Kevin Langeree leaving Naish...

[Findus]

I actually like the name Reedin. It reminds me of the brand Reebok.

As long as they provide reasonably good kites they can name themselves whatever they like.

There have been faar worse names in the kite industry in terms of spelling. You would wonder how many newcomers in Germany misspell "Cabrinha"

[Matteo V]

Lesson number 1: don't buy version 1 of any product. Let the fan boys do that

Agreed, BUT DO BUY VERSION 1 USED when they mess it up on version 2.

[xray]

What a nonsense.... Damien has developed a zillion kites, knows exactly where to source what and how important quality control is. As far as I know he's the original designer of the Pivot... briljant kite in my opinion. This is a kite I'd more than happily buy the version 1 of..

[Seawolf]

Name don't matter, just look at Duotone...

What matters is performance, durability and price of the product. Get those right and you have returning customers...

[Ice101]

Hopefully they will price a little more competitively and bring prices back to where they should be at rather than the overinflated ones of the main brands now milking their customers before their bubble bursts. The pivot is awesome so if they have tweaked it further for this new brand 1st version they will be on to a winner. If Kev can win king if the air again on it and prove the design is still king how can it not succeed? He will need to work very hard though if he wants kota this year. I think it’s exciting. It’s good to shake up these bigger players. I hope they do a foil kite like the soul and Kev can show what a pro can do on an advanced foil. In fact it would be good if he were the first foil rider in the Kota and really gave people something to talk about. I wish them both luck and will watch carefully at their future products.

[grigorib]

[kjorn]

The pivot is awesome so if they have tweaked it further for this new brand 1st version they will be on to a winner. If Kev can win king if the air again on it and prove the design is still king how can it not succeed?

That's the most stupid comment on this thread so far.... let's carry on your line of thought .... Ex Naish designer steals intellectual property from Naish and uses it to design an improved 'pivot' kite ... Naish sue the pants off Reedin and they go bankrupt ...

A more likely scienario is that this is a new version of a new kite and it is different enough from the Pivot that Naish could never come knocking on their door. Hence my comment - don't buy version 1 - tonge in cheek - obviously try before you buy.

[UKSurf]

Maybe it isnt such a bad idea, Dmitri and Epic kites seem to have made a go of it. Maybe being a high profile rider and having his own kites might be the way forward. If the salaries are really as bad as Toby says he could well earn more money selling his own kites - I am sure he would shift a few hundred units a year atleast.

[a99]

Let say he will sell 500 kites first year, earning 500 usd from each kite (this is probably very optimistic profit) its 250k on year, but its without yet included taxes, salaries (divide at least for 4 people) and etc. Its not such big money. Of course he knows better inside how it run probably. He will adds in future boards (what will be definitely released), harness, bar. Probably still it will be better money than he get from Naish. I thinks this is bad news for Naish and North (especially).

But what we saw in this his vlog that Kevin now for months in CT and his designer in Hawaiis. It means no direct developement of kite process. Shipping of prototyes also quite complicated during huge distance with at least few days delay. Chating on skype regarding kite problems don't think is good solution. Of course probably he dont have free time to develop it as he was on Naish contract and probably this contract not allows to kite with any other brand kite.

[SENDIT!]

Simple:

As pro he will make less and less.
Owning his own brand the possibility that he earns more and more is good.

But, first it all costs...maybe there is an investor behind...see his cap....