Just throwing this out there , but i reckon Ben Wilsons kite's into Aus at around $1100 bucks gonna hurt the retailers and possibly the industry as well ?????????
BWS is a niche, power to him holding sway in his niche, but 90%of us ain't strappless flicky awkward looking surfer substitutes.
so I dare say retailers would even feel the dint
where is this industry you talk about jarvo?
a few dudes who love kiting with their mates renting shops. lol some industry!
Didnt think much before you posted that one did you.
Ive ridden a BWS kite and thought it was tops..nothing wrong with it at all. Geez we love knocking down a tall poppie.
Good on him for lowering the price to around the $1g mark. I heard it costs the manufactuers about $400 US to make a kite so I reckon thats a fairer price to pay. $2000 for a kite is highway robbery. Itll make the 'industry' more competitive and slap the big guys into action. The shops will start distributing them soon as well so I dont see why they wont get their cut?
Anyone who hates on BW for bringing out a cheaper kite is a hypocrite..
Dont we all shop around in everything else in our lives for the best deal before laying down our hard earned?
Who hasnt gone to Bali or a similar country and stocked up on crap you dont need just cos its cheaper than home?
In a country where everything is heavily overpriced(housing,fuel,food,electricity and even water!), I reckon BW deserves kudos for bringing the price down..
I remember thinkin how was he gonna compete in a market already saturated just on the strength of his name? Well I guess we now know...
Its all business and the competition that goes with it. I dont think many other people are in a position like BWS where they have created a whole brand and online buying group via his years of marketing. It probably is a shame that he hasnt used the shops to distribute kites to support those guys who sold slingshot for years which helped bens carreer. I think allot people would have payed full retail for a BWS and he would of had the benefit of the stores promoting the brand also. This may be the difference between the brand being massive or a small portion of the market. Its like Lada Niva back in the day or Great Wall now...how many of ya mates are driving great wall cars one or two if you are lucky. We dont just buy off price...
If they ended up being the best kites on the planet I would probably buy one whether they are 500 0r 2000...There have been a couple of guys I know get off their current kites(which they themselves said they reckon were better kites) to get on the "BWS Team". The only guy I know that is on the team is RY and typically he is tearing on BWS. 
I read through all of that and figured out two things, lots of people cannot spell and lots are bored. I am also too lazy to form and post an opinion.
As others have eluded to before - it's the same market entry strategy that Best used in the early days. I remember the crazy prices for 2 kites over the internet. He has to create a high level point of interest (surf specific kite) and an incentive to try and get people to try the brand (low price direct from the distributor). If he had used exactly the same strategy that other unknown brands have used then he would achieve exactly the same result - low market share. I think that over time if he starts getting a much greater market share then we'll see a more main stream strategy like selling through shops and advertising in magazines.
I think it's smart.
BWS will sell well at that price.
The biggest kooks of this sport love cheap bridle kites like waroo, monkey, griffin etc
I remember Best were cheap then got expensive (and still have kooks riding them ha ha)
The moral of this story is get in quick before the price rockets.
I'm not 'dishing' the kites as you put it.. never have (his movies are another story)
if you stop rubbing your bws totem pole for a second and read my first post, I stated I thought he had a hold of a niche in the market, but one that won't really effect retailers to a point where it will change the industry.
I can appreciate the moves & technique that strappless guys do, but for the most part it looks like an awkward crab crawl of half turns and missed sections...
but who am I to speak
I ride a twin tip in the surf
with a nappy harness
and a bucket hat
and a cabrinha
dishing......... never said YOU were.....(read my post instead of cleaning your tree spikes)
there was a space and i said people not Doc !!
(you have been mildly amusing on occasion)
we can defer to the classic voltaire defence for the opinion on style ..."i disagree but would defend to the death etc...."
i m with you on the bucket hat!!
although you would have to put that harness away in the car if we were having a post session beer, after you had retrieved your cab from the surrounding foliage!!
cheers
I think to be fair to BW comparisons with Best are not really fair. Several years on and people are more internet savvy now and comfortable with ordering online. Shannon had a low profile compared to BW who has had a huge media exposure through his savvy use of video making and marketing. I am sure Slingshot in particular will suffer with BW and their former designer leaving the fold.
Also BW has attracted riders like Ryland who although living in a remote backwater [sorry fellow Perth guys but it is to the outside world] like Perth, has achieved worldwide media exposure by being Savvy about video and internet technology. You cannot buy that sort of advertising.
If i was to predict the future i think their will be a lot more direct online selling and marketing in years to come and other manufacturers may join in to compete. The great shame may be the demise of our existing friendly local retail outlets who actually provide a great service in terms of lessons, social gathering points, repairs, spares etc. Also there will be nowhere to seek advice about what size and design of kite would suit the buyer personally for skill level etc. Personally i would like to support local retail if the cost difference is not too great
Haven't read through all the posts on this thread because I couldn't be bothered sifting through all the crap from many of you over opinionated forum junkies BUT I'm pretty sure that it's only the first 100 kites ordered that are at the discount price. Just clever marketing.
??? Has anyone who has posted negative comments about the BWS gear actually tried it???
Cheaper kites cannot kill the industry.
Windsurfing killed itself when it got expensive as hell.
