IS BEST KITEBOARDING THE WORLDS LEADING BRAND?
Ok so the new 2013 season is fast approaching and one brand in particular is making a lot of noise. BEST KITEBOARDING I get a lot of people asking me what’s going on with Best? They are signing all the best kite boarders in the world.
Yes very true they are, We broke the news to you guys about Ruben Lenten making a move to Best kite boarding from Slingshot. 48hrs later it was confirmed by the man himself. �
Youri Zoon also signed a new Intl Team riders deal with best leaving Slingshot after a number of years.
Why are best spending so much money?
Well I myself think it’s a excellent move in what is a very small industry kite surfing is all about coverage and no one gives you coverage like Ruben Lenten and Youri Zoon The two Dutch kite surfers are a media monsterIndividually
let alone together.
So where does this leave Slingshot?
Well other than without two of the best riders in the world at the same place they left of last year I guess. But how are they going to promote The Slingshot brand going forward?
Slingshot have always been a core brand and they will find other riders for sure but it will take time nothing is going to happen over night. Slingshot themselves say “We make Champions not buy them” Well looks like even if they wanted to they couldn’t as All the Champions Slingshot have ever had have jump ship why? That’s a question only Slingshot will be able to answer look at the list:
Andy Yeates
Youri Zoon – Rides the Best GP kite
Gisela Borrell� –
Also not forgetting the other riders that have done so much in the past, now these guys may not be ex world champions but we all know who they are and what they are doing to promote both themselves and the brands they ride for Again Best kiteboarding.
Lewis Crathern – The man that touched the Sky (Jumped Brighton Pier)
Rubin Lenten – (without a doubt the most� powerful� rider in the world)
I heard that big Money was backing best kiteboarding and that the new Team members would get the chance to have a big input into pro model kites, maybe this is the reason they left Slingshot For Best Kite boarding, Maybe its not for the money at all as I hear everyone saying all the time? Only the Riders know and its their business so fair play to them.
I have been told by a good source that the owner of the High street brand ZARA is an investor in Best Kiteboarding if this is true I for one think its excellent news high profile for our sport and more importantly the Money to really push the R&D side of things as we all know, In the passed we have bought a kite only to find it has a problem. why? This sort of thing should NOT happen if the correct R&D is done the team riders should be riding these kites for 6 months before we see them if nothing goes wrong in that time with a pro rider then its not going to go wrong with us on the end of the bar.
So more R&D = BETTER KITES & BARS for us the end users.
Now that’s a lot of talk about Best Kites what about Slingshot are they heading in the right direction? Losing their best riders, Kites not changing though the years?
Im the biggest fan of Slingshot in the world I really am but something is wrong. This is NOT like Slingshot I have been riding Slingshot kites for 9 years and now for the first time Im not going to be riding Slingshot Kites this season.
Why? Because the kites have not changed at all other than graphics look at the Fuel the last serious change on that kite was the Split Strut and even that was a 2004 Fuel release. The Split strut was released in 2004 on the Fuel kite and removed some years latter only to make a return to the Fuel in 2011 Other than that, Nothing.
Then you have the RPM the bread and butter of Slingshot kites my personal favorite what’s new in 2013? NOTHING! Well apart from Graphics again how can you sell your 2012 RPM’S and buy 2013 RPM’S knowing that the it’s the same kite different colour? Slingshot I guess will tell you if it isn’t broke don’t fix it but every kite year on year can move forward and improve there is NO perfect kitesurf kite from any brand.
So this all leads me to start to believe therumoursI have been hearing for 6 months and now only last week heard it from someone I believe 100%.
BEST KITEBOARDING ARE IN NOGATIONS TO BUY SLINGSHOT!
For more info on Any of the Slingshot or Best Kites get in touch via email info@s2as.com or call us on 0044 1202 738448
Thanks for reading
Angelo
Surface2Air Team Kitesurf Shop Poole,Dorset
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