In this, the 'Gear Reviews' section, there are four (excluding this) threads on Griffin kites in the top ten.
In all the threads, Griffin or Griffin pimps/agents are actively advertising.
Correct me if I'm wrong moderators, but we (normal members) are not allowed to advertise products & services in normal posts/threads.
I, like others here (who have previously stated their opinion) am starting to get sick of the constant Griffin pimping going on.
AFAIK Griffin do not support Seabreeze by means of sponsorship. Other retail outlets do, and have that disclosure beside their logon details.

I see no difference between this and any member deciding to advertise their own gear here instead of in the 'Buy & Sell' section... Sound fair everyone?

Do Seabreeze intend to do anything about this?

I already commented here: 'www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/Review/anyone-waveride-with-kite-bigger-then-12m/ but decided, hey, if I'm a 'normal' member, then why not start my own noticable thread!
It's not like I'm advertising.....

Yes, it all seems veerrrry sneaky......

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Chris_M said...

Yes, it all seems veerrrry sneaky......

Haha. I quoted this guy (in pic) last night. How funny. Can't remember where he is from. Dracula I think.

I cant remember the story, but werent they once called Monkey Griffin, the kites failed with megga faults, went bankrupt and heaps of crew were left with warrenty claims that were not fixed?
I think there were threads about it on here a few years ago?

Keen to try one Griffin, pm me for details!

How do you find out who sponsor's what & why would you care? SC & Lotof, do you have anything to disclose.
For the record I fly Reo's, & for a while now have been looking for a light wind wave kite.

Yes, I disclose that Im trying to sell my ozone cat 12m for $500.
It is still new and crispy, only flowen 5 times to church by my grandmother,
trucks upwind, is a 12m but turns like a 8m, and no other manufacturer can match my price

Yep, new you were hiding something Loto....& what about SubC????

By the way Subculture, thanks for the advice on my knee...did not go ahead with the surgery as you & others on SB advised and the knee is feeling great.

Thanks again,

Top

^^^^Have I got a deal for you,,,a hardly used knee brace,,

^^^^^^Is it a left handed knee brace or a right footed knee brace?

You sound like a brand basher who is full of crap.

Cant help but think you have alternate motives.

Did you visit www.monkeykites.com and read what it says?

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lotofwind said...

I cant remember the story, but werent they once called Monkey Griffin, the kites failed with megga faults, went bankrupt and heaps of crew were left with warrenty claims that were not fixed?
I think there were threads about it on here a few years ago?

I actually ride griffin kites currently, and am very happy with that choice.

However I also am really getting sick of reading some of the constant drivel written by members with less than a hand full of posts.-This kite is the best kite ever invented,- turns like a 6 with the power of a 14,- has a 45 knot wind range, -can comfortably hold on in 68knots, -finishes my day off with a rub and tug ect ect ect. Anybody with half a clue about kiting knows this is just BS and it really does the brand no favours at all. How can someone who has only been kiting for less than 6 months give a review with any substance. How can someone who has only flown a kite on a beach give a thorough review.

Many of the posts are from real kiters with real input, but some are just straight up pimps, or from people with no farking idea. I have dealt with Chris several times in the last couple of years and can say with confidence that he is a stand up guy who his always honest and go's out of his way to be helpful. Both He and his small brand don't deserve the reputation that is being created by these parasites.

So you griffin pimps/ d!ckheads if you really care about the brand tone it down, keep it honest, or better yet piss off to some other forum and leave this one to real kiters who aren't full of sh!t.

well said bennie .

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toppleover said...

Yep, new you were hiding something Loto....& what about SubC????

By the way Subculture, thanks for the advice on my knee...did not go ahead with the surgery as you & others on SB advised and the knee is feeling great.

Thanks again,

Top

Glad you didn't get the surgery Top, I prefer to see it only as a last resort. It wasn't your time yet.. Great news the knee is feeling better too!

