit and everything else.

[grigorib]

Cheap ...get what you paid for. Sorry but most times true.

Yes you do get what you pay for,...
...a feeling of being less gay, a feeling of being more gay...

Are you saying with Pansh you get a feeling of being “exactly and precisely one”?

Never about any other brand I read a topic how to tune a brand new kite so it flies to start with. That’s some serious sh*t pumping as I see it...

[Lokihel]

Never about any other brand I read a topic how to tune bran new kite so it flies to start with. That’s some serious sh*t pressing as I see it...

You're getting more for your money!
Other brands cheat you out of those hours of tuning your kite before you can use it.

[grigorib]

Cheap ...get what you paid for. Sorry but most times true.

Yes you do get what you pay for, and with big brands that is...pro riders, team riders....

I haven’t seen a rich prorider. I think they’re paid not much

[grigorib]

Never about any other brand I read a topic how to tune bran new kite so it flies to start with. That’s some serious sh*t pressing as I see it...

You're getting more for your money!
Other brands cheat you out of those hours of tuning your kite before you can use it.

I’ve seen those guys....”no, no, no, please don’t let bridles touch water!”
But some like playing with gear more than others, I get it