Splaat said...

Nice to see a humble Australian Kite company and Australian Kite Designer having there brand get top placements in global events.

Australian designer - check
Australian company - check
Australian manufacturer - errrr no

GalahOnTheBay said...

Australian designer - check
Australian company - check
Australian manufacturer - errrr no

GalahOnTheBay, Griffin where going to manufacturer in Australia and save cost by using some cheep MEXICAN labour down your way. but didn't work out, insufficient skill set (and damn ugly).

It would be good to have the kites made in Australia, and its possible if the locals are happy to pay $4000 to $5000 for a kite to support and create the local kite makers. But just like the other TOP brands Griffin kites are made in Asia.

We have organized "make your own kite" work shops where we get a group of 20 interested people and they buy some sail fabric and make there own kite with a sewing machine. (inflatable modern kite)

It was great seeing some grown men in tears after realizing they sewed on the canopy upside-down. (not my fault!)

Splaat said...

GalahOnTheBay, Griffin where going manufacturer in Australia and save cost by using some cheep MEXICAN labour down your way. but didn't work out, insufficient skill set (and damn ugly).

I hear you buddy - I could not believe I got knocked backed after my job interview with griffin to make kites. I even shaved my legs for the interview!

I just find it amusing that companies (many much much bigger than griffin) call themselves "Australian" when their core business primarily takes place overseas.

Then again I would never pay $4k for a kite, locally produced or not, so there is not really any other way to do things I guess

poor relative said...

Griffen is such a crap name for a kite.
Makes me think of midland bank.

Who thinks this crap up?

i hear ya, griffen monkey... WTF is that.

bloody ugly in the sky too.

Surfingboy why do you find it necessary to be so nasty about this bloke. He is an Aussie trying to make a business work. You will see plenty of Griffens on your upcoming trip. They are all the rage over there. Try being a bit less of a petulant boy and more of a kiting buddy. Our sport doesn't need to become full of spite like some we know. Lighten up man

ps. I don't know Splaat from a bar of soap but he's having a go which is a great Aussie trait .

Ausie kite brand 1st in world rankings? who really cares? if it's not a
slingshot or Cabreena it can't be any good??? what a load of ****e!
I was told monkey kites were crap.... well crap got world wide recognition! I'm 17 and even I can understand how it works. Iv'e been told my mp3 player is **** because it's not an Ipod. I still don't have an ipod. What scares me is that one day when (if) I do something really good, I'll be bagged by people who won't accept me. you guys are worse then my parents!

I agree you can't go around sayings somethings cr@p unless you've actually tried it. Its one thing to wind people up about nonsense but its another to defame them.
I dont know if these kites are any good or not, but im not going to say that they are crap unless ive actually given them a go.
Whos to say what is a good kite anyway? Just because your used to your million percent depwer XYZ kite and think its awesome, doesn't mean i will.
You get used to the kites you fly, there are many different styles and types within styles so unless your kite doesnt fly at all (which is rare) You will grow into the kite you ride. Then more likely than not when you ride another kite you will probably say its cr@p.
I think you need about a month on something before you can completely right it off (as long as it perfoms properly to begin with).

A good example are most want to be wakestylers who are stuck in strapville, they try bindings for a day and say its not for them.... Did you kite for the first time and then at the end of the day say "i couldn't do a mobe its not for me"... It takes time to adapt to different skills and equipment, you gotta stick it out and give it a fair run.

Dont right anything off unless you know for sure it's bad.
For example naish segulls..... i know for sure that is a gimmick

surfingboye said...

i hear ya, griffen monkey

Re the monkey Kites stuff, Monkey kites is not Griffin Kites. Monkey Kites where designed by a different designer to Griffin Kites, so its a different kite and different brand.

Kiting is all about having fun, Life is to short so enjoy it.

If you want to see what the 2009 kites look like have a look at the image gallery or the Snow kiting video below,

Happy kiting.



www.metacafe.com/watch/2468846/griffin_kites_kitesurfing_oldbar_nsw_chilling_out/

I'm at a loss.
I cannot find where the kite brand is being bashed.
Can someone point out that for me......

surfingboye said...

i agree, one cannot flame a kite, one has not flown.
stop the flamewar.