To comply with your request, I can't think of anything to 'disclose'... I wish I had some sh1t to sell though, I'd make a post here just for the laughs and to test the 'system'

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dusta said...

well said bennie .

Agreed bennie, balanced, straight up and well said.

+1 for the dude with the green head. Totally agree on all counts. Fly the kites first, then discuss. And compare. Then share...

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bennie said...

I actually ride griffin kites currently, and am very happy with that choice.

However I also am really getting sick of reading some of the constant drivel written by members with less than a hand full of posts.-This kite is the best kite ever invented,- turns like a 6 with the power of a 14,- has a 45 knot wind range, -can comfortably hold on in 68knots, -finishes my day off with a rub and tug ect ect ect. Anybody with half a clue about kiting knows this is just BS and it really does the brand no favours at all. How can someone who has only been kiting for less than 6 months give a review with any substance. How can someone who has only flown a kite on a beach give a thorough review.

Many of the posts are from real kiters with real input, but some are just straight up pimps, or from people with no farking idea. I have dealt with Chris several times in the last couple of years and can say with confidence that he is a stand up guy who his always honest and go's out of his way to be helpful. Both He and his small brand don't deserve the reputation that is being created by these parasites.

So you griffin pimps/ d!ckheads if you really care about the brand tone it down, keep it honest, or better yet piss off to some other forum and leave this one to real kiters who aren't full of sh!t.

LOL griffinkites said himself one thing i found quite amusing 10m in 38knts comfortably?
(he's either huge or full of ****, or doesnt have a fricken clue what 38knts is)
(another person stated a 14m had good low end in 15knts, dont think he knows how much 15knts is, either that or theyre gutless kites, i tryed to find a good example on yyoutube but came up unsuccessful)
The list of bs has been endless and the kite hasnt even been released yet!!

Real Kiters, Real input!!!???

Fair enough someone asks a legit question about the product, or someone that isnt a rider, non biased does a review on them. or you's wanna keep the kiting community up to date with r&d etc....one thread is enough for that.
whilst u may not have made all the threads, first thing you's do is BOOM! video's....pimp.....pimp....pimp....video.........
the video's prove nothing, exact opposite if anything.


take note 1:30 in

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lotofwind said...

I cant remember the story, but werent they once called Monkey Griffin, the kites failed with megga faults, went bankrupt and heaps of crew were left with warrenty claims that were not fixed?
I think there were threads about it on here a few years ago?

my mate had a griffin kite here, the newest argo, had nothing but dramas with it, alot of water time lost.
until we finally convinced him to spend the money and get your moneys worth,
so he bought a wainman instead, hasnt had a problem since.
which also pisses me off, stop trying to develop new kites and start tryting to improve the quality of the kites you have already, i liked the argo for the kite it is, but after seeing my friend on the beach cursing, or just watching from the side line....pretty dissapointed.

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LOL griffinkites said himself one thing i found quite amusing 10m in 38knts comfortably?
(he's either huge or full of ****, or doesnt have a fricken clue what 38knts is)
(another person stated a 14m had good low end in 15knts, dont think he knows how much 15knts is, either that or theyre gutless kites, i tryed to find a good example on yyoutube but came up unsuccessful)
The list of bs has been endless and the kite hasnt even been released yet!!

Real Kiters, Real input!!!???

I'm an absolute novice to this sport. Only started late this season and still can't master the TT yet.
I was loaned one of the 10M TRX prototypes last Tuesday and took it out in 28 - 30 knots, gusting to 39 as recorded on this site. (I weight 90kg and am in the 40+ bracket)
I can stand behind most of the hype as the kite was very controllable and didn't do anything outrageous.
The only dramas that I had were purely operator error. Apparently you're not supposed to somersault through the bar, it does nothing for the depower when all your lines are wrapped around the bar :)
Yes I am a bit tired of the multiple posts about the brand, but I can see why the blokes that own or have tried these kites are so excited. I was very impressed with the kite in its ease of use. I will be buying one when the become available.
Just for the record I do own a Griffin Argo, but also own a North Rebel.

so your a novice, kiting quite comfortably on a 10 in conditions similar to this...



i dont care what seabreeze wind says, there weather station could be on top of a hill, 50kms away for all we know, unless you have a $1000 wind meter, anything else usually tells porky's. or isnt accurate for that area.

