au_rick said...
I think the real problem behind people buying on the strength or reviews rather than demos is the general lack of avialability of demo gear (outside of the metro area in particular) and the inexperience of many newbies to know better.
Hey Rick,
This is part of the reason we are doing a demo tour in WA this season, to allow people in regional areas to have a crack at a range of new kites so they don't have to buy duds. I mean if they still prefer to take the risk and buy on hype, thats fine, but at least there won't be the excuse of, "but I never get to try new stuff coz I live too far away."
It's often sad that when we do roll into a non urban area and put all the stuff on demo, getting people to even try kites is like pulling teeth. Most common comment is, "Oh it's windy and I know my trusty old gear and I just want a good quick session".
Even at Kitestock, people walking past with a harness on would be asked if they'd like to demo a kite, and they say no thanks! Gees, I mean even if you just bought a new kite, if someone offered you a ride on new bit of gear for free, why wouldn'y you have a ride? If I had time, I'd ride everything I could to get a feel for what's out there. I do generally get to ride most of the bigger name brands and have a look at least at those I don't get to ride, just to stay up to date with the latest stuff, new safety systems, trim systems and whatever.
It's good to know what is out there. I hope we get a load of folks come to Exmouth to see what we have to offer. If not, at least I get to go for a ride and do a little spearing in the morning before the wind comes in. With any sort of luck, a Wahoo or a couple of Spanish Mackies will have a very bad day when I turn up [}:)]
We will also tour the south coast as well shortly after so keep an eye on the Events list.
Good winds,
