Why are kite companies such crap???

[FredBGG]

To be more precise ... whey are nearly all kite companies crap, full of shit and full of them selves???

So I buy a race board. It has fancy graphics... on the board, on the fucking straps...

Stupid fancy finish with some transparent finish and visible bamboo....

The model name printed on the thing as big as they can fucking make it...


but the dimwhits can't make fins and fin boxes that fit snugly together.


I an really getting sick of how much time and energy they put into their fucking image, team, website, over hyped bla bla and you still get wobbly fins.

To the kite companies here's a tip.... stop hiring teams, graphic designers and other bullshit.

Hire some quality control.

[tautologies]

Well, when you get it sorted raceboards are super fun

[Kamikuza]

Gotta agree with Fred... especially for the money we spend, the limited customer base they keep moaning about, how little profit in it they say there is.

Do it right the first time!

[TomW]

Its because being in design group, marketing, team management is fun. Qality control is serious, tough and nitty gritty in 38c factory in China or some other shitty place. No one wants that job.....

[SupaEZ]

you still get wobbly fins.

Can you shim the fins and make them snug in the boxes ?
Seems like it is the fin manufacturer that is to blame for poor final inspection of those fins
Definitely not fabricated within tolerance for thickness and fit for your raceboard fin boxes

[Okinawa Kiter]

Ya I have been disappointed by many brands. Even recently bought a $1500 carbon board and one fin is screwed in 1 cm crooked even a blind person could see and they are building them in Europe too!
I deal with Chinese factories and can tell you now there is a massive shortage of workers and the ones that are there are unmotivated as there are a lot of better jobs available that pay more. It's a problem with manufacturing now in China and the costs are getting close to making domestically now. I know even $2000 USD a month salary there now is not that uncommon, compare that to workers domestically.

[Jbrook]

It is simple, because they make crap and you buy it overpriced as it is. People are in such a hurry to get the new 2016 hyped gear, that usually has to be recalled. If you and other people did not buy it they would have to re-think their angle?? It is a new industry more or less and graphics seem more important than R and D to most companies. Warranties could be way better I agree, what does that tell you about a company that has such a short warranty period? To compare with cars I think some people buy one car over another because of the warranty is better. Need to support the companies that have better warranties and have less faulty products rushed to market.

[madworld]

For the prices being charged for kite gear, the warrenties should be a lot longer.

The only kite company I know that steps up is OCEAN RODEO with a one year warrenty.

Some kite companies warrenties are only 90 days.

[longbeachrider]

It is simple, because they make crap and you buy it overpriced as it is.

+1 but we are also to blame. There was another thread where a kiter was complaining about a specific brand (who makes awesome boards) and when I asked what the issue was, they were not happy with the colors or graphics.

Every country has niche board makers who you can get to know personally... For me its Litewave Dave Turner and I swear by his products. Great boards and someone I chat to weekly about product (board) design... A shout out to the guys at Brokite as well...

http://www.brokite.com
http://www.litewavedesigns.com

From what I have seen, it appears the corporations are just ripping off the development the little guys. As an example, the Litewave Wing has been around for many years is somewhat unique in its shape/design/asymmetric fin location and surprise surprise, one of the big names launches a board that literally looks identical... Big name even has "designer" notes and they don't even understand features of "their" own board... Fortunately the big name company's product rides like a piece of garbage.

[SpaceRacer]

I hear you. Bought an Airush Sector. First time out, thruster fin fell out. Lost. Gone. Reached out to Airush. They didn't respond. Much time and money later, replaced the fin. Then had questions about the foot straps. Reached out to Airush. No response. They suck. I'll never buy another Airush product. Funny too when there are more kite companies than ski companies for a niche sport. What? Does each company have like 9 customers? You think they'd take care of the 9 they have.