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my mate had a griffin kite here, the newest argo, had nothing but dramas with it, alot of water time lost.
until we finally convinced him to spend the money and get your moneys worth,
so he bought a wainman instead, hasnt had a problem since.
which also pisses me off, stop trying to develop new kites and start tryting to improve the quality of the kites you have already, i liked the argo for the kite it is, but after seeing my friend on the beach cursing, or just watching from the side line....pretty dissapointed.

Yeh I wish we had of kept the wood fired stove, horse drawn cart and mud brick shelters. Damn these people who think they have the right to try and develop something better. It's just destroying the kiting industry.

Lol subculture now there is 5 posts.

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First of all, what sorts of dramas? Second, what level was he?
Is it just me or you r full of BS?

I know I am a beginner and had nothing but awesome times with the newest Argo. Yes, it's awesome value for money. What more do you want? Hands free relaunch, huge wind range, massive depower, fast turning (for its size). I would really like to meet your mate, I am pretty sure he could use some friendly advice on how to kitesurf.

People, you can troll as much as you want about the Griffin Kites, they won't stop being amazing kites.

Thanks,
Mike

NigeRobo said...



my mate had a griffin kite here, the newest argo, had nothing but dramas with it, alot of water time lost.
until we finally convinced him to spend the money and get your moneys worth,
so he bought a wainman instead, hasnt had a problem since.
which also pisses me off, stop trying to develop new kites and start tryting to improve the quality of the kites you have already, i liked the argo for the kite it is, but after seeing my friend on the beach cursing, or just watching from the side line....pretty dissapointed.

Yeh I wish we had of kept the wood fired stove, horse drawn cart and mud brick shelters. Damn these people who think they have the right to try and develop something better. It's just destroying the kiting industry.

Subculture does have a point to make. But I have a question. Would we be so concerned if these posts were made early on in the season when all other brands are getting reviewed / marketed?

Also on that point, griffin doesn't have the marketing machine of someof the other leading brands and relies on grass root advertising. So this could explain these posts and the fact that they are promoting a new kite way late in the season. Food for thought.

I must say though I would, highly recommend that griffin tighten up on their marketing approach and coordinate who says what and why.

Ultimately I'm not too concerned what any griffin rider says. The true test will be when I demo one. Until then it is just something I can read to reduce the end of season blues.

Yeh the introduction of the trx could have been smoother, but it is what it is. People don't be afraid of the advertising, demo first.

Lastly the representative of griffin need to be a little less reactive to the comments, it only damages the brand.

Proof will be in the ride my friends, have no fear. But it is healthy to have this discussion to reduce the potential of newbies running out and buying a kite that hasn't been fully tested by independent and experienced riders. Take note newbies.

Cheers for the post - I must say I (and the others) missed them - lots of posts ... we read what we can.

What you can do, to alert us, is above every post is a little "flag" where you can report something, and one of the mods can investigate.

To explain to all, coz no doubt Griffin & friends will read this also:

The Gear Reviews was partly setup as an overflow for sharing info about kites, as the pimping was getting out of hand in the main general category.

Yes, it's here for people to share information about their product, and no, it isn't to be abused by team riders/agents/sellers flooding with posts, and certainly no solicitation to buy...

It's a fine line/grey area between sharing info/responding to questions people ask, and pimping isn't it?