Have you no shame surferboy - don't put yourself down - there are plenty out there who will do it for you

Windchaser said...

Surfingboy why do you find it necessary to be so nasty about this bloke. He is an Aussie trying to make a business work. You will see plenty of Griffens on your upcoming trip. They are all the rage over there. Try being a bit less of a petulant boy and more of a kiting buddy. Our sport doesn't need to become full of spite like some we know. Lighten up man

ps. I don't know Splaat from a bar of soap but he's having a go which is a great Aussie trait .

I do know Chris (Splaat) in a distant way-and he's a very very good kiter (surf and tricks) and good bloke-I ride Slingshot kites now and was having some issues with the set up (Slingshot shipped their kites with the front lines about 12cm too short-duh!) and he lent me a brand new 9m Griffin to take for a spin-ended up I didn't ride it (had it for about 2 months too-just no wind and surfed heaps)-so can't comment on the kites-but Chris is a good bloke, so negative personal comments are not warranted.

I do agree that he may want to pay for his advertising and help sustain this site, rather than post what amounts to chest beating brand hype-AND he should disclose the association in the posts.

Just my 2 cents.....

Splaat said...

surfingboye said...

i hear ya, griffen monkey

Re the monkey Kites stuff, Monkey kites is not Griffin Kites. Monkey Kites where designed by a different designer to Griffin Kites, so its a different kite and different brand.

After reading this, I would be willing to have a test fly of a Griffin kite. I was avouding them like the plague because I test-flew a Monkey Griffin and thought it was a pig. So until now I simply thought it was just like a kingswood with monaro badges. However, in light of this I'm open to giving them a go.

D

Splaat said...

Surflily said...


Ive got a Griffin in the garage, its a 7m, latest model

$300 and its all yours

Interesting Surflily, so you run or advertise a school on your profile that doesnt sell griffins, have pictures of the latest slingshot kites on your profile, The school on your profile is near one of our schools that sell griffins and you say you have a griffin? Whats the serial number of the griffin?

Look forward to hearing from you, if you buy a griffin and dont like you can return it for a refund.

And if after the 6 month Warentee you have a problem of some kind you can contact the company and they will look after you.

Ha Ha Ha , , It wasnt ment to be a kite bashing, just got one in the garage I want to get rid of. I thought seeing it is ranked now #1 in the world by the IKA, then surely somebody will desperately want to get there hands on one.

I ride other brands and have no use for it, Are you insinuating that I stole it ?.. Well I take big offense to that SPLAAT How rude indeed.
I have photos of some riders at woodies attached to my profile, it doesnt mean I ride slingshot....
BTW its not the latest slingshots, if you knew your kites.

Its probably a very nice kite, Im extremely happy with my wave kite and freestyle kites so im not going to bag it! or even try it, sorry. doesnt have bar n lines anyhow. Comes with a bag though and Ill throw in a quality pump.

Best of luck and thanks for the insult

brett1112 said...

Ausie kite brand 1st in world rankings? who really cares? if it's not a
slingshot or Cabreena it can't be any good??? what a load of ****e!
I was told monkey kites were crap.... well crap got world wide recognition! I'm 17 and even I can understand how it works. Iv'e been told my mp3 player is **** because it's not an Ipod. I still don't have an ipod. What scares me is that one day when (if) I do something really good, I'll be bagged by people who won't accept me. you guys are worse then my parents!

Got it in one mate. I agree with your iPod statement. Applies here as well. Who cares what its called as long as it works well and the user gets what they want from it!
When I went to buy my first MP3 player I went with an Iriver after the sales guy at JB told me the iPod was just a load of marketing crap!

Chris-why do you need a serial number to close a sale to a third party?

To check what model/year kite it is and to trace who it was sold from and estimate the amount of use the kite may have had.

Ah I see, so you thaulght I was accusing some one of theft? Nah mate. I just want to see what model year and how new the kite is.

We had 30 kites stolen in EU, we tracked down the thieves by using the serial numbers and got all the kites back. Also if your kite gets stolen its harder for people to sell them as we put a list of stolen IDs to distributors and they can check against ebay sales etc.