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Airborne Kitesurfing Closing

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Created by carbine > 9 months ago, 14 May 2019
carbine
WA, 1440 posts
14 May 2019 12:53PM
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Very surprised to see Airborne Kitesurfing is closing down, thought they would be killing it with the number of Airush kites on the water but obviously not!

Peahi
VIC, 1467 posts
14 May 2019 4:33PM
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Stop me if I'm wrong but I think I have seen that one before.

Since when is a closing down sale actually related to closing down?

Airborne
WA, 224 posts
14 May 2019 3:19PM
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Peahi,

I can assure you we are shutting down, which is very sad.

We were the first kitsurfing shop in WA and for the last 19 years have we have operated ethically, we are not going to start misleading customers now and it isn't 1st of April..

Rango
WA, 667 posts
14 May 2019 6:01PM
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What happens to the gear that doesn't sell that day.

Peahi
VIC, 1467 posts
14 May 2019 8:57PM
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Select to expand quote
Airborne said..
Peahi,

I can assure you we are shutting down, which is very sad.

We were the first kitsurfing shop in WA and for the last 19 years have we have operated ethically, we are not going to start misleading customers now and it isn't 1st of April..


Sorry to hear that, no doubt a tough operating environment for retailers.

beebee
151 posts
15 May 2019 9:49AM
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Airborne said..
Peahi,

I can assure you we are shutting down, which is very sad.

We were the first kitsurfing shop in WA and for the last 19 years have we have operated ethically, we are not going to start misleading customers now and it isn't 1st of April..


I'm also very sorry to hear that.
I've been a customer many times and have always found your staff so helpful.
Tough times in all areas these days.

I wish all of you, owners and staff, all the very best.

high as a kite
SA, 1312 posts
15 May 2019 12:58PM
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I've been on Airush gear for 18 years, very sad indeed!!!
All the best guys.

Ian Grose
TAS, 423 posts
Site Sponsor
17 May 2019 2:43PM
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We've had a huge response and have been inundated since the announcement of the sale.

It looks like we will have a lot of crew coming down to grab a bargain tomorrow.

Apart from all the normal gear we sell, we will also have board racks, marques, eskis, shelves, wind socks, heaps of apparel, even the sofa from Windforce and our our meeting table.

Don't forget we have a heap of performance gear as well as all-round gear, something to suite everyone.

Don't miss out, once it is sold that is it.

dbabicwa
WA, 805 posts
17 May 2019 3:16PM
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That was a nice sofa :) Loved the color!

quikdrawMcgraw
1221 posts
17 May 2019 4:43PM
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Foghorn said..
What happens to the gear that doesn't sell that day.


You can have it, if you Want?

Ian Grose
TAS, 423 posts
Site Sponsor
17 May 2019 7:39PM
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Hopefully we sell it all tomorrow.

More realistically we will sell it over the coming weeks or maybe find someone who wants to buy a kite / SUP shop.

Looking forward to a big day tomorrow

Ian Grose
TAS, 423 posts
Site Sponsor
20 May 2019 6:09PM
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We had a great turnout on Saturday and it was great to see a lot of crew that I hadn't seen for quite a while.

Warning small pimp ahead:-

CLOSING DOWN PRICING - SUP and KITE

If you missed out on our fantastic closing down sale on Saturday, we still have some great bargains available.

We have SUPs, paddles,foils, kites, boards, bars, bags, clothing and plenty more at heavily discounted prices.


Unfortunately our website does not have clearance pricing as yet and is not up to date so if you want to want to grab a deal pop in or give us a ring.

Some sizes and models have run out, so don't miss out on what is left.

Starboard - Airush - Flying Objects - SUP Works and much more.

lotofwind
NSW, 6450 posts
20 May 2019 9:17PM
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Are you closing down because windsurfing has now become more popular and exciting and is now more in demand ??? lol haaahaahaa

Yves
WA, 134 posts
21 May 2019 1:44AM
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lotofwind said..
Are you closing down because windsurfing has now become more popular and exciting and is now more in demand ??? lol haaahaahaa


Gee you are so funny.

iandvnt
QLD, 581 posts
21 May 2019 10:53AM
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That is a shame, that is a lot of years to put into it.

Surely olympic kiteboarding, i mean sailing, will save it, what with the single female competitor out of the whole country.

Kiteboarding has changed so much in the last 7 years, the self advertising sport of kiteboarding what with flying, surfing and trick development has been replaced by the cast of the film Cocoon buying very expensive equipment in order to mow the lawn.