Funny, here you have an australian dude wanting to make quality kites. It is a small operation, yet there is constant development on trying to make it better. I would say that Griffin Kites has a very low to non existent marketing budget. He has a hard time just updating his website. What he does do though is spend his time making a great kite and offering them to australia at a very good price
Look, there are so many good kites out there. Each one has it own personality. Some people gel with it, some don't. Some skimp out on crucial things like line quality, etc. Some make ****ty bags to go with the kite, or offer no bag at all, just a duffel bag.
I want to purchase local where ever I can. I want to support australian industry. But quality has to count, as well as serviceability.
I know there are some pimps here, hard to get past somebody wanting to further their agenda. Weed through some of the crap and you will find honest people who are happy with a product. I personally could never slag a product until I tried it. I tried a Switch kite, and I thought it was just okay. Didn't really do it for me. I am sure there are many who love the kites and bar and are happy. I didn't feel the need to slag the kite and call it a piece of rubbish because it didn't tick all my boxes. It just wasn't what I was looking for in a kite.
I am looking for a lightwind monster that turns. I might be headed to a great kite spot that sometimes is known for going through periods of calm wind. I need to kite often. I don't live in WA. Saltwater is in my veins and I would rather go out and kite a low wind day than not. I think it would be fun to kite waves when there isn't too much wind, and the conditions are rather poor to surf. Just get me out there!
I seem to recall about 8 pages of Reo and Noise, so what....there are happy campers in amongst all the keyboard heroes.
Try the kites first. Then make the call.

Hi, a quick reply to some of the comments in this post:

1) Berg K1t3r - If some one buys a griffin kite from me and don't like it return it for a refund, no risk, in the last 2 years I have made 1 or 2 refunds.

2) lotofwind -The Monkey kites going bankrupt is just slander, go to monkeykites and read, it says something like, a few years ago we changed the designer and we changed from the cheep materials to teijin and we changed the kite designs, that is why the name changed, different kite different designer so different name, no one went bankrupt and any warranty and parts are still looked after.

3) I cant control what people post, I do my best to make my post relevant to the topic or replies to questions or replies to miss information. My posts are mostly well green thumbed. I will do my best so its know to distributors not to pimp, no one like pimping and it just give the brand a bad name.

4) Chill out, I go the the beach and design and improve kites, my priorities are to #1 make sure griffin riders are looked after and to keep on making a better kite, i suck at marketing, this may change for 2013, which starts in 2012 August, for kites that are developed in 2012 March.

The reality is though that effective marketing can help distribute a product more widely, hence more revenue, hence more money to put into r&d. I still feel you can at least consider better marketing the kites, as to obviously believe in them. To say I'd rather spend time on the beach producing a great kite is honorable but to me naive. North do both. Why can't you. At least consider how the kite is promoted. The backlash on this particular forum is somewhat sad, even if the mite does turn out to be a ripper. Can't wait to try one Chris. Damn ankle.

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eppo said.... To say I'd rather spend time on the beach producing a great kite is honorable but to me naive. North do both. Why can't you.

I'm going to have to guess that North is a slightly bigger outfit and they can afford to hire different people to do the marketing.

Marketing is one of those things that's can be quite troubling for smaller enterprises. Do it while you can't afford it and run the risk that your ROI isn't high enough or wait till you can more easily afford it but because of that you make less (or never enough) money and can't afford to do it at all.

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cloggie said...

eppo said.... To say I'd rather spend time on the beach producing a great kite is honorable but to me naive. North do both. Why can't you.

I'm going to have to guess that North is a slightly bigger outfit and they can afford to hire different people to do the marketing.

Marketing is one of those things that's can be quite troubling for smaller enterprises. Do it while you can't afford it and run the risk that your ROI isn't high enough or wait till you can more easily afford it but because of that you make less (or never enough) money and can't afford to do it at all.

Welcome to forum 'cloggie' I think you win a prize.. Most 'pro Griffin' posters have at least 5 posts under their belt bwaaaaa haaaa haaaa

Thanks Sub. First time I've won a prize for one of my first posts :D

But, this wasn't pro or against anything (although you are obviously free to interpret it any way you want ;) ). Just stating what I have experienced myself and observed at small business that I've worked with.