Might explain why there are very few young riders left in the sport and hence no new generations of customers. I see less kiters than 10 years ago these days.

It's like the windsurfing industry... repeated!










Peahi
VIC, 1467 posts
21 May 2019 7:36PM
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It would be interesting to get some stats around kiting, sales etc. It may have reached equilibrium some years ago with just as many entrants as people leaving the sport save for the odd pickup due to foils, wingkites and other fads.

One thing for sure is there is tonnes of second hand gear selling at half retail only a year old.

Young kids, not that interested, not even mine. Not cool? Probably. Surfing which is a more physically demanding sport, requires more driving and is more dependent on the right conditions seems to be much more popular than decades ago...

quikdrawMcgraw
1221 posts
21 May 2019 5:58PM
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Kiting is going hot banana cakes popular in euro and Russia isn't it

Sandfoot
VIC, 566 posts
21 May 2019 8:09PM
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Why has the growth of kitesurfing stagnated, my take -

As we all know, And to state the obvious the cost of gear and then lessons is the first hurdle, but the launching and landing is also a massive hurdle for people entering the sport.
Kite surfing companies market themselves towards high performance equipment and sexy images plus the new amazing kite foiling. With all this high performance gear and competitive marketing they've almost forgotten about improving ease of entry to the sport.

Plus most company's use huge air, massive pop and mega kiteloops as the main performance factors of their new kites which applies to say 5 % of kiters If your lucky.

As Naish puts it 99% of people are on the wrong kite, or we've sold the wrong kite to 99% of you and you need to buy more kites from us now or a wing thing.

??????????

quikdrawMcgraw
1221 posts
21 May 2019 6:19PM
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Surfers won't get into it coz when the onshore puffs up is when they give themselves a back crack and sack

Peahi
VIC, 1467 posts
22 May 2019 9:36AM
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quikdrawMcgraw said..
Surfers won't get into it coz when the onshore puffs up is when they give themselves a back crack and sack


nothing quite like a fresh wax job

holgs
WA, 294 posts
24 May 2019 8:21PM
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Does that mean the end for Auswind as well?

cauncy
WA, 8407 posts
24 May 2019 9:58PM
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iandvnt said..
That is a shame, that is a lot of years to put into it.

Surely olympic kiteboarding, i mean sailing, will save it, what with the single female competitor out of the whole country.

Kiteboarding has changed so much in the last 7 years, the self advertising sport of kiteboarding what with flying, surfing and trick development has been replaced by the cast of the film Cocoon buying very expensive equipment in order to mow the lawn.

Might explain why there are very few young riders left in the sport and hence no new generations of customers. I see less kiters than 10 years ago these days.

It's like the windsurfing industry... repeated!












Whadt
ive never seen so many young crew getting into the sport, at my local they're taking over, which is good in my view, WA has plenty of promising groms and great to see shops and individuals helping them progress

iandvnt
QLD, 581 posts
28 May 2019 9:18AM
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That sounds good. What sort of kiting are they into?

I can see that surfing will make some not want to kite, they need some rest days.

I see at the dealer meeting this year how RN was talking about how over tech/ over complicated has been destructive to the industry. I don't reckon they are so innocent though, although they could draw it back to what was better IMO

Things like foiling really don't seem to appeal to younger riders let alone be able able to afford them and have diluted kitings self promotion to younger riders.

Your location matters though I guess - no need for a floating ironing board in WA.

I guess the kite industry did this to themselves really just trying to "beat" each other in business, forgetting the grass roots appeal.

The world politics surrounding kiteboarding hasn't helped too.

Loyal to the Wingsurfer.






cauncy
WA, 8407 posts
28 May 2019 7:37AM
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They're not on the foils but all are mixing it on tt and directionals, always looking like they're having a ball

eppo
WA, 9372 posts
28 May 2019 1:32PM
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Hey my young one loves doing it all even behind a boat when the winds puss. Shame about airborne but the world moves on.

Underoath
QLD, 2429 posts
28 May 2019 3:50PM
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The kids way cooler than his old man.

Gazuki
WA, 1363 posts
28 May 2019 1:53PM
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Underoath said..
The kids way cooler than his old man.


Thats not hard

eppo
WA, 9372 posts
28 May 2019 2:50PM
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agreed...



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"Airborne Kitesurfing Closing" started by carbine